Thomas de Quincey
Writer
Thomas de Quincey was an English writer and a member of the snappy group of 19th-century writers and pals that included Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, William Hazlitt, and Charles Lamb. De Quincy ran away from home at a tender age, then got himself addicted to opium. It proved to be an excellent career move, as it resulted in his 1821 magazine serial Confessions of an English Opium Eater. The series was a smash and made his reputation. During his career he wrote primarily for journals and magazines, including the famous Blackwood's.Other opium-related celebs include singers Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin and author William S. Burroughs.
Four Good Links
Thomas de Quincey
Nifty biography and list of his major works, from the 'Books and Writers' page
Confessions of an English Opium Eater
An excerpt from his most famous work
19th Century British and Irish Authors
Scant de Quincey, but good info on his contemporaries
Dreaming de Quincey
Spacey, groovy slideshow based on his texts
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
8 December 1859
(age 74)
Best Known As
Author of Confessions of an English Opium Eater
