James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. He was born in Greenfield, Indiana, and grew up in a rural area of the state. He was educated in local schools and worked as a printer's apprentice and a schoolteacher before becoming a full-time writer. Riley is best known for his dialect poems, which often featured rural characters and settings. His most famous works include "Little Orphant Annie," "The Raggedy Man," and "When the Frost is on the Punkin." He also wrote several novels, including The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1871) and The Old Swimmin'-Hole and 'Leven More Poems (1883). Riley was a popular public speaker and was often invited to recite his poems at events. He was also a popular lecturer and was known for his wit and humor. He was a major influence on the development of American literature and was inducted into the Indiana Writers Hall of Fame in 1982.
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