From The Atlantic magazine: ‘Old Man Rivers,’ by Thomas Wolfe

Meet my first cousin, twice removed: Robert “Droch” Bridges, who has been the greatest influence on my writing career.

Robert Bridges was an editor at Charles Scribner’s Sons in New York City for some 40 years. During his career, he was named editor-in-chief of Scribner’s Magazine, at that time, one of the most important publications in the country. He had a great influence on our American Canon, as he chose whose work would surface to the public by publishing their chapters in the magazine.

Novelist Thomas Wolfe called Bridges “The Dean of American Letters” and wrote an article titled “Old Man Rivers” (in the attached edition of The Atlantic) that was from his first-hand account of Bridges. The writing is the best source I’ve found for insight into who Bridges was as a man. No doubt, it will influence the novel I am working on featuring Bridges.