Howard Vincent O'Brien was an American novelist, journalist, and editor whose career was deeply rooted in his hometown of Chicago. Born in 1888, O'Brien spent the majority of his life in the city, leaving only to pursue his education at Yale University and to serve his country during World War I. Before his military service, he established himself in the publishing world, working as an editor for Printers' Ink magazine and later founding Art magazine.\n\nDuring World War I, O'Brien served as a first lieutenant of artillery. His wartime experiences heavily influenced his writing, most notably inspiring his anonymous autobiographical memoir, Wine, Women and War. Alongside his memoir, O'Brien was an active novelist during the early 1920s, publishing several works of fiction including Trodden Gold, An Abandoned Woman, and Thirty.\n\nIn 1928, O'Brien transitioned into a prominent role as the literary editor for the Chicago Daily News. In addition to his editorial duties, he penned the widely read columns "All Things Considered" and "Footnotes." He continued to write "All Things Considered" for nearly two decades, maintaining a consistent intellectual presence in Chicago's literary scene until his death in 1947.
