1855. Washington Irving was the first American literary artist to earn his living solely through his writings and is considered to be the Father of the American Short Story. A biography of the life of George Washington written during his last years, which were spent in Tarrytown, N.Y. See other Irving titles available from Kessinger Publishing. Vol. 1 ISBN 0766185222, Vol. 3 ISBN 0766185249, Vol. 4 ISBN 0766185257.