Frank Norris

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Frank Norris (1870–1902) was born in Chicago, Illinois. A young student at the Académie Julian in Paris, Norris was exposed to naturalism in literature and became particularly fascinated in the study of human evolution. After years of working as a correspondent for various newspapers, Norris began his unfinished trilogy, the Epic of Wheat. The two completed titles—The Octopus and The Pit—revealed the suffering caused by corrupt and greedy turn-of-the-century corporate monopolies. His death in 1902 left the third book unfinished. Norris also authored the novel McTeague, which has been adapted into numerous films and operas.