Theodore Dreiser was arguably the most important figure in the development of fiction in the twentieth century. And although world-famous for his novels &quot;Sister Carrie&quot; and &quot;Jennie Gerhardt&quot;, Theodore Dreiser was also highly accomplished in journalism, autobiography, and travel writing. In 1919, having recently accepted the publishing contract of a new publisher, Dreiser proposed to publish a &quot;book of characters&quot; that would collect twelve biographical sketches of individuals who were major influences on Dreiser, both as a man and as a writer. The resulting narratives combine the best attributes of the character sketch, the autobiography, and the short story into miniature masterpieces of prose.&nbsp;<br />The men profiled in &quot;Twelve Men&quot; are a diverse and colourful group: from Dreiser&#39;s equally famous brother, the song-writer Paul Dreiser&#39;s (&quot;My Brother Paul&quot;), to the entirely obscure railroad foreman Michael Burke (&quot;The Mighty Rourke&quot;), on whose work crew Dreiser had laboured in 1903. The twelve narratives are compelling portraits of the men portrayed, but they also reveal many insights into Dreiser&#39;s own life and work.