1859. American author, physician and father of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. He turned from a career as a general practitioner to the academic. He was also a contributor to the Atlantic Monthly (which he named), penning the famous series of Breakfast-table sketches, which are imaginary conversations at a Boston boardinghouse and reflective of Holmes's opinions, charm, and wit. The Professor at the Breakfast Table is a sequel to Holmes' The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, a series of light and genial essays full of fancy and humor. The Professor is written somewhat in the manner of Sterne, yet without much artifice. The story of Iris is an interwoven thread of gold. The poems in this book are inferior to those of the Autocrat, but Holmes shows a gift for drawing real characters. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.