GORKY, MAXIM, the pseudonym of a Russian novelist and short story writer, whose real name is Alexei Maximovitch Pyeshkov, born in Nizhni-Novgorod, 1868. He was of humble parentage, and, being an orphan at nine, became a shoemaker's apprentice. He did not remain long at this trade, nor at any trade, in fact, but wandered about the country doing odd jobs and tramping between whiles. Thus he became intimately acquainted with the class of people, outcasts and beggars, who are the chief characters of his stories and novels. Gradually his ex periences found expression in literary form and by 1905 Gorky was one of the most popular writers of Russia. He was in close sympathy with the Russian revolutionary parties, and was twice ar rested for his revolutionary activities, but his prominence as a literary man, abroad as well as in Russia, made it in advisable for the Czar's Government to punish him severely. In 1906 he visited the United States to raise money for the Russian revolutionary movement, but his mission failed because of the fact that the Russian Church had not legalized his marriage to the woman who accompanied him. For some years he Med in Italy, in delicate health, but during the World War he returned to Russia, to par ticipate in the general effort to crush German Imperialism. He supported the
Russian Revolution of March, 1917, en thusiastically, but bitterly opposed the Bolsheviki when they came into power in the following November. Later he co-operated with them, but continued his criticism of their principles and tactics.
Gorky's fame as a writer is particu larly strong in this country, and Eng land. His short sketches of the Russian underworld are powerful, if crude, but his novels and plays show less virility, while his political and economic essays betray his lack of early training and education. Almost all his writings are available in English. Among his best known collections of short stories are: "Orloff and His Wife" (1901), and "The Outcasts and Other Stories" (1902). Among his best known novels are: "Mother" (1907) ; "The Spy" (1908); and "A Confession" (1910). His plays are not popular in this country, but "A Night's Lodging" (1905) has been much commented upon.