20th-century American essayists

American author and journalist (1899–1961)

Avram Noam Chomsky is an American intellectual, philosopher, linguist, political activist, and social critic. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He is a laureate professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and an institute professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Among the most cited living authors, Chomsky has written more than 150 books on topics such as linguistics, war, and politics. In addition to his work in linguistics, since the 1960s, Chomsky has been an influential voice on the American Left as a consistent critic of the foreign policy of the United States, contemporary capitalism, and corporatocracy.

American deafblind author, political activist, lecturer, scholar (1880-1968)

American writer and biochemist (1920–1992)

US-British poet (1888–1965)

Stephen Edwin King is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror fiction and has also explored other genres, among them suspense, crime, science-fiction, fantasy, and mystery. He has written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in collections.

African American novelist, essayist, and academic (1931–2019)

Russian-born American anarchist (1869–1940)

Russian-born American writer and public philosopher (1905–1982)

German-American political theorist and philosopher (1906–1975)

Russian-American poet (1940-1996)

American author and screenwriter (1920–2012)

American author (1922–2007)

American writer and editor (1890–1937)

American playwright and essayist (1915–2005)

American poet and writer (1932–1963)

American poet and critic (1885–1972)

German-American writer (1920–1994)

Anthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author and travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition.

American science fiction author (1928–1982)

British-American poet (1907–1973)

American novelist (1891–1980)

American writer and filmmaker, professor, and activist (1933–2004)

American novelist, poet (1932–2009)

American feminist gender studies philosopher (born 1956)

American economist (born 1953)

American political activist, scholar, and author (born 1944)

American writer (1923–2007)

American politician (born 1935)

American political philosopher (1921–2002)

American businessman and politician; 108th Mayor of New York City

Spanish-American philosopher

English American author and journalist (1949–2011)

American writer (1925–2012)

American writer (1924–1987)

American novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter (1947-2024)

American novelist and journalist (1871–1945)

American avant-garde composer (1912-1992)

American journalist and author (1937–2005)

American mathematician and information theorist (1916–2001)

American novelist (1935–2001)

American film director and writer (1941–2012)

American-Canadian speculative fiction writer (born 1948)

German philosopher and logician (1891–1970)

American journalist and writer (1880–1956)

American actor (1911–1993)

American biologist and historian of science (1941–2002)

Netherlands-born American astronomer (1905–1973)

American author and activist (1952–2021)

American author (born 1938)

German writer (1906–1949)

American fiction writer (1926–2013)

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

American economist (1926–1995)

American writer (1934-2021)

American fiction writer and essayist (1962–2008)

American writer (1925–1964)

American historian, playwright, and socialist thinker (1922–2010)

American novelist, playwright and essayist (born 1936)

Polish-American logician (1901-1983)