Sinclair Lewis (1885?1951) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, born in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, and educated at Yale University. He rose to prominence with Main Street (1920), a groundbreaking satire of small-town America, and went on to write a series of sharply observed novels including Babbitt, Arrowsmith, and Elmer Gantry. In 1930 he became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, recognized for his vigorous, witty depictions of American life and richly drawn characters. His work remains a cornerstone of 20th-century American letters.