Charles Dudley Warner was born in Plainfield, Massachusetts in 1829. He became an American essayist and novelist during the 19th century, establishing himself as a notable literary figure of his era. Warner is perhaps best remembered for his collaboration with Mark Twain on the novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. The two authors were friends, and their joint work became a significant contribution to American literature. Beyond this collaboration, Warner pursued his own career as a writer, working in both the essay and novel forms. Warner spent much of his later life in Hartford, Connecticut, where he died in 1900 at the age of 71.