Excerpt from Introduction by Marcia Lynn McClure: My soul respires autumn! I sort of have the feeling, as I introduce you to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, that is all I need to say. My soul respires autumn, and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" respires autumn beauty and wonder of a bygone time. So I'm sure you see the correlation between the breathing of my soul and Irving's work. And yet, I digress. Washington Irving was born April 3, 1783, in New York City, New York. He was among the very first American writers to gain European acclaim. Charles Dickens, Lord Byron, and Sir Walter Scott were just a few of his admirers abroad. Many American writers were inspired, encouraged, and mentored by him, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and even Edgar Allen Poe. He was made popular the nickname "Gotham" for New York City and is the author of the phrase "the almighty dollar." And it was Washington Irving's writings that shaped the way Americans anticipated, perceived, and celebrated Christmas--including a dream sequence authored by Irving that became the basis for our own American version of St. Nicholas, i.e. Santa Claus. Of course, you can search out Irving's accomplishments, accolades, and author histories further if you like. My intention is to draw you into a romantic love for his "Legend of Sleepy Hollow."