Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, novelist, and dramatist. He is best known for his Spoon River Anthology, a collection of short free verse poems that collectively narrates the epitaphs of the residents of the fictional town of Spoon River. Masters also wrote several novels, including Domesday Book, The Fate of the Jury, and The New Star Chamber. He was a major figure in the early 20th century literary movement known as modernism.