He was a journalist who worked as a reporter for the "New York Sun" and "McClure's Magazine". As an author, he wrote such books as "Night Bus" (adapted into various movies), "Revelry", "The Gorgeous Hussy" (adapted into a movie), "The Wild Party" (adapted into a movie), "Flaming Youth" (adapted into a movie), "The Clarion" (adapted into a movie), "Men in Her Life" (adapted into a movie), "Incredible Era", "he Great American Fraud", "Siege" (adapted into a movie), "The Harvey Girls" (adapted into a movie), "Canal Town", "Grandfather Stories" and "Tenderloin".