This is an I-Heart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.

This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star

and the American people, coming to you

from the city where the West begins, Fort Worth, Texas. In the early years of the American

Republic, a new kind of fame was beginning to take shape, not built on power or position, but on

personality and the ability to hold an audience. Brian J. Jones, author of Washington Irving,

an American original, brings us the story of America's first literary celebrity, the man who

outlasted generations with stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Here's Brian.

Washington Irving was literally born with the nation.

He was born the week that we announced the treaty in 1783 that had ended the war.

He is named after the great hero of the war.

He is actually named after George Washington.

One of the great things about Washington Irving is he's a great storyteller and sometimes

he wouldn't let the facts get in the way of a great story.

So sometimes you have to trust but verify or just let him get away with it.

This is the story he always told, which was when Washington was marched through the city,

I think to be sworn in as president.

Irving was standing Washington the parade and his nanny held him up on his shoulders and presented him to George Washington and said, here's a, here's a baron, it's a Scottish

man, here's a baron who was named after you.

And according to the story, as Washington put his hand on Irving's head and blessed his

...