Anton Checkov-the pioneer

 From The Writer’s Almanac from American Public Media  

• "Anton Checkov went on to help invent the modern short story. He managed to produce more than 600 stories in his lifetime, and he was one of the first writers to use short stories to explore characters, rather than events. And he was also one of the first not to use surprise endings. Chekhov often wrote about people with glaring moral flaws, like prostitutes and criminals, but he didn’t condemn their actions. He said, "The artist should not be the judge of his characters and what they talk about, but only an impartial witness. … A writer should be as objective as a chemist." - 
• Anton Chekhov said, "Any idiot can face a crisis; it is this day-to-day living that wears you out."