Biographical SummaryJames Hogg was born and raised in Scotland on the family farm. Hogg only went to school for a few months due to family failure. This meant that his first introduction to literature consisted of the Bible and the stories he was told by his mother and uncle. When he got older, Hogg was given a job as Shepard's assistant by James Laidlaw. While working there, Laidlaw taught Hogg to read, using newspapers and countless theological materials. As Hogg became better and better at reading and writing, Laidlaw allowed him to use Laidlaw's library, to continue his reading career. At Laidlaw's farm, Hogg began to write, starting with poems and songs. Through poetry, Walter Scott, who launched Hogg's career by allowing him to write in his newspaper, discovered Hogg. From here, Hogg meets many other literary figures, such as Williamworth. Hogg even joined the Maga club, which was a group of important literary figures of the time, and began writing with them, which solidified his career. Hogg's writing style is gothic, with a supernatural feel. This goes back to his childhood of religious focus. With constant reading of the Bible, as well as other theological material, Hogg's writings always have a religious aspect even in his books. This is especially evident in Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, which discusses the Protestant period in America and England. The novel shows this through the use of a godly brother contrasted with an ungodly brother, as well as introducing aspects of sin and devil worship. Hogg's school also prohibited his writing style. This is mainly because he never had a formal education, so he "never rewrote...... half of the paper...ul, and how he attempts to use it to improve the world through murder. Although Hogg was not the best writer and did not have the best background, he was able to create a piece that everyone should read once in their life. Bibliography Hogg, James, 1770-1835. (1947). justified sinner. London: Cresset PressHughes, Gillian. James Hogg: A Life. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2007. Print.Mack, Douglas S. “James Hogg: Overview.” Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Network. November 4, 2013. Robb, David S. “The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner: Overview.” DISCovering Authors: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. 4 November 2013.Symons, Arthur. “Author Discovery.” Network. November 4. 2013.