Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 - 1914) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. A prolific and versatile writer, Bierce was regarded as one of the most influential journalists in the United States and as a pioneering writer of realist fiction. In late 1913, Bierce, then age 71, Bierce indicated he was travelling to Mexico to gain first-hand experience of the Mexican Revolution. He disappeared and his death left undocumented. The following recording includes the short stories, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and "The Boarded Window."