High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., commonly referred to as The Sketch Book, is a collection of 34 essays and short stories written by American author Washington Irving. It was published serially throughout 1819 and 1820. The collection includes two of Irving`s best-known stories, attributed to the fictional Dutch historian Diedrich Knickerbocker, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." It also marks Irving`s first use of the pseudonym "Geoffrey Crayon," which he would continue to employ throughout his literary career.