The Stories of Fannie Hurst

Fannie Hurst

Feminist Press at CUNY, 2004 - Fiction - 349 pages

In her heyday, between 1910 and the mid-1930s, Fannie Hurst was the most popular writer in America. Twenty-nine films were based on her novels and short stories. Her fiction was not only beloved by readers, but also acclaimed by reviewers and regularly included in Best American Short Stories. And yet not one of her books remains in print.

The publication of this selection of Fannie Hurst's best short stories is sure to propel a long-overdue revival and reassessment of Hurst's work. No reader of these thirty stories, spanning the years 1912 to 1935, can fail to recognize Hurst's depth, intelligence, and artistry as a writer. Hurst was the one of the premier literary chroniclers of poor and working-class urban life in early 20th-century America, especially the vibrant life of Jewish immigrant communities. She was also a pioneer in writing about the lives of working women, from maids to secretaries to garment workers, from prostitutes to artists. And she wove these threads into captivating, deeply human stories that capture her characters' struggles, triumphs, conflicts, and loves.

Contents

• The Joy of Living: 1
• Summer Resources: 3
• The Other Cheek: 21
• T B: 43
• White Goods: 67
• Sob Sister: 92
• A Boob Spelled Backward: 113
• She Also Serves: 137
• Humoresque: 144
• She Walks in Beauty: 169
• FortyFive: 200
• The Brinkerhoff Brothers: 228
• The Spangle That Could Be a Tear: 249
• The Gold in Fish: 254
• Song of Life: 282
• The HossieFrossie: 300
• Funny Face: 324
• Home James: 341

About the author

Fannie Hurst (1889-1968) was born in Ohio, grew up in St. Louis, and spent her adult life in New York City. She is the author of seventeen novels and more than 250 short stories, as well as plays, screenplays, memoirs, essays, and articles. Her best-remembered works are those turned into films, including Imitation of Life, Back Street, Humoresque, The Younger Generation, and Young at Heart. She was also active in a variety of progressive Jewish, social justice, labor, peace, and women's organizations.

Susan Koppelman is a pioneering literary historian, acknowledged as the leading authority on the women's short story in the United States. Her ten anthologies include Between Mothers and Daughters and The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Stories of Fannie Hurst; G - Reference,Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series; Helen Rose Scheuer Jewish women's series
• Author: Fannie Hurst
• Editor: Susan Koppelman
• Contributor: Susan Koppelman
• Publisher: Feminist Press at CUNY, 2004
• ISBN: 1558614834, 9781558614833
• Length: 349 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Short Stories (single author); Fiction / Women