Just an Ordinary Day Stories

by Jackson, Shirley; Hyman, Laurence; DeWitt, Sarah Hyman

• ISBN13: 9780553378337
• ISBN10: 0553378333
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-12-01
• Publisher: Bantam

Summary

The stories in this edition represent the great diversity of her work, from humor to her shocking explorations of the human psyche. The tales range, chronologically, from the writings of her college days and residence in Greenwich Village in the early 1940s, to the unforgettably chilling stories from the period just before her death. They provide an exciting overview of the evolution of her craft through a progression of forms and styles, and add significantly to the body of her published work. Just an Ordinary Day is a testament to how large a talent Shirley Jackson had and to the depth, breadth, and complexity of her writing. Though this remarkable literary life was cut short, Jackson clearly established a unique voice that has won a permanent place in the canon of outstanding American literature, and remains a powerful influence on generations of readers and writers. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Author Biography

Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco on December 14, 1916. She first received wide critical acclaim for “The Lottery,” which was published in The New Yorker in 1948 and went on to become one of the most anthologized stories in American literature. She is the author of six novels, including The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle; four collections of short stories and essays, including Let Me Tell You; and two family memoirs, Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons. For many years she lived in North Bennington, Vermont, with her husband, the renowned literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, and their four children. She died on August 8, 1965.
 
Laurence Jackson Hyman, the eldest child of Shirley Jackson and Stanley Edgar Hyman, is the author, editor, or co-editor of dozens of books and monographs.
 
Sarah Hyman DeWitt is the third child of Shirley Jackson and Stanley Edgar Hyman. She is a performer, folksinger, and artist.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Preface: All I Can Remember
The Smoking Room	p. 3
I Don't Kiss Strangers	p. 8
Summer Afternoon	p. 12
Indians Live in Tents	p. 19
The Very Hot Sun in Bermuda	p. 29
Nightmare	p. 34
Dinner for a Gentleman	p. 47
Party of Boys	p. 58
Jack the Ripper	p. 66
The Honeymoon of Mrs. Smith (Versions I and II)	p. 70
The Sister	p. 89
Arch-Criminal	p. 92
Mrs. Anderson	p. 99
Come to the Fair	p. 104
Portrait	p. 113
Gnarly the King of the Jungle	p. 115
The Good Wife	p. 121
Devil of a Tale	p. 127
The Mouse	p. 129
My Grandmother and the World of Cats	p. 133
Maybe It Was the Car	p. 138
Lovers Meeting	p. 142
My Recollections of S. B. Fairchild	p. 146
Deck the Halls	p. 157
Lord of the Castle	p. 161
What a Thought	p. 170
When Barry Was Seven	p. 174
Before Autumn	p. 176
The Story We Used to Tell	p. 179
My Uncle in the Garden	p. 186
On the House	p. 195
Little Old Lady in Great Need	p. 199
When Things Get Dark	p. 203
Whistler's Grandmother	p. 208
Family-Magician	p. 212
The Wishing Dime	p. 223
About Two Nice People	p. 232
Mrs. Melville Makes a Purchase	p. 242
Journey with a Lady	p. 255
The Most Wonderful Thing	p. 264
The Friends	p. 273
Alone in a Den of Cubs	p. 282
The Order of Charlotte's Going	p. 287
One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts	p. 296
The Missing Girl	p. 305
The Omen	p. 315
The Very Strange House Next Door	p. 328
A Great Voice Stilled	p. 340
All She Said Was Yes	p. 346
Home	p. 357
I.O.U.	p. 365
The Possibility of Evil	p. 377
Epilogue: Fame	p. 386
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.