Fannie Hurst

The bestselling story behind Ross Hunter's classic melodrama starring Susan Hayward and John Gavin. When "fly girl" and gorgeous socialite Ray Schmidt first meets Walter Saxel in Cincinnati, their attraction is instant and everlasting. As their bond deepens, Ray finds herself envisioning a future with Walter, until one fateful day when the settling of her family affairs interferes with their plans to meet, and his relationship with another woman forms. Though years pass and Ray manages to carve out a life for herself in New York City, Walter remains in her memory, and a chance run-in with him leads them both to fall into their former ways. What unfolds is the fascinating tale of what life was for selfless, devoted Ray, a prisoner to her love for the one man who would never fully love her back. Originally published in 1931, this bestselling classic novel about the heartbreak of living along the "back streets" of a man's life was adapted into film three times. With a new foreword by Cari Beauchamp. Vintage Movie Classics spotlights classic films that have stood the test of time, now rediscovered through the publication of the novels on which they were based.

More Yesterdays is an autobiography that covers the period from 1925 to 1949 and serves as a sequel to Rebekah Bettelheim Kohut's first book, My Portion. The book chronicles Kohut's life during a tumultuous period in history, including the Great Depression and World War II. Kohut was born into a prominent Jewish family in Vienna, Austria, and her upbringing was marked by privilege and education. However, the rise of Nazi Germany and the annexation of Austria in 1938 forced Kohut and her family to flee their homeland and seek refuge in the United States. In America, Kohut faced numerous challenges as she struggled to adapt to a new culture and build a new life for herself. She recounts her experiences living in New York City, attending college, and working as a social worker. Throughout the book, Kohut provides a candid and introspective look at her personal life, including her relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners. She also reflects on her Jewish identity and the impact of the Holocaust on her community. More Yesterdays is a compelling memoir that offers a unique perspective on a pivotal period in world history. Kohut's vivid storytelling and insightful reflections make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the human experience during times of upheaval and change. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

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. 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 17 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 active in a variety of progressive Jewish, social justice, labor, peace and women's organizations. A lifelong philanthropist, Hurst willed her considerable estate to her alma mater Washington University and to Brandeis University. Susan Koppelman is a nationally recognized authority on the American women's short story whose anthologies include "Women in the Trees" and "The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe." Grace Plaey is the celebrated author of short stories, poetry and essays.

A bestseller in 1933, and subsequently adapted into two beloved and controversial films, Imitation of Life has played a vital role in ongoing conversations about race, femininity, and the American Dream. Bea Pullman, a white single mother, and her African American maid, Delilah Johnston, also a single mother, rear their daughters together and become business partners. Combining Bea’s business savvy with Delilah’s irresistible southern recipes, they build an Aunt Jemima-like waffle business and an international restaurant empire. Yet their public success brings them little happiness. Bea is torn between her responsibilities as a businesswoman and those of a mother; Delilah is devastated when her light-skinned daughter, Peola, moves away to pass as white. Imitation of Life struck a chord in the 1930s, and it continues to resonate powerfully today. The author of numerous bestselling novels, a masterful short story writer, and an outspoken social activist, Fannie Hurst was a major celebrity in the first half of the twentieth century. Daniel Itzkovitz’s introduction situates Imitation of Life in its literary, biographical, and cultural contexts, addressing such topics as the debates over the novel and films, the role of Hurst’s one-time secretary and great friend Zora Neale Hurston in the novel’s development, and the response to the novel by Hurst’s friend Langston Hughes, whose one-act satire, “Limitations of Life” (which reverses the races of Bea and Delilah), played to a raucous Harlem crowd in the late 1930s. This edition brings a classic of popular American literature back into print.