Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;Sheds new light on one of the nineteenth-century Southandrsquo;s most accomplished yet understudied writers.andrdquo;andmdash;James M. Denham, coeditor of
Echoes from a Distant Frontier and#160;
andldquo;A lost writer returns to the page with vigor.andrdquo;andmdash;Tracy J. Revels, author of Sunshine Paradise
and#160;
Mary Edwards Bryan became one of Americaandrsquo;s best-known writers of popular fiction in the nineteenth century. She reached literary success despite a tough frontier life, the upheavals of secession and war, disruptive affairs with authors and politicians, the tensions of emancipation, and pervading post-war economic disorder. Pairing historical insights with selections of Bryanandrsquo;s best writing, this book illustrates how the obstacles she overcame shaped what she wrote.
Bryanandrsquo;s life in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana shows how men often oppressed womenandmdash;in her case, as fathers and husbandsandmdash;but also sometimes allowed aspiring women writers key opportunities as publishers and editors of literary journals. This book reintroduces to the world a courageous and creative talent who yearned to express herself while navigating the restrictive morals and conventions of Victorian society.and#160;
Synopsis
The publication of Manch in 1880 marked the beginning of Mary Edwards Bryan's rise to prominence as one of nineteenth-century America's best-known writers of mass-market fiction. At a time when women were discouraged from having jobs of their own, she made a name for herself as a thoughtful--and well-paid--editor. Despite her cultivated image as editor of Fashion Bazar and Sunny South, Bryan's early life was fraught with obstacles.
In this finely crafted literary biography, Canter Brown Jr. and Larry Eugene Rivers examine Bryan's formative years in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana, pairing historical insights with selections of her best writing to illustrate how the obstacles she overcame shaped what she wrote. She grew up on a frontier plantation and later lived through the upheavals of secession and war, disruptive affairs with authors and politicians, the tensions of emancipation, and pervading post-war economic disorder.
Despite the oppressive men in her life--her abusive father and husband--as well as unabashed limitations regarding the role of women, Bryan ultimately achieved extraordinary literary accomplishments in New York and Atlanta. A story of celebrity amid scandal, success amid disaster, ambition amid despair, this book reintroduces to the world a courageous and creative talent who yearned to express herself while navigating the restrictive morals and conventions of Victorian society.
Synopsis
"Sheds new light on one of the nineteenth century South's most accomplished yet understudied writers. Brown and River's study of Mary Edwards Bryan presents some of her best writings within the context of her time."--James M. Denham, coeditor of
Echoes from a Distant Frontier: The Brown Sisters' Correspondence from Antebellum Florida "A lost writer of the nineteenth century returns to the page with vigor. Her extreme personal trials were hidden by the 'moonlight and magnolias' persona she assumed as her public image. This book allows the real Mary Edwards Bryan to emerge from behind her mask of Southern gentility."--Tracy J. Revels, author of Sunshine Paradise: A History of Florida Tourism
The publication of Manch in 1880 marked the beginning of Mary Edwards Bryan's rise to prominence as one of nineteenth-century America's best-known writers of mass-market fiction. At a time when women were discouraged from having jobs of their own, she made a name for herself as a thoughtful--and well-paid--editor. Despite her cultivated image as editor of Fashion Bazar and Sunny South, Bryan's early life was fraught with obstacles.
In this finely crafted literary biography, Canter Brown Jr. and Larry Eugene Rivers examine Bryan's formative years in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana, pairing historical insights with selections of her best writing to illustrate how the obstacles she overcame shaped what she wrote. She grew up on a frontier plantation and later lived through the upheavals of secession and war, disruptive affairs with authors and politicians, the tensions of emancipation, and pervading post-war economic disorder.
Despite the oppressive men in her life--her abusive father and husband--as well as unabashed limitations regarding the role of women, Bryan ultimately achieved extraordinary literary accomplishments in New York and Atlanta. A story of celebrity amid scandal, success amid disaster, ambition amid despair, this book reintroduces to the world a courageous and creative talent who yearned to express herself while navigating the restrictive morals and conventions of Victorian society.
About the Author
Canter Brown Jr., retired professor of history and political science at Fort Valley State University, is the author of
Floridaandrsquo;s Peace River Frontier.
Larry Eugene Rivers, professor of history at Valdosta State University and former president of Fort Valley State University, is the author of
Slavery in Florida: Territorial Days to Emancipation. They are the coeditors of
The Varieties of Womenandrsquo;s Experiences: Portraits of Southern Women in the Postandndash;Civil War Century.
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