Aunt Jane of Kentucky is a collection of nine short stories written by American author Eliza "Lida" Calvert Obenchain. Obenchain wrote the book under the pen name Eliza Calvert Hall, a pseudonym that she frequently used when writing her fictional works.[1] Set in rural western Kentucky in the late nineteenth century, the book recounts an elderly quilt-maker Aunt Jane's memories of life in the rural south as told to an unnamed younger woman visitor.
The collection under the title Aunt Jane of Kentucky was first published together in 1907. The book appeared in at least thirty-three editions and reached approximately one million readers.[2]
The most famous reader was perhaps United States President Theodore Roosevelt who suggested reading the book to listeners during a 1908 speech: "I cordially recommend the first chapter of Aunt Jane of Kentucky as a tract in all families where the menfolk tend to selfish or thoughtless or overbearing disregard to the rights of their womenfolk."
Beulah Strong, an artist trained in Paris and teaching at Potter College in Bowling Green, Kentucky, used the description of Aunt Jane at the beginning of the story, "Sally Ann's Experience," as her model for the book's frontispiece. Strong created fourteen more pen and ink illustrations to open nine of the stories and to serve as tail-pieces at the end of five stories.[3]
The first story in the book Sally Ann's Experience was originally published in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1898. The popularity of the story resulted in it being reprinted in Cosmopolitan multiple times, and printed in various other popular newspapers and magazines around the world. After its inclusion in Aunt Jane of Kentucky (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1907) the demand for the story remained high, so Little, Brown, and Company republished it in 1910. In an Introduction to the 1910 republication of the story, Obenchain describes it as "a plain tale of plain people told in the plain dialect of a plain old woman.".[4]
In 1995 Aunt Jane of Kentucky was reprinted by the University Press of Kentucky as a paperback with a new foreword by Bonnie Jean Cox, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Another collection of Aunt Jane stories was published in 1909 as The Land of Long Ago.
References
^Niedermeier, Lynn (April 30, 2009). "Biography". Eliza Calvert Hall. Bowling Green, KY: Western Kentucky University. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
^Available free as an e-book for download at Project Gutenburg.
^Niedermeier, Lynn E. (2007). "Aunt Jane of Kentucky". Eliza Calvert Hall: Kentucky Author and Suffragist. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. pp. 120–130. ISBN978-0-8131-2470-4. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
^Hall, Eliza Calvert (1910). "Introduction". Sally Ann's Experience. Illustrated by G. Patrick Nelson, Theodore Brown Hapgood. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company. pp. v–xii. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
March 03, 2023
aunt, jane, kentucky, collection, nine, short, stories, written, american, author, eliza, lida, calvert, obenchain, obenchain, wrote, book, under, name, eliza, calvert, hall, pseudonym, that, frequently, used, when, writing, fictional, works, rural, western, k. Aunt Jane of Kentucky is a collection of nine short stories written by American author Eliza Lida Calvert Obenchain Obenchain wrote the book under the pen name Eliza Calvert Hall a pseudonym that she frequently used when writing her fictional works 1 Set in rural western Kentucky in the late nineteenth century the book recounts an elderly quilt maker Aunt Jane s memories of life in the rural south as told to an unnamed younger woman visitor The collection under the title Aunt Jane of Kentucky was first published together in 1907 The book appeared in at least thirty three editions and reached approximately one million readers 2 The most famous reader was perhaps United States President Theodore Roosevelt who suggested reading the book to listeners during a 1908 speech I cordially recommend the first chapter of Aunt Jane of Kentucky as a tract in all families where the menfolk tend to selfish or thoughtless or overbearing disregard to the rights of their womenfolk Beulah Strong an artist trained in Paris and teaching at Potter College in Bowling Green Kentucky used the description of Aunt Jane at the beginning of the story Sally Ann s Experience as her model for the book s frontispiece Strong created fourteen more pen and ink illustrations to open nine of the stories and to serve as tail pieces at the end of five stories 3 Stories EditI Sally Ann s Experience II The New Organ III Aunt Jane s Album IV Sweet Day of Rest V Milly Baker s Boy VI The Baptizing at Kittle Creek VII How Sam Amos Rode in the Tournament VIII Mary Andrews Dinner Party IX The Gardens of MemoryPublication history and reception EditThe first story in the book Sally Ann s Experience was originally published in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1898 The popularity of the story resulted in it being reprinted in Cosmopolitan multiple times and printed in various other popular newspapers and magazines around the world After its inclusion in Aunt Jane of Kentucky Boston Little Brown and Company 1907 the demand for the story remained high so Little Brown and Company republished it in 1910 In an Introduction to the 1910 republication of the story Obenchain describes it as a plain tale of plain people told in the plain dialect of a plain old woman 4 In 1995 Aunt Jane of Kentucky was reprinted by the University Press of Kentucky as a paperback with a new foreword by Bonnie Jean Cox University of Kentucky Libraries Another collection of Aunt Jane stories was published in 1909 as The Land of Long Ago References Edit Niedermeier Lynn April 30 2009 Biography Eliza Calvert Hall Bowling Green KY Western Kentucky University Retrieved March 22 2010 Available free as an e book for download at Project Gutenburg Niedermeier Lynn E 2007 Aunt Jane of Kentucky Eliza Calvert Hall Kentucky Author and Suffragist Lexington Kentucky University Press of Kentucky pp 120 130 ISBN 978 0 8131 2470 4 Retrieved March 21 2010 Hall Eliza Calvert 1910 Introduction Sally Ann s Experience Illustrated by G Patrick Nelson Theodore Brown Hapgood Boston Little Brown and Company pp v xii Retrieved March 21 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Aunt Jane of Kentucky amp oldid 1059395290, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
