Jackson, Shirley, 1916-1965

American novelist and short-story writer.

From the description of Letters to Shirley Jackson, 1954, 1958. (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRC); University of Texas at Austin). WorldCat record id: 122590225

Shirley Jackson (1919-1965) was a 20th century author, born to a mother from a long-time San Francisco family of architects and a father from England. Shirley began writing verse almost as soon as she could write, according to her mother, and, at the age of twelve, she won a poetry contest sponsored by the Junior Home Magazine for her poem, "The Pine Tree." She spent two years at the University of Rochester before withdrawing in June, 1936. In 1937, she entered Syracuse University. Her first story, "Janice," was published in the college magazine in 1938, the same year she was appointed fiction editor of the campus humor magazine. Jackson graduated from Syracuse in 1940 and immediately married Stanley Edgar Hyman. The following year, The New Republic ran her first national publication, "My Life With R.H. Macy." Her first novel, "The Road Through the Wall," was published in 1948, along with her most well-known story, "The Lottery." Her novel, "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," was on the best-seller list in 1962, and was named one of the year's ten best novels by Time magazine. As well as maintaining a strict writing schedule, Jackson was the mother of four children and published two family chronicles, "Life Among the Savages" and "Raising Demons." Shirley Jackson died of heart failure on August 8, 1965, at the age of forty-five.

From the description of Shirley Jackson papers (MS 336), ca.1949-ca.1965. (Denver Public Library). WorldCat record id: 221368316

American author.

From the description of Letter to Fredson Bowers [manuscript], 1965 June 14. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 647845673

From the description of Letter to Fredson Bowers, 1965 June 14. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 32135337

Author.

From the description of Shirley Jackson papers, 1932-1991 (bulk 1932-1965). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71131274

From the description of Papers, 1932-1970 (bulk 1938-1965). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 30891867

Biographical Note

• 1916, Dec. 14: Born, San Francisco, Calif.
• 1934 - 1936 : Attended University of Rochester,Rochester, N.Y.
• 1940: Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse A.B., Syracuse University,Syracuse, N.Y. Married Stanley Edgar Hyman
• 1943: Published After You, My Dear Alphonse, first of many stories for the New Yorker
• 1944: Come Dance With Me in Ireland selected for Best Short Stories, 1944 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 468 pp.)
• 1945: Substitute instructor, Bennington College,Bennington, Vt.
• 1948: Published The Lottery,New Yorker, 26 June, her most famous short story Published The Road Through the Wall (New York: Farrar, Straus. 271 pp.)
• 1949: The Lottery selected for the O. Henry Awards and published in Prize Stories of 1949 (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co. 323 pp.) Published The Lottery; or, the Adventures of James Harris (New York: Farrar, Straus. 306 pp.)
• 1951: The Summer People selected for Best American Short Stories, 1951 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 368 pp.) Published Hangsaman (New York: Farrar, Straus and Young. 280 pp.)
• 1953: Stage adaptation of The Lottery Published Life Among the Savages (New York: Farrar, Straus and Young. 241 pp.)
• 1954: Published The Bird's Nest (New York: Farrar, Straus and Young. 276 pp.)
• 1956: Film adaptation of The Bird's Nest, released as Lizzie One Ordinary Day With Peanuts selected for Best American Short Stories, 1956 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 368 pp.) Published The Witchcraft of Salem Village (New York: Random House. 176 pp.)
• 1957: Published Raising Demons (New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy. 310 pp.)
• 1958: Suffield, Conn. Suffield Lecturer, Suffield Writer's Conference, Suffield, Conn. Published the play, The Bad Children (Chicago: Dramatic Publishing Co. 36 pp.) Published The Sundial (New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy. 245 pp.)
• 1959: Published The Haunting of Hill House (New York: Viking Press. 246 pp.)
• 1960: Published Special Delivery (Boston: Little, Brown. 175 pp.)
• 1961: Nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best short story, Louisa, Please
• 1962: Published We Have Always Lived in the Castle (New York: Viking Press. 214 pp.)
• 1963: Film adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, released as The Haunting Published Nine Magic Wishes (New York: Crowell-Collier Press. 45 pp.)
• 1964: Middlebury, Vt. Middlebury Teacher, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference,Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt. Birthday Party selected for Best American Short Stories, 1964 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 360 pp.)
• 1965: Awarded the Arents Pioneer Medal for Outstanding Achievement
• 1965, Aug. 8: Died, North Bennington, Vt.
• 1966: Awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best short story, "The Possibility of Evil" Published (posthumously) Famous Sally (New York: Harlin Quist; distributed by Crown Publishers. 46 pp.)
• 1968: Published (posthumously) Come Along With Me (New York: Viking Press. 243 pp.)

From the guide to the Shirley Jackson Papers, 1932-1991, (bulk 1932-1965), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Shirley Jackson was a 20th century author. Born on December 14, 1919 to a mother from a long line of San Francisco architects (a strong influence on her writing) and a father from England, Shirley spent the first fourteen years of her life in the San Francisco area. She began writing verse almost as soon as she could write, according to her mother. At the age of twelve she won a poetry contest sponsored by the Junior Home Magazine for her poem "The Pine Tree." She spent two years at the University of Rochester, but was unhappy and withdrew in June of 1936. In the fall of 1937 she entered Syracuse University. Her first story, "Janice," was published in the college magazine in 1938, the same year she was appointed fiction editor of the campus humor magazine.

Jackson graduated from Syracuse in 1940 and immediately married Stanley Edgar Hyman. The following year The New Republic ran her first national publication, "My Life With R.H. Macy." Her first novel, "The Road Through the Wall," was published in 1948, along with her most well-known story, "The Lottery." Her novel "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" was on the best-seller list in 1962, and Time magazine named it one of the year's ten best.

As well as maintaining a strict writing schedule, Jackson was the mother of four children, Laurence, born in 1942, Joanne, in 1945, Sarah, in 1948, and Barry, in 1951. She published two family chronicles, "Life Among the Savages" and "Raising Demons." Shirley Jackson died of heart failure on August 8, 1965, at the age of forty-five.

From the guide to the Shirley Jackson Papers (MS 336), ca.1949-ca.1965, (University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries. Special Collections Dept.)