Edna Ferber (1885–1968)
Author of So Big
About the Author
Edna Ferber was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Aug. 15, 1885. She spent her early career as a reporter. In 1910, Everybody's Magazine published her short story, The Homely Heroine, set in Appleton, Wisconsin. Ferber's novel, Dawn O'Hara, the story of a newspaperwoman in Milwaukee, followed in 1911. show more She gained national attention for her series of Emma McChesney stories, tales of a traveling underskirt saleswoman that were published in national magazines. A play based on the stories, Our Mrs. McChesney, was produced in 1915, starring Ethel Barrymore. With collaborator George S. Kaufman, Ferber wrote acclaimed plays Dinner at Eight and The Royal Family. Ferber won the Pulitzer Prize in 1925 for So Big, the story of a woman raising a child on a truck farm outside of Chicago. Her best known books include Show Boat, Cimarron, Giant and Ice Palace. Show Boat was made into a classic movie and Broadway musical; the film version of Cimarron, won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1931. Ferber wrote two autobiographies, A Peculiar Treasure published in 1939 and A Kind of Magic in 1963. She died of cancer on April 16, 1968. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Edna Ferber
The Complete James Dean Collection: East of Eden / Giant / Rebel Without a Cause (2011) — Writer — 19 copies
Old Man Minick [short story] 2 copies
The Collected Short Stories of Edna Ferber: Including Buttered Side Down, Cheerful By Request, Half Portions, and… (2022) 2 copies
The classic collection of Edna Ferber. Pulitzer Prize 1925. Novels, Novellas and short stories. Illustrated: So Big,… (2023) 2 copies
The Afternoon of a Faun 1 copy
Show Boat, Volume 2 1 copy
The Works: Edna Ferber 1 copy
The Land Is Bright 1 copy
The Royal Family: Acts 1 & 2 1 copy
Ferber, Edna Archive 1 copy
Show Boat, Volume 1 1 copy
Associated Works
The Vicious Circle: Mystery and Crime Stories by Members of the Algonquin Round Table (2007) — Contributor — 90 copies, 1 review
The Best Short Stories of 1917 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story (2007) — Contributor — 27 copies
The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe and Other Stories of Women and Fatness (2003) — Contributor — 27 copies, 1 review
Gender in Modernism: New Geographies, Complex Intersections (2007) — Contributor — 12 copies, 1 review
The Best Short Stories of 1923 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story (1924) — Contributor — 9 copies
Avon Modern Short Story Monthly No. 7 (14 Great stories by 14 Great Authors) (1943) — Contributor — 1 copy
Omnibook Magazine (Overseas Edition for Armed Forces) July 1945 — Author — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- FERBER, Edna
- Birthdate
- 1885-08-15
- Date of death
- 1968-04-16
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
- Place of death
- New York, New York, USA
- Cause of death
- cancer
- Places of residence
- Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Ottumwa, Iowa, USA
Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
New York, New York, USA - Education
- Lawrence University
- Occupations
- reporter
playwright
novelist
short-story writer - Organizations
- Algonquin Round Table
- Awards and honors
- Chicago Literary Hall of Fame (2013)
American Academy of Arts and Letters (1930)
Members
Discussions
June 2023: Edna Ferber in Monthly Author Reads (November 2023)
Reviews
Giant by Edna Ferber
saw the movie; very good adaptation; stronger racial angle in book and questionable legality of Texas whites to steal land.
saw the movie (musical); lots of liberties with plotline; not the same story as book At All; book focused more on Parthy and Magnolia's life.
Ice Palace is a 1960 Technicolor historical drama adventure film directed by Vincent Sherman and adapted from a novel of 1958 written by Edna Ferber. The film stars Richard Burton, Robert Ryan, Carolyn Jones and Martha Hyer. It dramatizes the debate over Alaska statehood.
I enjoyed this book. Took place in the prairie just outside of Chicago. A farming novel from the 1920’s. Reminded me of a Willa Cather novel with a strong female main character. The title was a bit wired. Didn’t have much to do with the general vibe of the book as it pertains to a childhood name for her son.
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 66
- Also by
- 44
- Members
- 4,475
- Popularity
- #5,601
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 115
- ISBNs
- 529
- Languages
- 12
- Favorited
- 8
