The Life of the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Explores how F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories reveal the full depth of his life and literary genius

The Life of the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald presents a compelling case for reevaluating the writer's most overlooked body of work—his short fiction. While Fitzgerald is best known for The Great Gatsby, Thomas Fahy presents him as one of the most important and prolific short story writers in the twentieth century. Fitzgerald penned a staggering 183 stories in his lifetime, and these works provide a nuanced understanding of his life and artistry. They fill in important gaps between his novels, and they are essential for appreciating the scope and sophistication of Fitzgerald's artistic vision, the range of his cultural commentary, the vicissitudes of his troubled life, and his ability to inspire generations of readers.

In addition to discussing Zelda's important contributions to her husband's work, this unique volume responds to a need in Fitzgerald studies for a more comprehensive examination of his short fiction. By placing these short works alongside Fitzgerald's celebrated novels, Fahy maps out the evolution of his ideas, characters, style, and social commentary. He also explores the way Fitzgerald translated his personal experiences into lasting art.

An accessible yet rigorous resource for appreciating the subtlety and range of Fitzgerald's writing, The Life of the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald:

• Offers the first sustained biographical and critical analysis centered on Fitzgerald's short fiction
• Provides fresh interpretations of Fitzgerald's artistic development as a fiction and nonfiction writer
• Connects Fitzgerald's life experiences to specific short stories,novels, and nonfiction
• Situates Fitzgerald's work within the broader context of American literary modernism and the 1920s
• Integrates cultural history to illuminate the historical relevance of Fitzgerald's work
• Examines Fitzgerald's relationship with and influence on popular culture

A timely addition to the body of Fitzgerald scholarship at the centennial of The Great Gatsby, The Life of the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in courses on twentieth-century American literature, American Modernism, the Roaring Twenties, and seminars on American modernists such as Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, T. S. Eliot, and Gertrude Stein. It supports degree programs in English, American Studies, and Cultural Studies, and it is a valuable resource for literary scholars, educators, and general readers alike.