Celebrated in their time, forgotten in ours

Read by Laurel Lefkow, Kelly Burke, Liza ross(Unabridged: 05:42mins)

Featuring stories by Gertrude Atherton, Mary E Wilkins Freeman, Zona Gale, Ellen Glasgow, Susan Glaspell & many more

Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society.

In literature the ambition is much narrower. In order to be known, to be popular, you had to be published. And for that people had to know you existed and your ideas worth reading. Obviously for most of humanity’s time people couldn’t read and texts couldn’t be published in any great number.

In the 15th Century Gutenberg’s printing press began the revolution to address the second and by the 19th century had gathered pace with startling speed and mass distribution. Education for the many was brought in to help people understand more of their world and, with new skills, how to have a better place within it. Now, if the powers that owned the presses and means of distribution agreed an audience would now be able to avail themselves of your ideas, your printed words.

Whilst male authors were the overwhelming majority of beneficiaries in having their work printed time was their constant enemy. Your work could be immensely talented but if it was not to lure money into the coffers by gaining an audience of readers then your career would be one of pleasing yourself and was soon forgotten.

But the printed word is rarely without someone, somewhere busying themselves through piles of papers and books rediscovering what a good story is, whatever its age.

In this volume we offer up a small selection of talents whose time has now come again.

01 - The Neglected Authors - American Women - An Introduction

02 - The Striding Place by Gertrude Atherton

03 - The Shadows on the Wall by Mary E Wilkins Freeman

04 - White Bread by Zona Gale

05 - The Difference by Ellen Glasgow

06 - The Preposterous Motive by Susan Glaspell

07 - Two Offers by Frances Watkins Harper

08 - Talma Gordon by Pauline E Hopkins

09 - Since I Died by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

10 - The Wooing of Pastor Cummings by Georgia F Stewart

11 - The Octoroon's Revenge by Ruth D Todd

12 - Why I Live at the PO by Eudora Welty