Is Shirley Jackson One Of The Greatest American Writers?

Salon:

The Shirley Jackson Awards for excellence in "literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic" were awarded over the weekend, and the results are a refreshing mix of well-known and emerging writers, from large and small presses working in both literary and genre traditions -- or, rather, in the wild and fruitful territory between the two. The awards are only 3 years old, but have already proved a fitting tribute to a writer who roamed freely over similar ground and has never quite gotten the respect she deserves.

Read the whole story: Salon

Comments

[timetocookdinner]

03:07 AM on 07/17/2010

The Lottery certainly haunts the psyche. This article inspires me to look up some of her 'domestic humor' writing. Love her photo.

[buggedabouttheus]

05:21 PM on 07/16/2010

The Lottery still holds up. I used to use it with my students every session because some of the creepy thinking in the story are the same creepy thinking we do now following rituals. She is one of my top five writers for my students.I only wish more people would read her work.

[Skyhawk]

08:25 PM on 07/15/2010

A resounding YES!

[JDM73]

06:29 PM on 07/15/2010

Is Shirley Jackson one of the greatest American writers? Absolutely! The fantastic is as valid a subject to write about as war or a broken marriage, and it's interesting that in my 37 years authors like Jackson and H.P. Lovecraft have gone from being considered second-raters or even hacks to academic enshrinement. Not that we fans care a whit about that crowd's approval--we've *always* known that Lovecraft and Jackson and Robert Aickman were great.
(For what it's worth, my favorite Shirley Jackson story is "The Beautiful Stranger".)

[PaganCanuck]

09:00 PM on 07/15/2010

I've never heard of her, but if you can compare her to Lovecraft, you got my attention.

[JDM73]

01:30 AM on 07/16/2010

Well, her writing isn't really reminiscent of Lovecraft (I'd look to August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith for stories in the Lovecraft vein), but they're two of the more prominent authors who were dismissed as "unserious" as recently as 15 or 20 years ago, but who are now considered first-rate and worthy of study. Read some of her short stories--you'll be impressed!

[Tom Sutpen]

05:34 PM on 07/15/2010

Yes . . . she is/was.

[inkongirl]

01:33 PM on 07/15/2010

"The Lottery" is scary, but a great story.

[BikeFreak]

03:31 PM on 07/15/2010

Yeap...it was a great story.

The first time reading it, when you finally get what's happening...WOW.

[BikeFreak]

01:05 PM on 07/15/2010

"We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is a great story.

I encourage everyone to read it.