With candid memoirs like I, Mary MacLane, this controversial Canadian writer helped to usher in a new era of confessional autobiography and to remake the notion of what constituted acceptable subject matter for female essayists and authors. Setting down thoughts and events both quotidian and scandalous in an inimitably unique voice, Mary MacLane is one of the most important literary figures of the early twentieth century.--Publisher description.
This book is an autobiography of a woman named Mary MacLane, a Canadian-American writer whose frank memoirs helped initiate the confessional style of autobiographical writing. Her first memoir, 'The Story of Mary MacLane', was scandalous and best-selling, and her following two books also gained attention. She was known for her rebellious and uncontrollable persona, and she openly identified as bisexual and was a vocal feminist.
“Mary MacLane comes off the page quivering with life. She is before her time ... Moving.” - London Times With her first book - written in 1901, at age nineteen - she was hailed as a marvel by the likes of H.L. Mencken, Clarence Darrow, and Harriet Monroe. She went on to become a pioneering newswoman, gambler extraordinaire, bon vivant, and a star of the silent screen. She influenced Gertrude Stein, inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald, was puzzled over by Mark Twain, and upon her death in 1929 was eulogized as “an errant daughter of literature ... the first of the self-expressionists, and also the first of the Flappers,” as the creator of “that revolution in manners, that transvaluation of values in the female code of behavior known as the Roaring Twenties.” In this authoritative critical edition, the best of Mary MacLane returns to print. With the complete text of her striking first book (with all expurgated passages restored), a selection of her colorful newspaper feature articles, a full-length 1902 interview with the enigmatic author, detailed notes and bibliography, Tender Darkness: A Mary MacLane Sampler reacquaints the reading public with a literary genius who took on the establishment - and won. “Mary MacLane’s first book was the first of the confessional diaries ever written in this nation, and it was a sensation.” - N.Y. Times editoral “Anyone who reads her will never forget her voice.” - Biographile “She reminds us of the power of personal narrative, honestly told.” - The Atlantic “In a pre-soundbite age she already knew how to draw blood in one direct sentence.” - The Awl “She had a short but fiery life of writing and misadventure, and her writing was a template for the confessional memoirs that have become ubiquitous.” - The New Yorker “One of the most fascinatingly self-involved personalities of the 20th century.” - The Age “A girl wonder.” - Harper’s “Confessional journalists have people like Mary MacLane to thank.” - Flavorwire “Her diaries ignited a national uproar, ushering in a new era for women’s voices. Her elegant, ambitious embrace of full-disclosure opened a door to what was possible for women.” - The Atlantic “Fiery frankness made her a pioneer.” - Time Out Chicago “Her poetry is one of extremes: lust for happiness, despair for life.” - Hairy Dog Review “Riveting.” - N.H. Public Radio “I Await the Devil’s Coming is a small masterpiece, full of camp and swagger.” - Parul Sehgal, NPR “Pioneering newswoman, later silent-screen star, considered the veritable spirit of the iconoclastic Twenties.” - Boston Globe “A pioneering feminist - a sensation.” - Feminist Bookstore News “First of the self-expressionists, and the first of the Flappers.” - Chicagoan Check marymaclane.com for exclusive content, news, and previews.
Mary MacLane's 'The Story of Mary MacLane' is a groundbreaking memoir that revolutionized the genre of autobiography in the early 20th century. Known for its candid and unfiltered portrayal of a young woman's inner thoughts and desires, the book offers a unique insight into the mind of the author. Written in a confessional style with stream-of-consciousness narrative, MacLane's work stands out for its raw emotional intensity and daring self-examination. The exploration of love, loneliness, and societal expectations makes this memoir a timeless classic in feminist literature. MacLane's bold use of language and provocative themes challenged traditional literary boundaries and continue to inspire readers today. Her fearless self-exposure and refusal to conform to societal norms make 'The Story of Mary MacLane' a must-read for anyone interested in feminist literature, memoirs, or women's voices in literature.
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ... To-morrow AT rarish intervals comes my Soul to visit me. L My Soul is light sheer Being. * DEGREES My Soul is like a young most beautiful girl marked and worn by long cycles of time but not anyway aged. She comes dressed in something like gray-white de-soie muslin or fine-grained crfipe silk, a loose-belted frock reaching to her ankles. My Soul is unmoved by the world and the flesh and their feeling, as befits a Soul. She looks on me with a chill fae"ry-ish contempt, as also befits a Soul. The quality of her contempt is of weary understanding and is like a caress. In the dusk of yesterday came my Soul to visit me-- a dusk of a deep beauty. The last glow of the sun lay along the earth, and all was gentian blue. I leaned against my window-pane watching it, and beside me sat her Presence. Her Presence makes me feel wonderfully gifted: it is mine, this Soul all Golden-Silk and Silken-Gold! We talk on many topics, of many things: I in worldly nervous ignorance and with a wishfulness to reach and compass and know: the Soul with poise and surety of attitude, a wearied patience and the chill sweet contempt.. She answers me from her cool old tranquil view point, which is near me yet remote. We talked last of some bygone persons I have been, some shapes she wore. Said the Soul: 'Early in the sixteenth century you were a ragged Russian peasant girl living in ignorance and filth in a hut by a swamp-edge. You had parents both of whom beat your body black-and-blue from your babyhood. And at eighteen you were a coarsened hardy wench tending a drove of pigs and goats on the sunny steppe. I was there with you as presently as now--as sentient, as perceptive. But it is a question whether you or the little beasts you drove were the more beastly stupid. You...
