Blog

• Volume 1 is available on Amazon; other stores via Ingram (9781088272121 print, 9781088272152 ebook)
• Volume 2 is available on Amazon; other stores via Ingram (9781088272305 print, 9781088272305 ebook)
• Volume 3 is available on Amazon; other stores via Ingram (9781088272817 print, 9781088272848 ebook)
• Volume 4 is available on Amazon; other stores via Ingram (9781088272954 print, 9781088272985 ebook)

About Henry Kitchell Webster

Henry Kitchell Webster (1875-1932) was one of the first writers of fiction to incorporate business and industry as the setting for his works. But that alone wouldn’t make him one of my favorite authors. He also dealt with fascinating issues such as the changing status of women as the Victorian Age evolved into the Jazz Age. His characters are charming and intelligent, and they invariably pursue their goals in intriguing ways. And the situations in Webster’s writings are unusual—not what I expect from someone writing more than a century ago. I’ve never yet guessed the endings.

In Webster’s time—long before radio or television—magazines were the medium of mass entertainment, creating a huge demand for fiction. Several dozen of Webster’s short stories and serials were published by The Saturday Evening Post, McClure’s, Everybody’s, and other national magazines. Webster also published twenty-nine novels under his own name and an as yet unknown number under pseudonyms. (I’ve republished several of the novels: see this post for details.) In addition, Webster wrote scenarios for a dozen or so silent films and several plays.

Publication of Webster’s early short works

The first volume of Henry Kitchell Webster’s Collected Short Works and Related Correspondence, covers 1901 to 1912. The 334 pages include:

• Webster’s ten earliest short stories, along with the illustrations that appeared in their original periodical publication. Two of these stories have never before been published.

• Mrs. Thornborough’s Apology, a play performed in Chicago, New Haven and New York in 1912. This also has never been published. Incidentally, it’s one of my favorites among his works.
• Twenty-seven letters, none previously published, giving insight into how and why Webster wrote these works.
• Two articles on Webster’s early career, published in the Saturday Evening Post, 1911, and the New York Times, 1912.

The second volume of Collected Short Works and Related Correspondence covers 1913-1914 (462 pp.). It includes twenty short stories, one previously unpublished play, and thirty-six letters (all previously unpublished).

The third volume of Collected Short Works and Related Correspondence covers 1915-1922 (416 pp.). It includes eleven short stories, one play (previously unpublished), and forty-nine letters (all previously unpublished).

The fourth and final volume of Collected Short Works and Related Correspondence covers 1923-1932. It includes five short stories, three plays (all previously unpublished), seventeen essays on writing (most unpublished), hundreds of letters, a short biography of Webster, and a bibliography of his works.

More

• I’ve republished a number of novels by Webster, correcting the OCR scanning and adding the illustrations that appeared in the first edition. See the list here.
• Want wonderful art delivered weekly to your inbox? Check out my free Sunday Recommendations list and rewards for recurring support: details here.