Martha Foley

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Martha Foley
BornMarch 21, 1897
Boston, Massachusetts
, U.S.
DiedSeptember 5, 1977(1977-09-05) (aged 80)

Martha Foley (March 21, 1897 – September 5, 1977) cofounded Story magazine in 1931 with her husband Whit Burnett. She achieved some celebrity by introducing notable authors through the magazine such as J. D. Salinger, Tennessee Williams and Richard Wright. In 1941 she became the series editor for The Best American Short Stories series.

Childhood

Foley was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 21, 1897, to Walter and Margaret M. C. Foley. From 1909 to 1915, she attended Boston Girls' Latin School, and even then aspired to be a writer. The school magazine published her first short story, "Jabberwock," when she was eleven years old.[1][2]

Her aspirations were present even before this. When she was seven both her parents fell ill, and were unable to care for her. She dealt with this by writing a novel about a fortunate girl who got to go to boarding school. At about this time, she became an avid reader, escaping into fiction. It is surmised[2] that this laid the foundation for her later literary achievements, and when she developed an acute sympathy for the human condition.[1][2]

After graduating from the 'Girls School' she attended Boston University but did not graduate.[1][2]

Suffragette and socialist

Foley became active in both the

President Woodrow Wilson when he visited Boston on February 24, 1919.[3]

Career and marriage

After leaving Boston University, Foley chose a career as journalist and foreign correspondent for a succession of newspapers. These included the

Paris Herald and wrote fiction. They were married in Vienna in 1930, and their son David was born the following year (he died in 1971). In 1931, she convinced Burnett that they should launch a magazine for short stories only.[1][2][4] Before getting married, she was a companion of noted former child prodigy William James Sidis and the object of his unrequited love.[5]

Founding of Story

The objective for the new

short story writers of the day[2]

The

subscriptions were increased to 25,000, a literary service was offered to readers, and promising new authors were continually introduced. Story is credited with the first publication and early support of a pantheon of notable authors, including: John Cheever, Carson McCullers, William Saroyan, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, and the three authors mentioned in the introduction, among others.[2][4]

References

Library resources about
Martha Foley
By Martha Foley
  1. ^ a b c d Dictionary of Literary Biographies (2005–2006). "Dictionary of Literary Biography on Martha Foley". Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. Retrieved April 6, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Ware, Susan; Braukman, Stacy, eds. (February 2005). Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume 5: Completing the Twentieth Century (Katrina Kennison contributed this article for this book.). Harvard University Press. pp. 216 and 217.
    ISBN 978-0-674-01488-6
    .
  3. ^ "Suffragettes with a protest banner during President Wilson's visit to Boston, Mass., Feb. 1919". www.historicnewengland.org. Historic New England. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Burnett, Whit (1899–1973)." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online http://ea.grolier.com/article?id=0067520-00 (accessed April 10, 2010)
  5. ISBN 978-0525244042
    .

External links
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