Stories by American Authors, Volume 1

H. C. (Henry Cuyler) Bunner

1855–1896

A sharp, witty voice in late 19th-century American letters, this poet, novelist, and editor helped shape the tone of New York literary life. Best known for his work at Puck and for fiction full of urban observation, he brought humor and polish to everything he wrote.

Rebecca Harding Davis

1831–1910

A sharp-eyed pioneer of American realism, she wrote about mill workers, women, and other overlooked lives with unusual force and sympathy. Her best-known story, "Life in the Iron-Mills," helped bring the grit of industrial America into serious literature.

Brander Matthews

1852–1929

A lively man of letters who helped make theater a serious subject of study in American universities, he moved easily between criticism, fiction, and teaching. His work captures the literary energy of New York in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

An American magazine writer and novelist of the 1870s, he built a reputation for lively short fiction and darker, moodier tales before his life was cut short at sea. His work appeared in some of the best-known literary magazines of his day, giving him a small but memorable place in 19th-century American literature.