Grant M. (Grant Martin) Overton

Grant Martin Overton was an American writer and critic, born in Patchogue, New York, on September 19, 1887, and he died there on July 4, 1930. He attended Princeton University from 1904 to 1906, and later became known for work that blended literary criticism with a strong interest in popular reading and contemporary fiction.

His career ranged across novels, criticism, and editorial work. Among his books are The Women Who Make Our Novels (1918), Mermaid (1920), The Answerer (1921), World Without End (1921), Island of the Innocent (1923), and The Thousand and First Night (1924). He also edited collections such as The World's One Hundred Best Short Stories, An Hour of the American Novel, and Great Modern Short Stories, which helped introduce readers to a broad mix of authors and styles.

Overton also served as fiction editor at Collier's from 1924 to 1930. That mix of practical editorial work and critical writing makes him especially interesting today: he was not just commenting on literature from a distance, but helping shape what readers encountered in magazines and anthologies.