author
Roger Livingston Scaife
1875–1951
A Boston publisher with a sharp eye for social comedy, he wrote light, witty books that catch the manners and moods of early 20th-century America. His work ranges from playful sketches of debutante life to affectionate essays about Cape Cod.
1 Audiobook
Cape Coddities
by Roger Livingston Scaife
About the author
Roger Livingston Scaife was an American author and publishing executive born in 1875 and deceased in 1951. He graduated from Harvard in 1897, began working at Houghton Mifflin in 1898, and later became vice-president and director of Little, Brown & Company; sources also describe him as a former director of Harvard University Press.
As a writer, he is best remembered for humorous, gently satirical books including The Confessions of a Débutante, The Reflections of a T.B.M., and Cape Coddities. His writing has an easy, observant tone, often focusing on social life, fashion, and the small absurdities of modern manners.
Scaife's connection to books ran through both his professional and creative life, which helps explain the polished, reader-friendly feel of his work. For listeners who enjoy period charm, local color, and understated humor, his books offer a lively glimpse of New England and American society in the early 1900s.