The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors

John Kendrick Bangs

1862–1922

A witty American humorist and editor, he turned ghosts, celebrities, and the afterlife into playgrounds for clever satire. His light, imaginative style became so distinctive that an entire kind of fantasy comedy came to be called "Bangsian" fantasy.

Alice Brown

1857–1948

A leading voice of New England local-color fiction, this American author was known for stories and novels that captured village life, moral tension, and the inner lives of women with warmth and precision. She also wrote poetry and plays, building a long and varied literary career from the late 19th century into the 20th.

Mary Stewart Cutting

1851–1924

Known for witty, observant stories about marriage, family, and suburban life, this American writer brought humor and sharp social insight to popular magazines and books of the early 1900s. She was also active in the woman suffrage movement, giving her work an added sense of independence and modernity.

Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

1852–1930

Best known for vivid New England stories, this American writer brought small-town lives, quiet struggles, and sharp social observation to the page. Her fiction includes the much-loved collection A New England Nun and helped define regional writing in the late 19th century.

William Dean Howells

1837–1920

A leading voice of American realism, he wrote sharply observed novels about everyday life and helped shape the literary culture of the late 1800s. As an editor and critic, he also encouraged writers such as Henry James and Sarah Orne Jewett while building a reputation as the “Dean of American Letters.”

Henry James

1843–1916

Known for elegant, psychologically rich fiction, this American-born writer explored the tensions between Europe and the United States with unusual depth and subtlety. His novels and tales helped shape modern literary realism, from intimate studies of consciousness to haunting ghost stories.

Elizabeth Garver Jordan

1867–1947

A trailblazing journalist and novelist, she moved from small-town Ohio to the center of American magazine publishing and became one of the notable women editors of her era. Her career joined popular fiction, newsroom energy, and outspoken support for women's rights.

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

1844–1911

A pioneering American novelist and reform-minded writer, she is best remembered for The Gates Ajar, a hugely popular Civil War-era novel that imagined heaven in deeply personal, comforting terms. Her work also pushed into social criticism, women’s lives, and spiritual questions that resonated with a wide nineteenth-century readership.

Henry Van Dyke

1852–1933

A warm, approachable American man of letters, he moved with ease between the pulpit, the classroom, and the page. His work blends spiritual reflection, gentle humor, and a deep love of nature and everyday grace.

Mary Heaton Vorse

1874–1966

A fearless reporter and novelist, she wrote from the front lines of labor struggles and women’s activism, bringing working people’s lives into sharp focus. Her work blends eyewitness urgency with a strong sense of justice.

Known for sharp, humane stories and essays, this Chicago writer captured everyday life with wit and sympathy. She was also deeply involved in reform-minded circles, linking her literary work to the social world around Hull House.