Personal Information for Fannie Hurst




	Personal Information for Fannie Hurst Born: October 18, 1889 Died: February 23, 1968 Occupations: Authors, Journalists, Novelists, Political Activists Subjects: Fiction, Journalism, Literature, Motion Pictures Biographical Information: Fannie Hurst was a highly successful writer whose short stories and novels sold internationally and commanded large sums of money in Hollywood. Born in Ohio to parents of German Jewish descent, Hurst was raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Her first published story appeared in 1908, while she was a junior at Washington University. Soon after graduating, she moved to New York, where she took odd jobs and dedicated herself to writing. Her career took off in 1912 when the Saturday Evening Post finally accepted a story of hers after many rejections. In addition to publishing her wildly popular novels which were later sold to the film industry, she became a regular contributor to many major magazines. Among the best known of her thirty works to be made into major motion pictures were Back Street (1932, 1941, 1961), Imitation of Life (1934, 1959), and Humoresque (1920, 1946). In her writing, she showed concern for African-Americans and working people although, as a product of her time, she often reinforced ethnic and racial stereotypes. Involved in the politics of the New Deal, she was appointed chair of the National Housing Commission in 1936-1937 and member of the Committee on Workmen's Compensation in 1940. She was also involved with the Friendly Visitors, a group of women who volunteered in a New York women's prison. Related Organizations (3) Related Collections (2) Related Organizations Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation Israel Bond Campaign Kappa Zeta Sorority , University of Washington Related Collections Fannie Hurst papers Fannie Hurst papers How to Cite This Page For a bibliography: Jewish Women's Archive. "Personal Information for Fannie Hurst." <http://jwa.org/archive/jsp/perInfo.jsp?personID=430>. For a footnote: Jewish Women's Archive, "Personal Information for Fannie Hurst," <http://jwa.org/archive/jsp/perInfo.jsp?personID=430>.