Shirley Jackson & “The Lottery”

Author’s Background

Shirley Jackson Born: December 14, 1916 Died: August 8, 1965 Best known for “The Lottery” and “The Haunting of Hill House” 1961: Edgar Allan Poe Award for “Louisa, Please”

S. Jackson Born in San Francisco Wrote Poetry and Short Stories as a child Attended University of Rochester, withdrew and spent a year at home writing 1,000 words a day Graduated from Syracuse University Best known for writing in the Gothic Genre

Historical Background

“The Lottery” Published in The New Yorker in 1948 After World War 2 – very negative reaction “Explaining just what I had hoped the story to say is very difficult. I suppose, I hoped, by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village to shock the story's readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives.”

Edgar Allan Poe & “The Cask of Amontillado”

Edgar Allan Poe Born: January 19, 1809 Died: October 7, 1849 American author, poet, editor, literary critic Creator of the Detective genre More well known in Europe, particularly France, than in the US during his life.

"the most discriminating, philosophical, and fearless critic upon imaginative works who has written in America" -James Russell Lowell

Richard Connell & “The Most Dangerous Game”

Author’s Background

Richard Connell Born: October 17, 1893 Died: November 22, 1949 American Author, Journalist, and Screenwriter Nominated for an Academy Award: 1942, Meet John Doe

R. Connell Born in Poughkeepsie, NY Father was an editor and reporter for local paper Attended Georgetown and Harvard Served in WW1 and wrote his camp’s newspaper

Historical Background

“The Most Dangerous Game” First published in 1924 After World War 1, during the Roaring Twenties Affects of the roaring Twenties Boredom Secrecy Excess

“The Most Dangerous Game” Real Life connections Robert Hansen Serial Killer 1980’s Kidnapped women then released them armed with a knife and mini rifle Haynes Noel, Bob Gurnsey, & Charles Gaines Discussed gaines 1976 trip to Africa to hunt buffalo Inspired by TMDG, created paintball

James Hurst & “The Scarlet Ibis”

James Hurst Born: January 1, 1922 Died: October 24, 2013 Studied Chemical Engineering Served in WWII, then pursued a career in Opera Wrote in his spare time