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A Kind of Magic: An Autobiography
Bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Edna Ferber's fascinating second autobiography—a follow-up to her first, A Peculiar Treasure —in which she shares the adventures of her life from 1939 to 1963.
Rather than just an autobiography, A Kind of Magic serves as a chronicle of American history from 1939-1963 through the eyes of a highly skilled and sensitive observer. A fan of the fine arts, Ferber offers intimate glimpses into the personalities of performers from James Dean to George S. Kaufman, and goes on to share her uncanny knack for having been consistently where the news of the day was breaking. She was in Washington the day President Roosevelt died, in London when the 8th Air Force launched its first long-range daylight raids, at Buchenwald and Nordhausen shortly after their liberation, and—more happily—in Paris on V.E. Day and in New York on V.J. Day. In these pages she recaptures that black-and-white insanity of that war and all wars, as well as the stifling, post-war complecency which gripped America at the time.
Rather than just an autobiography, A Kind of Magic serves as a chronicle of American history from 1939-1963 through the eyes of a highly skilled and sensitive observer. A fan of the fine arts, Ferber offers intimate glimpses into the personalities of performers from James Dean to George S. Kaufman, and goes on to share her uncanny knack for having been consistently where the news of the day was breaking. She was in Washington the day President Roosevelt died, in London when the 8th Air Force launched its first long-range daylight raids, at Buchenwald and Nordhausen shortly after their liberation, and—more happily—in Paris on V.E. Day and in New York on V.J. Day. In these pages she recaptures that black-and-white insanity of that war and all wars, as well as the stifling, post-war complecency which gripped America at the time.
- GenresAutobiographyNonfiction
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1963
16 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Edna Ferber
284 books287 followersEdna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were popular in her lifetime and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big (1924), Show Boat (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), Cimarron (1929; made into the 1931 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), and Giant (1952; made into the 1956 Hollywood movie).
Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to a Hungarian-born Jewish storekeeper, Jacob Charles Ferber, and his Milwaukee, Wisconsin-born wife, Julia (Neumann) Ferber. At the age of 12, after living in Chicago, Illinois and Ottumwa, Iowa, Ferber and her family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, where she graduated from high school and briefly attended Lawrence University. She took newspaper jobs at the Appleton Daily Crescent and the Milwaukee Journal before publishing her first novel. She covered the 1920 Republican National Convention and 1920 Democratic National Convention for the United Press Association.
Ferber's novels generally featured strong female protagonists, along with a rich and diverse collection of supporting characters. She usually highlighted at least one strong secondary character who faced discrimination ethnically or for other reasons; through this technique, Ferber demonstrated her belief that people are people and that the not-so-pretty people have the best character.
Ferber was a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of wits who met for lunch every day at the Algonquin Hotel in New York.
Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to a Hungarian-born Jewish storekeeper, Jacob Charles Ferber, and his Milwaukee, Wisconsin-born wife, Julia (Neumann) Ferber. At the age of 12, after living in Chicago, Illinois and Ottumwa, Iowa, Ferber and her family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, where she graduated from high school and briefly attended Lawrence University. She took newspaper jobs at the Appleton Daily Crescent and the Milwaukee Journal before publishing her first novel. She covered the 1920 Republican National Convention and 1920 Democratic National Convention for the United Press Association.
Ferber's novels generally featured strong female protagonists, along with a rich and diverse collection of supporting characters. She usually highlighted at least one strong secondary character who faced discrimination ethnically or for other reasons; through this technique, Ferber demonstrated her belief that people are people and that the not-so-pretty people have the best character.
Ferber was a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of wits who met for lunch every day at the Algonquin Hotel in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 15, 2020
If you've ever dreamed of being a writer, or maybe even slipping inside a writer's head, this is the book for you. An inside look at a beloved Pulitzer Prize winning author's life. If you love this, don't forget to check out her first autobiography, 'A Peculiar Treasure.' Well worth your precious reading time!
December 27, 2021
A little rambling, but full of interesting insights and glimpses of a bygone era.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews