A century ago, Henry Kitchell Webster (1875-1932) was a well-known, well-paid, and well-respected author. His stories frequently appeared in major magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post. In 1921, the New York Times printed his thoughts on "What Is a Novel, Anyhow?" But why should we bother with his novels, short stories, and plays today? Because his characters are charming and intelligent. They pursue their goals in intriguing ways. The situations are unusual: this volume includes several set in the theater and in the business world. The endings are unpredictable, except in the sense that they are upbeat and satisfying. Webster's works hold their appeal because of that upbeat sense of life. If you enjoy the sculpture of Augustus Saint Gaudens or the paintings of Maxfield Parrish (both of whose lives overlap with Webster's), you'll probably find delight in Webster's works as well. Volume 4 of Webster's Collected Works, covering 1922-1932, includes 5 short stories, 3 plays (all previously unpublished), 17 essays on writing (most unpublished), hundreds of letters (all previously unpublished), and a short biography of Webster.

Henry Kitchell Webster: A Short Biography

PART 1: Short Stories

The Other Story

Flashlight

Inside and Out

The Lover: A Story of Marriage

[Untitled short story]

PART 2: Drama

Bluebeard's First Wife, or How He Got That Way, A Tragedy in One Act

Little Red Riding Hood, A Drama in One Act

What to Do! A Problem in One Act

PART 3: Correspondence Regarding Novels and Short Story Collections

Novels vs. romances

Regarding The Real Adventure

Regarding The Painted Scene

Regarding The Thoroughbred

Regarding The Sturdy Oak

Regarding Hugh Corbett's Wife

Regarding Youth for Youth

Regarding Mary Wollaston

Regarding Real Life, Into Which Miss Leda Swan of Hollywood Makes an Adventurous Excursion

Regarding Joseph Greer and His Daughter

Regarding The Innocents

Regarding The Hitching Post

Regarding The Corbin Necklace

Regarding The Beginners

Regarding Philopena, 1927

Regarding The Clock Strikes Two

Regarding The Fourth House

Regarding The Quartz Eye: A Mystery in Ultra Violet

Regarding The Sealed Trunk

Regarding The Man with the Scarred Hand

Regarding Who Is the Next?, 1931

Regarding The Alleged Great-Aunt

PART 4: Essays and Speeches Related to Writing and the Arts

Eulogy for Henry Beach Needham, 1915

On Joining a Union

What Authors and Publishers Are Doing

Eulogy on Bert Leston Taylor

Introduction to a Speech by G.K. Chesterton

What Is a Novel, Anyhow?

A Brace of Definitions and Short Code

Introduction by Webster to Charles Collins's The Sins of Saint Anthony

An Apology for a New Ideal

The Drama of the Romance and of the Teutonic Nations, by a Play Actor

The Glamor of the Stage

The Kind of Audience You Are

On the Novel

On Detective Stories

Introduction to a speech by Rabindranath Tagore

On Painting

Pride of Possession

PART 5: Miscellaneous Correspondence

PART 6: Articles on Webster

A Portrait and a Sketch of Henry Kitchell Webster

Hold Funeral Rites Today for H.K. Webster. Used Chicago Scene in Many of His Books

Literary Circle Mourns Webster

PART 7: Bibliography of Henry Kitchell Webster's Novels, Short Stories, Movie Scripts, and Nonfiction Essays

About the Editor