American Christmas Stories

From the Civil War era to today: 59 stories in all More

Edited by Connie Willis

Overview
News & Views
Table of Contents
Contributors

Overview

Story of the Week Jack London, “A Klondike Christmas”

Story of the Week Grace Paley, “The Loudest Voice”

Story of the Week Margaret Black, “A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church”

Part religious observance and part commercial extravaganza, a gift basket of cultural customs from many nations, Christmas grew into its modern form in America, and over the last 150 years the most magical time of the year has proven to be glad tidings for American writers. Library of America and acclaimed author Connie Willis invite you to unwrap this diverse collection of fifty-nine enchanting and uniquely American stories about Christmas, literary gems that will delight and surprise.

Ranging from the advent of the American tradition of holiday storytelling in the wake of the Civil War to today, this is the best and widest-ranging anthology of American Christmas stories ever assembled. Ghost stories and crime stories, science fiction, fantasy, westerns, humor, and horror; tales of Christmas morning, trees, gifts, wise men, and family dinners everywhere from New York to Texas to outer space: this anthology is an epiphany, revealing the ways Christmas has evolved over time—and how the spirit of the holiday has remained the same.

Connie Willis is a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and a Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She has received seven Nebula awards and eleven Hugo awards for her fiction; Blackout and All Clear—a novel in two parts—and Doomsday Book won both. Her other works include Crosstalk, Passage, Lincoln’s Dreams, Bellwether, Impossible Things, Remake, Uncharted Territory, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Fire Watch, and The Road to Roswell. Her collection of Christmas stories, Miracle and Other Christmas Stories, was reissued in an expanded edition in 2017 as A Lot Like Christmas.

Printed on acid-free paper, this special publication features a unique design with specifications differing from those of Library of America series titles, including notch binding and cloth-covered cases.
News & Views

Story of the Week Jack London, “A Klondike Christmas”

Story of the Week Grace Paley, “The Loudest Voice”

Story of the Week Margaret Black, “A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church”

Story of the Week Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “According to Solomon”

Video American Christmas Stories

Story of the Week Dorothy Parker, “The Christmas Magazines and the Inevitable Story of the Snowbound Train”
Table of Contents

Introduction by Connie Willis

Bret Harte, How Santa Claus Came to Simpson’s Bar
Louisa May Alcott, Kate’s Choice
Mark Twain, A Letter from Santa Claus
J. B. Moore Bristor, Found After Thirty-Five Years—Lucy Marshall’s Letter
Mary Agnes Tincker, From the Garden of a Friend
William Dean Howells, Christmas Every Day
John Kendrick Bangs, Thurlow’s Christmas Story
Jack London, Klondike Christmas
Stephen Crane, A Little Pilgrim
Paul Laurence Dunbar, An Old-Time Christmas
Pauline E. Hopkins, General Washington
Jacob Riis, The Kid Hangs Up His Stocking
George Ade, The Set of Poe
O. Henry, A Chaparral Christmas Gift
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, According to Solomon
Edward Lucas White, The Picture Puzzle
Margaret Black, A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church
Dorothy Parker, The Christmas Magazines: And the Inevitable Story of the Snowbound Train
Robert Benchley, Christmas Afternoon
W.E.B. Du Bois, The Sermon in the Cradle
Ben Hecht, Holiday Thoughts
Heywood Broun, Bethlehem, Dec. 25
Christopher Morley, The Tree That Didn’t Get Trimmed
Sherwood Anderson, A Criminal’s Christmas
James Thurber, A Visit from Saint Nicholas
Langston Hughes, One Christmas Eve
Damon Runyon, The Three Wise Guys
Leo Rosten, Mr. K*A*P*L*A*N and the Magi
John Henrik Clarke, Santa Claus is a White Man
John Collier, Back for Christmas
Edna Ferber, No Room at the Inn
John McNulty, Two People He Never Saw
Mary Roberts Rinehart, The Butler’s Christmas Eve
Katherine Anne Porter, A Christmas Story
Abelardo Díaz Alfaro, “Santa Clo” Comes to La Cuchilla
Ray Bradbury, The Gift
Raymond E. Banks, Christmas Trombone
Mildred Clingerman, The Wild Wood
Shirley Jackson, from Raising Demons
Grace Paley, The Loudest Voice
Mari Sandoz, The Christmas of the Phonograph Records
Joan Didion, The Big Rock Candy Figgy Pudding Pitfall
John Updike, The Carol Sing
Tomás Rivera, The Night Before Christmas
Thomas M. Disch, The Santa Claus Compromise
Pete Hamill, The Christmas Kid
Gene Wolfe, The War Beneath the Tree
Cynthia Felice, Track of a Legend
Ed McBain, And All Through the House
George V. Higgins, The Impossible Snowsuit of Christmas Past
Ron Carlson, The H Street Sledding Record
Steve Rasnic Tem, Buzz
Amy Tan, Fish Cheeks
Ann Petry, Checkup
Sandra Cisneros, Three Wise Guys
Connie Willis, Inn
José R. Nieto, Ixchel’s Tears
Nathan Englander, Reb Kringle
Nalo Hopkinson, A Young Candy Daughter
Contributors

George Ade
Louisa May Alcott
Sherwood Anderson
John Kendrick Bangs
Raymond E. Banks
Robert Benchley
Margaret Black
Ray Bradbury
J. B. Moore Bristor
Heywood Broun
Ron Carlson
Sandra Cisneros
John Henrik Clarke
Mildred Clingerman
John Collier
Stephen Crane
Abelardo Díaz Alfaro
Joan Didion
Thomas M. Disch
W.E.B. Du Bois
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Nathan Englander
Cynthia Felice
Edna Ferber
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Pete Hamill
Bret Harte
Ben Hecht
O. Henry
George V. Higgins
Pauline E. Hopkins
Nalo Hopkinson
William Dean Howells
Langston Hughes
Shirley Jackson
Jack London
Ed McBain
John McNulty
Christopher Morley
José R. Nieto
Grace Paley
Dorothy Parker
Ann Petry
Katherine Anne Porter
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Jacob Riis
Tomás Rivera
Leo Rosten
Damon Runyon
Mari Sandoz
Amy Tan
Steve Rasnic Tem
James Thurber
Mary Agnes Tincker
Mark Twain
John Updike
Edward Lucas White
Connie Willis
Gene Wolfe

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ISBN: 978-1-59853-706-2 467 pages

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