O. Henry Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1920) Winner
Maxwell Struthers Burt
マックスウェル・ストラザーズ・バート
Maxwell Struthers Burt
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1882-10-18 （Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.）
- Died
- 1954-08-29 （Jackson Hole, Wyoming, U.S.） age 71
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Philadelphia (grew up) → Baltimore (birthplace) → Jackson Hole, Wyoming (resident; ranching) → North Carolina (wintering) → Princeton (taught English)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, poet, short-story writer, essayist
- Active Years
- 1903-1954
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of Munich | — | — | — | — | Germany |
| Merton College, Oxford University | — | — | — | — | United Kingdom |
Princeton University
Year of Graduation:
1904
Country:
United States
Graduated in 1904
University of Munich
Country:
Germany
Attended; details unknown
Merton College, Oxford University
Country:
United Kingdom
Attended; details unknown
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Interpreter’s House
1924 NovelA novel set against contrasts between East and West and Princeton-area society, notable for its character interactions and social observation.
East–West contrastsocial conventionsinterpersonal relationships
The Delectable Mountains
1927 NovelA work focusing on human stories set against mountain landscapes; notable for Western scenery description.
naturelandscapehuman relationships
Festival
1931 NovelA novel addressing human interactions and social rituals.
ritualsociality
Entertaining the Islanders
1933 NovelA novel portraying an ensemble of characters set on islands.
communitysetting
Along These Streets
1942 NovelA Westerner inherits a fortune in Philadelphia and must live in the city; the novel contrasts urban Eastern culture with Western life.
East–West cultural contrastidentitygender relations
John O'May and Other Stories
1918 Short story collectionAn early collection of short stories.
short storiescharacter study
Chance Encounters
1921 Short story collectionA collection of short stories themed around encounters and events.
fateevents
They Could Not Sleep
1928 Short story collectionA short story collection dealing with psychology and unrest.
anxietyinteriority
In The High Hills
1914 PoetryAn early poetry collection focusing on nature and landscape.
naturelandscape
When I Grew Up to Middle Age
1925 PoetryA poetry collection meditating on middle age.
agingreflection
War Songs
1942 PoetryA collection of poems written during wartime.
warpatriotism
The Diary of a Dude Wrangler
1924 Non-fictionNon-fiction account of experiences on a dude ranch.
ranch lifeWestern culture
Bibliography
- The Interpreter’s House (1924)
- The Delectable Mountains (1927)
- Festival (1931)
- Entertaining the Islanders (1933)
- Along These Streets (1942)
- John O'May and Other Stories (1918)
- Chance Encounters (1921)
- They Could Not Sleep (1928)
- In The High Hills (1914)
- Songs and Portraits (1920)
- When I Grew Up to Middle Age (1925)
- War Songs (1942)
- The Mullah of Miasmia (play, 1903)
- The Diary of a Dude Wrangler (1924)
- Powder River: Let 'er Buck (1938)
- Escape from America (1936)
- Philadelphia Holy Experiment (1945)
- The History of Cap and Gown: 1890-1950 (1951)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- conventional, plot-driven narrativefocus on social observationrealistic depiction of Western landscapes
- Recurring Motifs
- East–West contrastmale–female relationshipsnature and landscape
Legacy
Maxwell Struthers Burt is known for works that bridge Eastern society and Western landscapes; he contributed to regional life through ranching and support for the establishment of Grand Teton National Park. His papers are held at Princeton University and the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming.
Archives
- Princeton University Library (Burt Papers)
- University of Wyoming American Heritage Center (Burt Family Papers)
Quotes
-
“There is always a love story, there is always a certain strict plotting of acceptance, withdrawal, misunderstanding, and final clinch that leads to much amusing discussion of the difference between men and women, but which does not escape a sort of artificiality.”
Source: Nathaniel Burt, Princeton University Library Chronicle (1958) (1958)
Trivia
- Co-founded the JY Ranch in 1908 with Louis Joy; the ranch later became the well-known Rockefeller property.
- Established his own Bar B C Dude Ranch in 1912.
- Was active in efforts to establish Grand Teton National Park.
- His son Nathaniel Burt and grandson Christopher C. Burt were also published authors.
- His papers are archived at Princeton University and the University of Wyoming American Heritage Center.