Just an Ordinary Day

Edited by by Laurence Jackson Hyman and Sarah Hyman Stewart.

The stories in this edition represent the great diversity of her work, from humor to her shocking explorations of the human psyche. The tales range, chronologically, from the writings of her college days and residence in Greenwich Village in the early 1940s, to the unforgettably chilling stories from the period just before her death. They provide an exciting overview of the evolution of her craft through a progression of forms and styles, and add significantly to the body of her published work.

Just an Ordinary Day is a testament to how large a talent Shirley Jackson had and to the depth, breadth, and complexity of her writing. Though this remarkable literary life was cut short, Jackson clearly established a unique voice that has won a permanent place in the canon of outstanding American literature, and remains a powerful influence on generations of readers and writers.

Contents:

• Introduction by Laurence Jackson Hyman and Sarah Hyman Stewart
• Preface: All I Can Remember (essay) by Shirley Jackson
• The Smoking Room
• I Don't Kiss Strangers
• Summer Afternoon
• Indians Live in Tents
• The Very Hot Sun in Bermuda
• Nightmare
• Dinner for a Gentleman
• Party of Boys
• Jack the Ripper
• The Honeymoon of Mrs. Smith (Versions I and II)
• The Sister
• Arch-Criminal
• Mrs. Anderson
• Come to the Fair
• Portrait
• Gnarly the King of the Jungle
• The Good Wife
• Devil of a Tale
• The Mouse
• My Grandmother and the World of Cats
• Maybe It Was the Car
• Lovers Meeting
• My Recollections of S. B. Fairchild
• Deck the Halls
• Lord of the Castle
• What a Thought
• When Barry Was Seven
• Before Autumn
• The Story We Used to Tell
• My Uncle in the Garden
• On the House
• Little Old Lady in Great Need
• When Things Get Dark
• Whistler's Grandmother
• Family Magician
• The Wishing Dime
• About Two Nice People
• Mrs. Melville Makes a Purchase
• Journey With a Lady
• The Most Wonderful Thing
• The Friends
• Alone in a Den of Cubs
• The Order of Charlotte's Going
• One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts
• The Missing Girl
• The Omen
• The Very Strange House Next Door (aka Strangers in Town)
• A Great Voice Stilled
• All She Said Was Yes
• Home
• I.O.U.
• The Possibility of Evil
• Epilogue: Fame (essay) by Shirley Jackson