Julia Thompson von Stosch Schayer (January 7, 1842 - March 29, 1928) was an American writer, best known for her short stories published in the 1870s-1890s.

Biography

She was born in

Deering, Maine Deering was a town in Cumberland County, Maine which was incorporated in 1871 and annexed by the neighboring City of Portland in 1899. Until 1871, the town was part of Saccarappa, which also included what is now neighboring Westbrook. In that ye ...

in 1842 to Zenas Thompson, a New England clergyman, and Leonara Levitt.Lineage Book, Vol. 47
p. 279-80 (1918) In her youth, she was also noted for her singing voice. Schayer was married twice, first to Count Ferdinand von Stosch, who died shortly after the Civil War, and with whom she had two daughters. Her daughter

Leonora Speyer Leonora Speyer, Lady Speyer (née von Stosch; 7 November 1872 – 10 February 1956), was an American poet and violinist. Life She was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Count Ferdinand von Stosch of Mantze in Silesia, who fought for th ...

was a poet (and winner of the 1927 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry) and violinist. Goodwin, Etta Ramsdell
The Literary Women of Washington
''The Chautauquan'', Vol. 27, No. 6, p. 586 (September 1898) Her second husband was George F. Schayer, with whom she had additional children.Gossip of Authors and Writers
''Current Literature'', Vol. VII, No. 13, p. 337-38 (July 1891)Clark, Kate Upson (9 April 1928)

'' The New York Times'' (letter to the editor) Their son Richard Schayer was a screenwriter. George Schayer was Deputy Recorder of Deeds in Washington, D.C., where Julia befriended author Frances Hodgson Burnett.Gerzina, Gretchen Holbrook
Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Unexpected Life of the Author of The Secret Garden
p. 68 (2004) She published short stories in publications including '' The Atlantic Monthly'', '' Scribner's Monthly'' and '' The Century Magazine''. Her ''Century'' stories were compiled in ''Tiger Lily and Other Stories'' published in 1883.The Bookshelf
''The Continent'', Vol IV, No. 6, p. 189 (August 8, 1883) Her 1891 ''Century'' story ''The Major's Appointment'' was adapted into a play by

Nelson Wheatcroft Nelson Wheatcroft (1852–1897) was an English-born actor and drama teacher. He famously ran a drama school, at the Charles Frohman Empire Theatre, in the late Victorian era, and was a member of The Lambs, The Lambs Club. He was married to Adeline ...

and George Backus, which debuted at the Amphion Academy in Brooklyn in March 1892.The New York Clipper Annual
p. 4 (1892) Her ''Story of Two Lives'' (first published in ''Swinton's Story-teller'' in 1883) was adapted for an episode of the television show ''

Your Favorite Story ''Your Favorite Story'' is a syndicated TV anthology series that was broadcast in the United States from 1953 to 1955. The program was also known as ''My Favorite Story''. It was premiered in December 1954 with the title ''Your Favorite Playhouse'' ...

'' in 1953.Television Series and Specials Scripts, 1946-1992
p. 92 (2009) Though her writings are little considered today, her short story ''Molly'' (which was also her first literary success, published in ''Scribner's Monthly'' in 1878) has been noted approvingly for its portrayal of life in

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

.Shapiro, Henry D
Appalachia on Our Mind
p. 23 (1978) Schayer died in

Bronxville, New York Bronxville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the town of Eastchester. The village comprises one square mile (2.5 km2) of land in its entirety, a ...

in 1928 and is buried in Washington's Glenwood Cemetery.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schayer, Julia 1842 births 1928 deaths Writers from Portland, Maine Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) 19th-century American short story writers American women short story writers 19th-century American women writers