Ruth Pine Furniss (1893–1957) was an

American writer American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry ...

who published several

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

and novels.

Biography

Ruth Kellogg Pine Furniss was born on March 2, 1893, to Charles LeRoy and Grace Eddy Kellogg Pine in Lansingburg, New York. She attended the

Emma Willard School The Emma Willard School, originally called Troy Female Seminary and often referred to simply as Emma, is an independent university-preparatory day and boarding school for young women, located in Troy, New York, on Mount Ida, offering grades 9– ...

(Troy, New York) and

Miss Porter's School Miss Porter's School (MPS) is an elite American private college preparatory school for girls founded in 1843, and located in Farmington, Connecticut. The school draws students from 21 states, 31 countries (with dual-citizenship and/or residence), ...

(Farmington, Connecticut). She studied short story writing with

Blanche Colton Williams Blanche Colton Williams (February 10, 1879 – August 9, 1944) was an American author, editor, department head and professor of English literature, and pioneer in women’s higher education. She was known for her “groundbreaking work on str ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and went on to publish a number of short stories and novels. In 1937, with the poet

Weldon Kees Harry Weldon Kees (February 24, 1914 – disappeared July 18, 1955) was an American poet, painter, literary critic, novelist, playwright, jazz pianist, short story writer, and filmmaker. Despite his brief career, Kees is considered an importa ...

, Furniss adapted her short story "Obsession" into a one-act play with the same title. It is believed Furniss suffered from

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

, which was treated with periods of institutionalization, shock-therapy, a topectomy, and ultimately, a

lobotomy A lobotomy, or leucotomy, is a form of neurosurgical treatment for psychiatric disorder or neurological disorder (e.g. epilepsy) that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. The surgery causes most of the connections t ...

. Furniss's writings drew on her struggle with illness and her exposure to various medical treatments, as can be seen in her novels ''Gay'' (1928), ''Snow: A Love Story'' (1929), and ''The Dreamland Tree'' (an unpublished novel completed in 1952 after Furniss received a topectomy and shock therapy). Furniss published ''The Layman Looks at Doctors'' (1929) under the pseudonyms S.W. and J.T. Pierce, who were a fictional couple. In 1912 Furniss married Henry Dawson Furniss (d. 1942), with whom she had five children, three of whom survived childhood (Henry Dawson, James P., and W. Todd). The Furniss family lived in

Pelham, New York Pelham is a suburban town in Westchester County, approximately 10 miles northeast of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 13,078, an increase from the 2010 census. Historically, Pelham was composed of five villages ...

, and in New York City. During World War II Furniss served as a Gray Lady with the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

. Furniss was hospitalized at several points during her life, including periods at

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, formerly known as Pilgrim State Hospital, is a state-run psychiatric hospital located in Brentwood, New York. Nine months after its official opening in 1931,the hospital's patient population was 2,018, as compared with ...

and

Central Islip Psychiatric Center The Central Islip Psychiatric Center, formerly State Hospital for the Insane, was a state psychiatric hospital in Central Islip, New York, United States from 1889 until 1996. The center was one of the four major hospital "farms" in central Long ...

(Long Island). Furniss died of a heart attack in December 1957, at the age of 64.''New York Times''. December 16, 1957.

Bibliography

Novels

*''Gay''. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1928. *''Snow: A Love Story''. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1929. *''The Layman Looks at Doctors''. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1929. *''The Dreamland Tree''. Unpublished.

Short stories

*"Sentence." ''Charm'' (December 1924). *"Only Once." ''The New Eve'' (April 1926). *"Relax." ''Chicago Sunday Tribune'' (May 9, 1926). *"Clay." ''Transition'' (August 1927). *"Bess Does Her Best." ''Chicago Sunday Tribune'' (November 27, 1927). *"Answer." ''Transition'' (September 1929). Reprinted in ''The Best Short Stories of 1930'' edited by Edward J. O'Brien (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1930). *"Triangle." ''Harper's Bazaar'' (July 1930) *"Obsession." ''Story'' (February 1934).

Articles

*"Notes on Apprenticeship." ''The Editor'', Vol. 73, No. 9 (1926). *"The Second Shall Be First." ''The Editor'', Vol. 82, No. 11 (1928).

References