Eudora Welty

The Optimist's Daughter

originally published:
New York : Random House
1972

We offered this signed copy of the first edition in our Catalog 103.

awards:

  • Pulitzer Prize for Fiction(1973)

reference info

bio notes:
born: 4/13/1909
died: 7/23/2001
born as: Eudora Welty
nationality: USA

American short-story writer and novelist whose work is focused with great precision on the regional manners of people inhabiting a small Mississippi town that resembles her own birthplace and the Delta country. - Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature

Collecting tips:

A well-known poet of our acquaintance used to refer to Eudora Welty as "Aunt Meatloaf." When queried about it, his justification was "Well, everyone likes meatloaf, don't they?" This may be more true of Welty than meatloaf in an increasingly vegetarian world, but he made his point. Welty's first two real books A Curtain of Green (1941), a collection of stories; and The Robber Bridegroom (1942) are both very scarce in fine condition, with the latter title, an amusing fairy tale of sorts, always in demand. Her third book, a collection of short stories, of wartime vintage The Wide Net (1943) is just as scarce, but if you can find it with the pink spine-lettering unfaded, or barely so, it jumps up to rare in our estimation. Preceding publication of A Curtain of Green, an advance excerpt from the book called The Key was issued by the publisher. It is a rarity, and expensive when found, but surprisingly not that eagerly sought. Welty has participted in the publication of a number of limited and signed editions. Our favorite, and one of the scarcest is A Sweet Devouring (1969), a short but evocative essay about her youthful obsession with books and reading.

Email us to request a printed copy of our catalog of Eudora Welty Rare Books and First Editions (or download it via the link as a 4.15 MB pdf file).

We also offer a comprehensive Eudora Welty Bibliography and Price Guide.