Some Little Known Thompson

Since we launched the Hungry Tiger Press website in 2001 we have featured a free monthly Tiger Tale. For our one hundred and forty-third entry I am pleased to share a previously unknown bit of adult fiction written by Ruth Plumly Thompson.

My partner, Eric, discovered "Gray Youth" in the March 9, 1924, edition of  the Springfield [Massachusetts] Republican. But it also ran in several other newspapers, including the Greensboro [North Carolina] Daily News the same day and the Omaha World Herald on May 4, 1924. The piece is copyrighted by the Chicago Tribune - so that was in all likelihood the source of the syndication, but we have not found the story in that paper thus far.

Click here to read "Gray Youth."

I'm surprised that since she was writing/selling for syndication the story isn't better. It's hardly more than a fragment, and alas, it's rather sexist. Perhaps she sold a longer story and this is all that got published? In any case it remains interesting as a rare bit of Thompson writing for adults. 

To flesh out this blog post I am also sharing a photo of Ruth Plumly Thompson about the time she wrote this story. The photo seems to date from 1925 given that she is holding a copy of The Lost King of Oz. The dog's name was Taffy.

If you like Ruth Plumly Thompson's work you might want to check out her earliest novel for children. The Wish Express  is available from our on-line store. Click here to order

You can read an interesting blog about The Wish Express by clicking here.