Today in History – ‘Flowering Judas and Other Stories’ published

CAIRO – 11 September 2017: “Flowering Judas and Other Stories” was published on this day in history, September 11, 1930.

Written by famed American author Katherine Anne Porter, the titular story “Flowering Judas” centers on an American teacher in Mexico who struggles with holding on to her ideals as she aims to teach Indian children and fight for the Mexican revolution, which she is slowly becoming disillusioned with.

“Flowering Judas” won Porter a Guggenheim Fellowship grant and helped get her name on the literary map, although she had previously drawn the eye of critical praise for her first book, “Maria Conception”, which was published in 1922.

Born on May 15, 1890 in Texas, Porter began writing in 1920. Her writing was praised for its rich, complex characterization and themes. Porter would go on to write a total of 25 books across her lifetime, and her final work, “Ship of Fools”, was completed after twenty years of work in 1962, and is her first and only full novel. “Ship of Fools” was adapted into a 1965 drama film by director Stanley Kramer, and won two Oscars.

Porter passed away in 1980, in Maryland.