Marge and Julia

Florida Historical Society Rembert Patrick AwardThe rich friendship of tworemarkable women talking to each other in lettersExploringthe rich, enduring companionship shared by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and JuliaScribner Bigham through never-before-published letters, Marge and Julia provides a revelatory depiction of these twoliterary womens experiences in mid-twentieth-century America. Pulitzer Prizewinning authorRawlings was first introduced to Julia Scribner (later Bigham), daughter ofpublishing magnate Charles Scribner III, shortly after the legendaryScribnerHouse published The Yearling torunaway success. Though Julias New York City life was far removed from therural world of Cross Creek, the two women remained close until Rawlingss deathin 1953, after which Scribner Bigham served as Rawlingss literary executor. Inthis documentary edition of 211 of their letters, Rawlingss and Bighamsperspectives on the world are woven through over a decade of intimatediscussion and advice about relationships, motherhood, mental health, politics,art, and literature.Supplementingthe letters with an introduction, explanatory footnotes, and a reminiscence byScribner Bighams eldest daughter, Hildreth Julia Bigham McCarthy, MD, this editionprovides historical context and prompts readers to inspect the facets of bothwomens complex relationship with issues such as racial discrimination, class,and gender inequality. These letters offer an unprecedented performance of twowomens intimate friendship, one that transcended the limitations of patriarchyas they wrote their lives in letters.