Ann Lane Petry

Ann Petry, born Anna Houston Lane in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, was an American writer recognized for her novels, short stories, children's books, and journalism. Her family, though part of a small Black minority in their town, instilled in her a sense of ambition and resilience, influenced by her parents' entrepreneurial spirit and well-traveled relatives. Despite experiencing racial discrimination, Petry was encouraged by her teachers and family to pursue her literary aspirations.

Petry's career began with journalism and short story writing before her groundbreaking debut novel, 'The Street,' was published in 1946. This novel achieved immense popularity, selling over a million copies and becoming the first by an African-American woman to do so. While she continued to write novels, children's books, and biographies, including a notable work on Harriet Tubman, none reached the same level of widespread success as her first novel. Her literary contributions and life experiences, particularly her time in Harlem, deeply informed her writing, offering insights into the Black American experience.

Born Anna Houston Lane in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, Ann Petry was the youngest of three daughters. Her parents, Peter Clark and Bertha James Lane, were among the few Black residents in their small town; her father was a pharmacist and her mother a businesswoman. Petry's upbringing, steeped in a "classic New England tradition" of efficiency and thrift, fostered ambition within her and her sisters. Although sheltered from many of the racial disadvantages faced by Black Americans elsewhere, Petry encountered incidents of discrimination that she later documented. Her family provided a strong foundation, with accomplished relatives and a father who overcame obstacles to establish his pharmacy, exemplifying a spirit of perseverance that influenced her outlook.

Ann Petry's path to writing was solidified by an encouraging English teacher in high school. After graduating from pharmacy college and working in the family business, she moved to New York with her husband and began a career in journalism, contributing to publications like The Amsterdam News and The People's Voice, while also publishing short stories. Her time living and working in Harlem profoundly shaped her perspective, leading her to write about the realities faced by the Black community. Her debut novel, 'The Street' (1946), was a monumental success, selling over a million copies and marking a significant achievement for an African-American woman author. Subsequent works, including 'Country Place' (1947) and 'The Narrows' (1953), along with her biography 'Harriet Tubman: Conductor On The Underground Railroad' (1955), further established her as a significant literary voice, though 'The Street' remained her most commercially successful novel.

“it never occurred to them that there were things they couldn’t do because they were women.”