Sandra Ingerman

James Thorne Smith Jr., writing as Thorne Smith, was an American author celebrated for his humorous supernatural fantasy fiction. His most recognized works are the "Topper" novels, which explore themes of sex, drinking, and the presence of ghosts, achieving significant commercial success in the 1930s and later in paperback editions. Smith's writing often featured fantastical elements that disrupted conventional society and liberated repressed individuals, earning comparisons to a blend of various literary styles, yet possessing a unique spirit of irresponsibility and disdain for convention.

Born in Annapolis, Maryland, Smith's early life included attendance at several preparatory schools and two years at Dartmouth College. His career before naval service involved time in advertising. His personal life included a period living in the same New York boarding house as Dorothy Parker, and later meeting and marrying Celia Sullivan in Greenwich Village, with whom he had two daughters. Smith was also an early resident of Free Acres, a social experimental community. He passed away from a heart attack at age 42 in 1934 while on vacation in Florida.

Smith's literary output spanned various genres, including humorous supernatural tales, a serious novel, a mystery, and a children's book. He described his own writing as lacking a definitive point, mirroring life's own perceived purposelessness and madness, focusing on characters who wander through plots without proving morals or improving readers. While Smith himself did not acknowledge literary influences, critics have noted potential connections to writers like Thomas Anstey Guthrie, particularly concerning body-swap narratives.

Thorne Smith's fiction is characterized by its blend of humor and the supernatural, often centering on the disruption of societal norms and the liberation of individuals through fantastical means. His "Topper" series, in particular, famously involved ghosts interacting with a conventional banker, exploring themes of repressed desires, drinking, and the absurdities of everyday life. Smith's own description of his work suggests a deliberate lack of moralizing or clear narrative purpose, likening his stories to life itself—mad, purposeless, and observational. Critics have noted a unique 'high-spirited elan' and a 'fine disdain for all forms of convention' in his writing, positioning him as a singular voice who used the fantastic to challenge societal strictures.

Born in Annapolis, Maryland, to a Navy commodore, Thorne Smith's early education included Locust Dale Academy, St. Luke's preparatory school, and Dartmouth College. His life between college and naval enlistment is less documented, with periods spent in advertising. He resided briefly in Greenwich Village, where he associated with literary figures and met his wife, Celia Sullivan. Smith was also connected to the social experimental community of Free Acres. Though Smith himself did not cite influences, literary analysis has pointed to potential parallels with authors like Thomas Anstey Guthrie, particularly in the use of 'body swap' narratives, a theme present in Smith's "Turnabout."

“Like life itself my stories have no point and get absolutely nowhere. And like life they are a little mad and purposeless.”

“We used to sit around in the evening and talk. There was no money but Jesus we had fun.”