The Adirondack Tales of Philander Deming

About the Book

Philander Deming (1826-1915) was one of the great practitioners of the “local color” short story.  Using his own experiences in the Adirondack region as the “real” basis for his stories, he developed a strikingly unique blend of realism and craftsmanship in his work.  In Lois Shirley Crayton’s study, she shows how Deming utilized these true incidents in his work—sometimes to the embarrassment of the individuals involved.  Deming was a keen observer of life in upstate New York, and in his job as a court stenographer, he kept a ready ear to the story possibilities of the trials he attended.  

Utilizing unpublished letters of Deming to his sister and first-person accounts of Deming from individuals who knew him, Crayton creates a portrait of Deming that is more complete and more complex than has ever appeared before.  Deming’s fascination with particular incidences in the life of the region, such as the introduction of the Rural Free Delivery system, are not only fascinating in what they tell us about the man, but also reveal much about life in the Adirondack region at the end of the Nineteenth Century.  

With renewed interest in the “local color” genre in general, and renewed interest in Deming in particular—much of his work has been or will shortly be published by Syracuse University Press—readers will find a wealth of information to enrich their reading of Deming in this study.

About the Author

Lois Shirley Crayton has been interested in local and family history for most of her ninety-seven years. Her explorations of Philander Deming began during her graduate work at Indiana University under the mentorship of Frank Davidson, Professor of English there. Her favorite literary form remains the witty, perceptive, and revealing short story of regional Americana. Still actively involved in letter-writing—especially letters-to-the-editor regarding social and educational issues—she continues to train her keen understanding and wit on modern American life.