Known today primarily as the author of , was famous in the 1920s and 1930s as a short-story writer.  The nineteen stories in this volume were so popular that hardcover collections— and e—came out almost immediately after the stories had appeared in magazines. With stories like “The Ice Palace,” “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” and “The Jelly Bean,” he portrayed the emotional depth of a society devoted to excess and racing heedlessly towards catastrophe that was only a few years ahead.