In addition to twenty-four books, beginning with Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery published over one thousand periodical pieces throughout her career, including poems, short stories, and miscellaneous pieces. These pieces—most of which have never been reprinted since their initial publication in North American periodicals between 1890 and 1940—form the basis of The L.M. Montgomery Library, a new series of books edited by Benjamin Lefebvre, of which three volumes are already available: A Name for Herself: Selected Writings, 1891–1917 (2018), A World of Songs: Selected Poems, 1894–1921 (2019), and Twice upon a Time: Selected Stories, 1898–1939. They also appear in two of his earlier books: an edition of Montgomery’s rediscovered final book, The Blythes Are Quoted, which includes fifteen stories and forty-one poems rearranged by Montgomery to form a unifying narrative, and The L.M. Montgomery Reader, Volume 1: A Life in Print, which includes several essays, interviews, and miscellaneous pieces that Montgomery published as part of her career as an internationally best-selling novelist.
These periodical pieces make for fascinating reading, not only because Montgomery used this work to perfect her craft and to test out characters and plot points she would later rework into her novels, but also because during the early days of her career she published her work under a wide range of alternate signatures, including “Cynthia” and “Maud Cavendish.” She also published this work in a wide range of mainstream periodicals from all over North America—some for women, some for children, some for farm communities, and some for the general public.
{ Alternate Signatures } { Periodical Pieces: Index by Periodical } { Poems } { Poems: Index by Title } { Poems: Index by Date } { Poems: Index by First Line } { Short Stories } { Short Stories: Index by Title } { Short Stories: Index by Date } { Miscellaneous Pieces } { Miscellaneous Pieces: Index by Title } { Miscellaneous Pieces: Index by Date }