Edward Joseph Harrington O'Brien | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edward Joseph Harrington O'Brien December 10, 1890 Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | February 24, 1941 (aged 50) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Edward J. O'Brien |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (one year) |
| Occupation(s) | Short story anthologist, author |
| Known for | Editor of Best Short Stories annuals |
| Spouse(s) |
(died 1932);
Ruth Gorgel (m. 1934) |
Edward Joseph Harrington O'Brien (December 10, 1890 – February 24, 1941) was an American writer, poet, editor and anthologist.
As Edward J. O'Brien, he created a series of annual anthologies containing his selection of the previous year's best short stories by U.S. authors, The Best American Short Stories (originally The Best Short Stories of 1915, and so on). In that he was succeeded by Martha Foley, who continued the work until her own death in 1977 without a great change in format.
He went to live in Europe in 1919. He married his first wife, English writer Romer Wilson, in 1923. Two years after her death in 1932, he married German writer Ruth Gorgel, who survived him.
He died at his home in Gerrards Cross, England. The cause of death was heart failure.[1] At the time, he was the European story editor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's England studios.[2]