She had a natural gift for crisp and concise expression, a keen, undisciplined intelligence and the emotional sensibility of a true artist.” -New York Tribune “A pioneering newswoman and later a silent-screen star, consid- ered the veritable spirit of the iconoclastic Twenties.” -Boston Globe She senses the infinite resilience, the drunken exuber- ance, the magnificent power & delicacy of the language.” -H.L. Mary MacLane is one of the few who actually knows how to write English. “I know of no other writer who can play upon words so magically. “The first of the self-expressionists, and also the first of the Flappers.” - The Chicagoan “Mary MacLane comes off the page quivering with life. “One of the most fascinatingly self-involved personalities of the 20th century.” - The Age (2011)

“A milestone… Heartwarming, sensual and candid, I Await the Devil’s Coming offers reflections that likely were quite scandalous in their time and remain evocative and powerful today.” - California Bookwatch “In a pre-soundbite age she already knew how to draw blood in one direct sentence.” - The Awl Her poetry is one of extremes: the lust for happiness and the despair for life.” - The Hairy Dog Review She wants to shock because this is how hopes to get noticed. “A book unlike any I’ve ever read…What’s notable in the book is her voice: her enthusiasm, her arrogance, her intensity, her insistent blasphemy. “Beyond the vivid language and eccentric imagination displayed in MacLane’s diaries, her writing reminds us of the power of personal narrative, honestly told.” - The Atlantic “One of the first confessional books written in the U.S… at the turn of the century, MacLane’s fiery frankness made her a pioneer.” - Time Out Chicago “Confessional journalists have people like Mary MacLane to thank for their blunt style of autobiographical writing…unflinching memoir.” - Flavorwire “Shocking … sensational … heartfelt and stirring … exalted, Blakean language … She flouted conventional morality to be true to the playful, spirited woman she was.” -Michael Dirda, The Washington Post “The book crackles with its author’s outsized personality and outrageous proclamations, yet its shock tactics are rooted in genuine feeling…anyone who reads her will never forget her voice.” - Biographile

“Riveting.” - Michele Filgate, selecting her top ten Summer Reads for New Hampshire Public Radio’s Word of Mouth “A small masterpiece, full of camp and swagger.” - Parul Sehgal, choosing I Await the Devil’s Coming as one of 5 Forgotten Classics Worth Revisiting on NPR

Devils house book