Laura Z. Hobson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Laura Kean Zametkin (June 19, 1900–February 28, 1986) , best known as Laura Z. Hobson, was an American novelist. She is best-known for her novel Gentleman's Agreement (1947), a study on anti-semitism.

Daughter of Michael and Adella, Jewish socialist immigrants, she studied at Cornell University and married Francis Thayer Hobson in 1930. In the early 1930s she began writing advertising copy and short stories. In 1934 she joined the promotional staff of the magazines published by Henry Luce (TIME, LIFE, and Fortune).

In 1935, her marriage with Hobson ended in divorce, when she refused to accept alimony on principle. In 1937 she decided to adopt a baby and became pregnant in 1941, raising both kids on her own. This experience inspired her to write The Tenth Month, regarding single motherhood.

After 1940 she devoted herself entirely to writing, producing a total of nine novels and hundreds of short stories and magazine articles, including The Trespassers, Her Twelve Men, and Consenting Adult.

[edit] See also

• Laura Z. Hobson, on Encyclopædia Britannica
• The New York Times - Laura Z. Hobson
• Laura Z. Hobson on the Outlook magazine website.