Shirley Jackson Strikes Back 

If you are a Boomer, you probably remember Shirley Jackson. She was the author of six novels and hundreds of short stories, including “The Lottery,” the fictional tale of an annual ritual that takes place in an American town.

The story was published by The New Yorker in 1948. It became an instant classic, anthologized widely, including in many high school texts. According to Letters of Note, “It generated more hate mail and controversy than anything ever printed in the magazine.”

Five years later, Jackson published her memoir, Life Among the Savages, a comical account of family life. It was generally warmly received. But not by all. One reader, a Mrs. White from North Bennington, VT, sent Jackson a long critique, complaining that she had wasted her time and money on the book. Jackson’s reply was short and to the point:

Dear Mrs. White,

If you don’t like my peaches, don’t shake my tree.

Sincerely,
Shirley Jackson