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James Robert Hurst was born on January 1, 1922, near Jacksonville, North Carolina. He was the youngest of three children and was raised on a coastal farm. The region in which he grew up is very close to the setting for “The Scarlet Ibis.” Following his schooling and military service in World War II, Hurst decided he wanted to become an opera singer. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Later he moved to Rome, Italy, to continue singing. After four years, he decided he lacked the necessary talent to be a professional opera singer. In 1951, Hurst left his musical career behind and became a banker at an international firm in New York. During his early years as a banker, he wrote plays and short stories, which were published in small literary journals and other publications. "The Scarlet Ibis" was his only literary work that gained widespread recognition. Hurst did not say much about his stories in interviews. When asked about “The Scarlet Ibis,” his most successful story, Hurst merely stated, “I hesitate to respond, since authors seldom understand what they write. That is why we have critics. I venture to say, however, that it comments on the tenacity and the splendor of the human spirit.” Hurst worked as a banker for 34 years. As he got older, he left writing behind. James Hurst died in his hometown of Jacksonville, North Carolina, on October 24, 2013, at the age of 91.

Previous section Historical Context: The Rural American South in the Late 1910s

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