His life and local haunts F. Scott fitzgerald His life and local haunts

The early years in St. Paul Frances Scott Fitzgerald born in St. Paul, Minn. in 1896 With his mother in 1897 on Laurel Avenue

Fitzgerald’s Birthplace This apartment building at 481 Laurel Avenue is where Scott was born (10 lb. 6 oz!) Named for his distant relative, Frances Scott Key The building still stands today

Family His maternal grandfather, Phillip McQuillan, was one of St. Paul’s wealthiest businessmen His father, Edward Fitzgerald, failed as a wicker salesman, and the family moved to New York until Scott was 12, at which point they lived off his mother, Mollie’s, inheritance.

Summit Avenue The most fashionable street in St. Paul Populated by the rich and their grand homes Influential in Fitzgerald’s perception of wealth James J. Hill house on Summit Avenue

Summit Avenue Homes Most houses on this street were opulent homes of the wealthy.

Frequent moves for the Fitzgeralds Over a span of three years, the Fitzgeralds lived in three different homes on Holly Avenue, several blocks from Summit Avenue

St. Paul’s Academy 1908-1911 While attending this preparatory school, Scott published his first story in the school magazine—a detective tale. He later published three more stories and wrote four plays. His grades were not impressive, in part because he had poor study habits and was more interested in extra-curricular activities.

Early Social Life One of Scott’s long-standing friends was Marie Hersey, whose home is above. They took a dancing class together, at left. Later, Scott falls in love with Marie’s college roommate, Ginevra King.

College Years at Princeton In 1913, Fitzgerald entered Princeton University During holidays, he returned home to St. Paul, where he met Ginevra King in 1915 A rich girl from Lake Forest, Illinois, Ginevra and Scott carried on a romance mainly through letters. When she finally broke up with him in 1917, he was devastated.

A move to Summit Avenue, and FAILURE During Scott’s sophomore year, his parents moved into a three-story brownstone at 593 Summit Ave.

Scott did not apply himself to his studies at Princeton, so when he fell ill with a mild case of tuberculosis his junior year, it was a convenient excuse to drop out of school. He moved home to live with parents, where he had a room on the third floor. He stayed there for eight months, then returned to Princeton for a short time until war was declared in 1917. Scott enlisted in the military and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry.

Meeting Zelda Sayre Scott was stationed at Camp Sheridan in Alabama, where he met Zelda Sayre, the 18-year old daughter of a State Supreme Court judge

Shortly before Scott was to be sent overseas to fight, the war ended. Although Scott and Zelda were from different social classes, they fell in love and were soon engaged. Shortly before Scott was to be sent overseas to fight, the war ended. In 1919, after his discharge from the army, Scott moved to New York City to work in advertising and make his fortune so he could marry Zelda. Unwilling to live on his meager salary, Zelda broke off the engagement. Disheartened, Scott quit his job and moved back to St. Paul in July 1919. Zelda at age 18

First novel: This Side of Paradise For two months, Scott sequestered himself in a room on the third floor at 599 Summit Avenue, and rewrote a novel he’d tried to publish the year before His book was accepted by Scribner’s in mid-September He wrote a friend, In a house below the average On a street above the average In a room below the roof With a lot above the ears I shall write Alida Bigelow… Scribner has accepted my book. Ain’t I smart!

Zelda says yes The publication of This Side of Paradise on March 26, 1920, made the twenty-four- year-old Fitzgerald famous almost overnight, and a week later he married Zelda Sayre in New York

Married life

Expanding the Family While living in New York City, Scott wrote his second novel, The Beautiful and the Damned 1921: Zelda got pregnant and they return to St. Paul for the birth of their daughter, Frances Scott (Scottie) Fitzgerald A month before Scottie’s birth

While in St. Paul, Scott and Zelda frequented The University Club, a Summit Avenue fixture. Local legend holds that Fitzgerald carved his initials in the basement bar, but this is inaccurate.

Increasing Problems Fall 1922- family moves to Great Neck, Long Island Scott’s play is a flop so he writes short stories to get out of debt His drinking increases, but he is sober when he writes Zelda drinks but is not an alcoholic Domestic bouts are frequent

Going Abroad The Fitzgeralds escaped to France in 1924 They spent time on the Riviera, where Zelda had an affair with a French aviator The Great Gatsby published in 1925 to critical acclaim but disappointing sales

Expatriate Writers in Paris Scott and Zelda were part of the Expatriates, a group of young American writers such as Ernest Hemingway who lived in Europe in the 20s Hemingway, then known only in literary circles, was friends with Fitzgerald The Fitzgeralds remained in France until the end of 1926, when they moved back to the U.S. Hemingway and friends in front of the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore

Unsuccessful screenwriting stint in Hollywood 1927- Rented a mansion in Delaware, where they lived for two years Zelda begins ballet training Spring 1929- return to France April 1930- Zelda suffers first mental breakdown and is treated in Switzerland over the next year The couple spent money faster that Scott earned it Return to U.S. in 1931 to Montgomery, Alabama

Zelda’s Deterioration Suffers relapse in February 1932 Remains either a resident or outpatient of “sanatoriums” for the rest of her life While at mental patient at John Hopkins, Zelda writes her autobiography, Save Me The Waltz Scott rents a house outside Baltimore and completes his fourth novel, Tender is the Night

The Crack-Up 1936-1937 Scott is sick, drunk, and in debt Scottie left for boarding school at age 14 Scott tries to father her through advice in letters She attended college at Vassar

Final Years in Hollywood In 1937, Scott returned to Hollywood alone to work as a screenwriter His alcoholism continued Fell in love with movie columnist Sheilah Graham Was halfway through a novel about Hollywood, The Love of the Last Tycoon, when he died of a heart attack at Graham’s apartment on December 21, 1940 He was only 44 years old

Final Resting Place Zelda died in a fire at the asylum in 1948 Both Scott and Zelda were buried in Rockville, Maryland, where Scott’s father was from Fitzgerald’s grave is frequently visited