Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was an American author and playwright. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Ferber moved around a lot as a child due to her father's unpredictable employment and was often harassed with anti-Semitic taunts. Ferber originally wanted to study to become an actress, but left her education at seventeen to help support her family. First working as a reporter, Ferber was known for her quick wit and high quality of work. In 1925, she won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel So Big. By the end of her impressive career, Ferber wrote two autobiographies, thirteen novels, ten collections of short fiction, eight plays, one screenplay, and three of were works were adapted into musicals.