Dorothy Day's Fictionalized Family

In 1931 Dorothy Day, who was in need of cash, wrote a newspaper column, "True Story Fictionalized," for the Staten Island Advance. Recently discovered, the column provides valuable insight into a variety of her post-conversion and pre-Catholic Worker concerns. As she struggled with her romantic partner over formalizing their relationship in sacramental marriage, writing the column enabled her to vicariously explore the daily life of an intact Catholic nuclear family and to advance her campaign to win him over to her position by presenting the daily pleasures of family life. Additionally, the column showed Day's belief in simple living, which preceded Catholic Worker voluntary poverty, and focuses on a Catholic family as good neighbors in a diverse community. The column offers a rare opportunity to gauge Day's presentation of her social views to a diverse readership prior to Peter Maurin's influence.