B. J. Harrison Reads The Screaming Skull

Francis Marion Crawford was an American writer who lived in the period 1854 – 1909. His literary legacy consists mainly of novels, a big part of which are set in Italy, the place where he spent most of his life. Crawford objected to the realistic fiction that was popular at the time and he preferred writing romantic novels with vivid and colorful depictions. Some of his best known works are the "Don Orsino", "Sant' Ilario" and "Corleone" but he also wrote several short stories, which are often described as classics of the horror genre. Although Francis Crawford lived in Italy, wrote about Italy and stood apart from the American literature, he had a strong connection with his homeland and travelled there often.