Winifred Sanford

[1] Sanford's writing has been valued for its literary merit and also for her critical view of Texas culture changing and adapting to the oil industry.

[8] A biography about her was written in 2013 called Winifred Sanford: The Life and Times of a Texas Writer, by Betty Holland Wiesepape.

[8] In her biography, Wiespape argues that Sanford's work "belongs to a broader tradition of American oil fiction writers such as Upton Sinclair.

[16] The 1995 film written by her grandson,The Stars Fell on Henrietta, was based on Sanford's short story, "Luck.

"[4] As a writer, Sanford stressed that it was important to use elements of style in a harmonious way and to remember that "you are writing for your reader and not to satisfy yourself.

"[17] She also found that she received good support and feedback by being part of a writer's group in Wichita Falls, the Manuscript Club.

[18] Sanford used the short story form partly because it worked well within the publishing model used by magazine in the early 1900s.

[1] In addition, her works were regionalist in nature and exposed the effects of the oil industry on women, small landowners and people of color.

[1] Wiesepape describes Sanford's style as an "unsympathetic" which allowed her as a writer to "maintain emotional distance from working-class characters who struggle to survive tragic events.

[1] She also wrote "cutting and unsentimental" critiques of working conditions in the early industry, especially in her short story, "Luck.