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A brief study of 15 women writing in and about New England
New England’s Women Writers
New England’s Women Writers
Scanning through the table of contents of a typical American Literature textbook, the majority of the names listed will be male. The rare exception will always be noted as such, but women writers will still receive limited attention in units prior to the mid 20th century.
Yet women were writing, often prolifically. New England’s soil was especially fertile for literary women. This unit presents 15 New England women not found in the anthologies who bloomed brilliantly all the same.
Louisa May Alcott, 1832-1888
Birthplace: Germantown, PA
Hometown: Concord/Boston, MA
Genre: Memoir, fiction, Children’s literature, poetry
Breakthrough Book: Little Women
Representative Words: Quotations
Literary Contribution: Changed the face of children’s fiction.
Other interests: Women’s Suffrage Movement
Lydia Maria Child, 1802-1880
Birthplace: Medford, MA
Hometown: Medford, MA
Genre: poetry, historical novels
Representative poem: “Over the River and through the Woods”
Literary contribution: Historical fiction, anti-slavery essays, biographies, children’s journalism
Other interests: Abolition movement
Emily Dickinson, 1830-1860
Birthplace: Amherst, MA
Hometown: Amherst, MA
Genre: poetry
Representative Poem: Hope is the Thing with Feathers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wADXi5kS_8o&feature=related)
Literary Contribution: unconventional rhymes and punctuation (dashes)
Mary Wilkins Freeman, 1852-1930
Birthplace: Randolph, MA
Hometown: Randolph, MA
Genre: short stories
Representative work: The Edgewater People
Literary contribution: New England regionalism, women’s issues
Margaret Fuller, 1810-1850
Birthplace: Canton, MA
Hometown: Cambridge, MA
Genre: essay, non-fiction
Breakthrough work: various essays
Literary contribution: editor of The Dial
Other interests: feminism, transcendentalism
Sarah Orne Jewett, 1849-1909
Birthplace: South Berwick, ME
Hometown: South Berwick, ME
Genre: short story, fiction
Breakthrough work: A White Heron
Literary contribution: 1st woman to receive honorary Litt.D. degree from Bowdoin College
Other interests: women’s issues
Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906-2001)
Birthplace: Englewood, NJ
NE Hometowns: Cape Cod, MA; Martha’s Vineyard, MA; North Haven, ME
Genre: essays, poetry, diaries, letters, journals
Breakthrough work: Gift from the Sea
Representative words: Quotations
Literary contribution: 1st person chronicle of life with an international hero
Other interests: women’s issues, flying
Amy Lowell (1874-1925)
Birthplace: Brookline, MA
Hometown: Brookline, MA
Genre: poetry
Breakthrough work: Sword Blades and Poppy Seeds
Representative work: Patterns
Literary contribution: Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1925
Other interests: mentoring women writers; women’s issues
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Birthplace: Camden, ME
Hometown: Greenwich Village, NY; Steepletop, NY
Genre: poetry, drama
Breakthrough work: “Renascence”
Representative Poem: “Love is Not All”
Literary contribution: 1st woman to win Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Other interests: women’s issues
May Sarton (1912-1995)
Birthplace: Wondelgem, Belgium
Hometown: York, ME
Genre: poetry, fiction, memoir
Breakthrough work: The Single Hound
Representative poem: “My Sisters, O My Sisters”
Literary contribution: prolific and influential in feminist literature
Other interests: the aging process
Anne Sexton (1945-1974)
Birthplace: South Berwick, ME
Hometown: Newton, MA
Genre: poetry
Breakthrough work: confessional poetry
Representative work: excerpts
Literary contribution: Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1967;
Other interests: women’s issues
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)
Birthplace: Litchfield, CT
Hometowns: Brunswick, ME; Andover, MA; Hartford, CT
Genre: short stories, essays, fiction
Breakthrough work: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Literary contribution: an early realist; influenced women regionalists
Other interests: abolition
Celia Thaxter (1834-1894)
Birthplace: Portsmouth, NH
Hometown: Appledore Island, Isles of Shoals, NH
Genre: poetry
Breakthrough work: “Land-Locked”
Literary contribution: mentored leading literary and artistic figures of her day
Other interests: gardening, the arts
Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
Birthplace: Portsmouth, NH
Hometown: Appledore Island, Isles of Shoals, NH
Genre: poetry, short story, fiction
Breakthrough work: Mrs. Manstay’s View
Representative work: Ethan Frome
Literary contribution: 1st woman to receive Pulitzer Prize for fiction
Other interests: architecture, interior design, home decorating
Ellen G. White (1827-1915)
Birthplace: Gorham, ME
Hometown: Elmshaven, CA
Genre: Religious non-fiction
Breakthrough work: Steps to Christ
Literary contribution: most translated woman author in the world
Other interests: children’s stories, education, health
