Hannah Adams (1755-1831) has gone down in history as the first American, professional woman writer. But how that came about is a lesson for any writer about the trials and tribulations of getting a book published and the importance of copyright.Read More →
Many romance writers of the past have quietly slipped into oblivion despite popularity during their lifetimes. One such author is Caroline Howard Jervey.Read More →
Widow, Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1877) wrote and worked to support her family. As editor of first the American Lady’s Book and then Godey’s Lady Book she was arbitrator of American fashion and letters for over forty years.Read More →
The first woman to make a living solely from her writing is Aphra Behn (1640-1689) who lived in the time of the English Restoration under Charles the 2nd.Read More →
Beatrice Potter Webb is best known for the work she did as a social reformer and economist with her husband, Sidney Webb.Read More →
Cicely Hamilton founded the British Women’s Writers’ Suffrage League and wrote plays and songs that furthered the cause.Read More →
“Good came out of evil, as it often does…” Thus writes Susan Warner at the end of her novel The Wide, Wide World, a work often considered America’s first best seller. It was certainly a literary sensation. Published by Putnam in 1851 Warner’s novel was widely acclaimed. Henry James, for example, compared it to the work of Flaubert. In two years alone, fourteen editions were issued. It remained in print through 1892 and sold thousands of copies in both the United States and England. The Wide, Wide World is the story of a little girl’s journey to womanhood. Ellen, a spoiled and highly emotional child,Read More →
If you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday, you can thank Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1877). Hale, the first woman magazine editor in the United States, petitioned Presidents for 17 years until Abraham Lincoln established the day in 1863. Hale believed in educating girls (She later helped establish Vassar College) having obtained her education second-hand from her brother who taught her what he was learning at Dartmouth. Widowed with five children, Hale wrote and worked to support her family. As editor of first the American Lady’s Book and then Godey’s Lady Book she was arbitrator of American fashion and letters for over 40 years. She believed that American publications should support American writersRead More →