New England’s Women Writers
A brief study of 15 women writing in and about New England

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
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Hometown: Concord/Boston, MA
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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
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Birthplace: Medford, MA
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Hometown: Medford, MA
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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
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Hometown: Amherst, MA

Genre: poetry

Representative Poem: Hope is the
Thing with Feathers
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w
ADXi5kS_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
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Hometown: Brookline, MA
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Genre: poetry

Breakthrough work: Sword Blades and Poppy
Seeds
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Representative work: Patterns
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Literary contribution: Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
in 1925

Other interests: mentoring women writers;
women’s issues
Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Birthplace: Camden, ME
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Hometown: Greenwich Village, NY;
Steepletop, NY
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Genre: poetry, drama
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Breakthrough work: “Renascence”
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Representative Poem: “Love is Not All”
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Literary contribution: 1st woman to win
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
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Other interests: women’s issues
May Sarton (1912-1995)
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Birthplace: Wondelgem, Belgium
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Hometown: York, ME
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Genre: poetry, fiction, memoir
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Breakthrough work: The Single Hound
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Representative poem: “My Sisters, O
My Sisters”
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Literary contribution: prolific and
influential in feminist literature

Other interests: the aging process
Anne Sexton (1945-1974)
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Birthplace: South Berwick, ME
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Hometown: Newton, MA
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Genre: poetry
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Breakthrough work: confessional
poetry
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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)
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Birthplace: Portsmouth, NH
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Hometown: Appledore Island, Isles of Shoals, NH
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Genre: poetry, short story, fiction
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Breakthrough work: Mrs. Manstay’s View
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Representative work: Ethan Frome
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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