Abbie Farwell Brown | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | August 21, 1871  |
| Died | March 5, 1927 (aged 55) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Writer |
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Abbie Farwell Brown (August 21, 1871 – March 5, 1927)[1][2] was an American writer.
Brown was born inBoston, Massachusetts, the first of two daughters of Benjamin F. Brown, a descendant ofIsaac Allerton, and Clara Neal Brown, who contributed toThe Youth's Companion. Her sister Ethel became an author and illustrator under the name Ann Underhill. Her family, for ten generations, had only resided inNew England, and Brown herself spent her entire life in her family'sBeacon Hill home.[2]
Brown wasvaledictorian of theBowdoin School in 1886.[2][3] She then attended theGirls' Latin School, where she was friends withJosephine Preston Peabody. She was the driving force behind the newly created school newspaper,The Jabberwock, named by Brown afterthe poem byLewis Carroll. They wrote to Carroll for permission to use the name and Carroll wrote back, wishing them "all success to the forthcoming magazine".[4][5] The school, now Boston Latin Academy, still publishesThe Jabberwock. After graduating in 1891, she attendedRadcliffe College, graduating in 1894.[1][2]
While at Girls' Latin School, she was contributing pieces toSt. Nicholas Magazine, some illustrated by her sister. Starting in 1898, under the pen nameJean Neal she wrote articles for theSt. Louis Globe-Democrat. She also wrote a one-act comedy calledQuits (1896) set at a women's college.[1][2]
Her first children's book,The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts (1900) was inspired by her first trip abroad, specifically by the carvedchoir stalls inChester Cathedral depicting the life of SaintWerburgh. The book retells Christian stories of the animal encounters of various saints. Brown would write other collections retelling old tales for a contemporary child audience. HerIn the Days of Giants (1902) featured stories fromNorse mythology and remained a standard text in libraries for several generations.Tales of the Red Children (1909), co-written withJames MacIntosh Bell, featured Canadian Indian folklore.[1][2]
Original stories by Brown includeThe Lonesomest Doll (1901),The Flower Princess (1904),John of the Woods (1909), andThe Lucky Stone (1914). She wrote several volumes of children's poetry, includingA Pocketful of Posies (1901) andFresh Posies (1908). Her books of adult poetry, includingHeart of New England (1920) andThe Silver Stair (1926), were less successful.[1][2]
Brown wrote song lyrics for the Progressive Music Series bySilver, Burdett and Co. She and composerMabel Wheeler Daniels wrote the song "On the Trail", which became the official song of theGirl Scouts of the USA. Daniels set Brown's war poem "Peace with a Sword" to music and it was performed by theHandel and Haydn Society in 1917. Brown's only juvenile biography was of a composer,The Boyhood ofEdward MacDowell (1924).[2]
Brown was active in New England literary life. She edited the 20-volumeYoung Folks Library for the publisherHall and Locke. She was a member of theBoston Authors Club, theBoston Drama League, theAmerican Folklore Society, thePoetry Society of America, and was president of theNew England Poetry Club.[2]
Brown died of cancer at the age of 55.[2]
Works by or aboutAbbie Farwell Brown atWikisource
Media related toAbbie Farwell Brown at Wikimedia Commons
