Alice Corbin Henderson
Alice Corbin Henderson (1881-1949) was an influential American poet and editor, known for her contributions to early twentieth-century poetry. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she faced familial challenges early in life, particularly after her mother's death, which led her to live with relatives across several states. Henderson published her first poetry collection, *Linnet Songs*, while still in high school, showcasing her talent from a young age. She attended the University of Chicago and later Sophie Newcomb College, after which she returned to Chicago to work as a literary critic. In 1912, she co-founded *Poetry* magazine with Harriet Monroe, where she served as associate editor and played a significant role in promoting contemporary American poetry, discovering notable poets like Carl Sandburg and Edgar Lee Masters.
Henderson's move to Santa Fe, New Mexico, due to health issues in 1916 profoundly influenced her work, leading to the publication of *Red Earth: Poems of New Mexico* in 1920 and *The Turquoise Trail: An Anthology of New Mexico Poetry* in 1928. Her poetry reflects the unique cultural landscape of America, and she is recognized for advocating a distinctly American poetics. Henderson's final collection, *The Sun Turns West*, was published in 1933, marking her enduring legacy in American literature. Her work, both poetic and editorial, helped shape the literary scene of her time, establishing her as a notable figure in the history of American poetry.
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Alice Corbin Henderson
Poet
- Born: 1881
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Died: July 18, 1949
- Place of death: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Biography
Alice Corbon Henderson was born in 1881 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Fillmore Mallory Corbin and Lulu Hebe Corbin. After her mother died of tuberculosis in 1884, she spent her childhood living with various relatives in Missouri, Virginia, and Illinois. Her first collection of poetry, Linnet Songs, was published in 1898, when she was still a high school student. In 1899, she enrolled at the University of Chicago, but after suffering from inflammation of the chest during the winter of 1902, she moved to New Orleans and studied at Sophie Newcomb College. Henderson returned to Chicago in 1903, and wrote reviews for the Evening Post and the Chicago Tribune. In 1905, she married William Penhallow Henderson, a painter who would later illustrate three of her books. They had a daughter, Alice, in 1907. Her second collection of poetry, The Spinning Woman of the Sky: Poems, was published in 1912.
Henderson cofounded Poetry magazine with Harriet Monroe in 1912. She served as associate editor until 1916. She is credited with the discovery of the poets Carl Sandburg and Edgar Lee Masters in 1914, when she published their poems in Poetry. In June of 1914, she published an editorial in Poetry, “Too Far From Paris.” She had written the article in response to a lecture given in Chicago by the poet William Butler Yeats in which he criticized American poetry because of the country’s physical distance from the influential cultural hub of Paris. Henderson was quite vocal in promoting a contemporary poetry that was distinctly American. She coedited The New Poetry: An Anthology with Monroe. The anthology contained work by one hundred poets, all written after 1900, and was published in 1917.
In 1916, Henderson moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, after she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. The new environment heavily influenced her poetry, as well as her health; and, in 1920, her third collection of poetry, Red Earth: Poems of New Mexico, was published. She also compiled The Turquoise Trail: An Anthology of New Mexico Poetry, published in 1928. Largely comprised of poetry by residents of New Mexico, the anthology also included poems by Willa Cather, Carl Sandburg, and D. H. Lawrence. Her last book of poetry, The Sun Turns West, was published in 1933. She died on July 18, 1949.
Alice Corbon Henderson, who published her poetry under her maiden name and her prose under her married name, is distinguished by the mark she made on early twentieth century American poetry. With Monroe, she founded the most highly respected and long-lasting poetry magazine in the United States. An astute reader, she published only the best poetry. Furthermore, she advocated an American poetics shaped by uniquely American influences.