Dorothy Aldis
Dorothy Keeley Aldis was an influential American poet and author, born on March 13, 1896, in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up in a literary environment—her father edited the Chicago Tribune and her mother contributed to its Sunday edition—Aldis developed an early passion for writing. After attending Miss Porter's School and briefly studying at Smith College, she began her career at the Chicago Tribune before marrying Graham Aldis in 1922 and starting a family. Her literary work, particularly her poetry for young children, is celebrated for its innovative use of language, varied rhythms, and vivid imagery. Aldis’s poems often include made-up words and eschew conventional singsong patterns, making her work unique in the realm of children's literature. Throughout her career, she authored novels and biographies as well but is primarily recognized for her contributions to poetry for the very young. In 1966, she was awarded the Children's Reading Roundtable Award for her significant impact on children's literature. Aldis passed away on July 4, 1966, in Lake Forest, Illinois, leaving behind a legacy as a major figure in this genre.
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Subject Terms
Dorothy Aldis
Poet
- Born: March 13, 1896
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: July 4, 1966
- Place of death: Lake Forest, Illinois
Biography
Dorothy Keeley Aldis was born March 13, 1896, in Chicago, Illinois. Her father was the editor of the Chicago Tribune and her mother wrote for the Tribune’s Sunday edition. As a child, she spent her summers on the family farm in Wheaton, Illinois. She attended Miss Porter’s School in Framingham, Connecticut, and went to Smith College from 1913 to 1915. After attending Smith, she worked for the Chicago Tribune until she married Graham Aldis on June 15, 1922. They had four children, and Aldis’s first book of poetry was inspired by them. In order to find the quiet needed to write, she would often take her typewriter outside to a secluded spot. Although she wrote novels and biographies, she is best known for her poetry for very young children. Her poems avoided singsong lyrics by using varied meter, rhyme, and line length. She also made use of vivid imagery, unusual rhythms, and made-up words, like “crickle” and “crrresst,” which are used in the poem “Ice.” She died on July 4, 1966, in Lake Forest, Illinois. Aldis was recognized throughout her life as a major contributor to children’s literature. She received the Children’s Reading Roundtable Award (1966- 1967) for “outstanding service by an individual in the course of children’s literature over a long period of time.”