Harriet Prescott Spofford
Harriet Prescott Spofford was a notable American writer born on April 3, 1835, in Calais, Maine. She made significant contributions to literature from 1860 to 1916, primarily through her short stories, novels, poetry, and journalism. Spofford's prolific output included nearly 250 short stories published in prominent periodicals like The Atlantic Monthly and Harper's Bazaar, and she authored thirty-two books, beginning with the romantic novel *Sir Rohan's Ghost*. Her writing style was diverse, evolving from romantic themes to stark realism, often influenced by her life experiences, including her domestic life with her husband Richard S. Spofford.
She was recognized for her ability to depict domestic settings and her sensitivity to the tastes of her readers, particularly after the Civil War, which led to a shift in her writing style from poetic to more straightforward language. Spofford also played a crucial role in fostering a community among women writers in Boston, contributing to the literary discourse of her time. Her last collection, *The Elder's People*, showcased her regionalism and objective portrayals of New England life. Overall, Harriet Prescott Spofford's extensive career not only advanced American romanticism and realism but also challenged prevailing gender stereotypes, enabling her to balance a successful writing career with her responsibilities at home.
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Harriet Prescott Spofford
Writer
- Born: April 3, 1835
- Birthplace: Calais, Maine
- Died: August 14, 1921
- Place of death: Amesbury, Massachusetts
Biography
American writer Harriet Prescott Spofford wrote short stories, domestic fiction, novels, poetry, and journalism. Between the years of 1860 and 1916, she contributed nearly 250 short stories to periodicals such as The Atlantic Monthly and Scribner’s Monthly, as well as popular women’s magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Ladies’ Home Journal. Some of her short stories appeared in collections such as The Amber Gods, and Other Stories, published in 1863, and A Scarlet Poppy, and Other Stories published in 1894, which contrasts with her earlier collection in that it satirizes love relationships. Spofford’s style ranged from the romantic to the starkly realistic, which she created through research and observation of her subjects. Her fiction is significant for its domestic images. As a journalist, Spofford also wrote many articles covering a broad range of topics for periodicals.
Spofford was born Harriet Elizabeth Prescott in Calais, Maine, on April 3, 1835. In 1849, she moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts, and from 1853 to 1855 she studied at the Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. Encouraged by abolitionist author Thomas W. S. Higginson and desiring to help supplement her family’s meager income, she started writing short stories, many appearing in Boston newspapers. In addition to her short stories, Spofford wrote thirty-two books beginning with Sir Rohan’s Ghost, a romantic novel published anonymously in 1860.
Her initial popularity came as a result of her ability to write in popular genres such as the supernatural tale and detective story. Her second romantic novel, Azarian: An Episode, was published in 1861. In 1865, she married Richard S. Spofford, who was supportive of her career. Many of her stories were inspired by her life with her husband on Deer Island, Massachusetts, and the joys of domesticity. When Spofford was fifty three, her husband died, and she retreated more deeply in writing, moving her to join other women writers such as Sarah Orne Jewett in a circle of women writers in Boston. Spofford wrote A Little Book of Friends, which relates short biographies of each woman writer in the group. She also contributed biographical information about these women writers and their works in periodicals.
Spofford knew her audiences, and her shift from Gothic romance to realism reflects her sensitivity to the taste of her readers after the Civil War. Consequently, Spofford’s language changed from poetic to plain and simplistic in her works. Her work was distinguished by sumptuously descriptive language and a disavowal of prevailing gender stereotypes. The Elder’s People, her last published collection of stories, demonstrates Spofford’s regionalism and creates detailed but objective portrayals of New England residents. Spofford wrote for more than sixty years and her writing contributed to the development of both American romanticism and American realism. Spofford, as many other women writers of her time, was able to balance her home life with a successful writing career and criticism with popularity.