Mabel Dodge Luhan
Mabel Dodge Luhan was an influential American writer and cultural figure born on February 26, 1879, in Buffalo, New York. Coming from a wealthy background as an only child, she moved to New York City, where her residence became a hub for left-wing intellectuals, writers, and artists. Throughout her life, she engaged with notable figures, including Margaret Sanger and Emma Goldman, documenting her experiences with them in her writings. A committed pacifist, Luhan expressed her views during World War I through articles in the radical publication The Masses. Later, she relocated to Taos, New Mexico, where she lived in an artists' colony and appreciated the Pueblo Indians' lifestyle and connection to nature. In Taos, she interacted with prominent authors like Gertrude Stein and D.H. Lawrence, the latter of whom wrote The Plumed Serpent during his time there. Luhan's major autobiographical work, Intimate Memories, is a four-volume series that provides a candid look into the lives of influential artists and writers of her time. She passed away in Taos on August 13, 1962, leaving behind a legacy of artistic and cultural commentary.
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Subject Terms
Mabel Dodge Luhan
Patron of the Arts
- Born: February 26, 1879
- Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
- Died: August 13, 1962
- Place of death: Taos, New Mexico
Biography
American writer Mabel Ganson Dodge Luhan was born in Buffalo, New York, on February 26, 1879. Her parents were wealthy and she was an only child. She moved to New York City, where her home became a popular meeting place for left-wing intellectuals, writers, and artists. Over the years, she carefully documented her personal experiences with some of the most well-known artistic and political luminaries of her day, including Margaret Sanger, William Haywood, and Emma Goldman. Luhan spent many years surrounded by celebrities in New York and abroad.
She was a pacifist, and during World War I she published articles in the radical journal The Masses. She later moved to an artists’ colony in Taos, New Mexico, where she lived among the Pueblo Indians. She admired the Pueblo Indians for their simple lifestyle and their closeness to nature. In Taos she continued to spend time with, and interview. many notable authors, including Gertrude Stein, Walter Lippman, and D. H. Lawrence. Lawrence wrote his novel The Plumed Serpent while in residence at the Taos colony.
Luhan’s major autobiographical work, Intimate Memories, is divided into four volumes: Background (1933), European Experiences (1935), Movers and Shakers (1936), and Edge of Taos Desert (1937). Her intimate style and candid prose offered readers a rare glimpse into the lives of several famous artists and writers. She also wrote Lorenzo in Taos (1932), which discussed D. H. Lawrence, and Taos and Its Artists (1947), which profiled forty-nine local artists. She died in Taos on August 13, 1962.