Deland, Margaret

Deland, Margaret

▪ American author
byname of  Margaretta Wade Deland,  née  Margaretta Wade Campbell  
born Feb. 23, 1857, Allegheny, Pa., U.S.
died Jan. 13, 1945, Boston, Mass.

      American writer who frequently portrayed small-town life.

      Deland grew up in the home of an aunt and uncle in Maple Grove (now part of Allegheny), Pennsylvania, and later in Manchester. She studied at private schools and at Cooper Union in New York City, and for a time taught drawing. Married in 1880, she and her husband took up the cause of unwed mothers and over a span of four years took some 60 such women and their infants into their own home. At this time Deland also began writing verse for a greeting-card firm. A short time later a few of her poems were published in Harper's Magazine, and in 1886 a collection of them was published as The Old Garden.

      In 1888 she published her first novel, John Ward, Preacher, which deals with religious and social questions after the manner of the British writer Mrs. Humphry Ward (Ward, Mrs. Humphry). The book stirred public opinion against its supposed irreligion, portraying the irreconcilable and destructive conflict between a Calvinist minister and his wife, who cannot accept the doctrine of eternal damnation.

      The conflict of ideas played little part in Deland's subsequent novels, which, while presenting skillfully drawn characters with realistic problems and emotions, were essentially comedies or minor tragedies of middle-class domesticity, insulated from the social and economic issues of the larger world. Most popular were her four nostalgic village chronicles, based loosely on the Maple Grove and Manchester of her childhood: Old Chester Tales (1899), Dr. Lavendar's People (1903), Around Old Chester (1915), and New Friends in Old Chester (1924). Among her other works are the “problem” novels, The Awakening of Helena Richie (1906) and The Vehement Flame (1922), and two volumes of autobiography, If This Be I, As I Suppose It Be (1935) and Golden Yesterdays (1941).

      During World War I she did relief work in France, for which she was decorated with the Legion of Honor. Small Things (1919) is a collection of her articles about her experiences in France. In later years her fiction declined in popularity, but in 1926 she was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Margaret Deland — (née Margaretta Wade Campbell) (February 23, 1857 January 13, 1945) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet. She also wrote an autobiography in two volumes. Contents 1 Life 2 Published books 2.1 Poetry …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret Deland — (* 23. Februar 1857 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania als Margaretta Wade Campbell; † 13. Januar 1945 in Boston, Massachusetts) war eine US amerikanische Autorin von Romanen, Kurzgeschichten und Gedichten. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Frühe Jahre 2 Karriere als …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Margaret (Vorname) — Margaret oder Margareth ist ein weiblicher Vorname. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Herkunft und Bedeutung 2 Bekannte Namensträger 2.1 Margaret 2.1.1 Zwischenname …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Margaret (name) — Margaret Margaret the Virgin is one of many saints named Margaret. Gender female Origin Word/Na …   Wikipedia

  • Deland — /deuh land /, n. Margaret (Margaretta Wade Campbell Deland), 1857 1945, U.S. novelist. * * * …   Universalium

  • Deland — /deuh land /, n. Margaret (Margaretta Wade Campbell Deland), 1857 1945, U.S. novelist …   Useful english dictionary

  • Deland — biographical name Margaret 1857 1945 née Margaretta Wade Campbell American novelist …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Liste der Biografien/Del — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • American Institute of Arts and Letters — Eingang zum Gelände der Academy, das sie sich mit der Hispanic Society of America teilt Die American Academy of Arts and Letters, vormals auch American oder National Institute of Arts and Letters genannt, ist eine Gesellschaft in den Vereinigten… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • National Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters — Eingang zum Gelände der Academy, das sie sich mit der Hispanic Society of America teilt Die American Academy of Arts and Letters, vormals auch American oder National Institute of Arts and Letters genannt, ist eine Gesellschaft in den Vereinigten… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”