Alice May Douglas (June 28, 1865 – January 6, 1943) was an American author of poetry, children's literature, and non-fiction, as well as a newspaper editor.
Alice May Douglas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 28, 1865 Bath, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1943 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | author, editor |
| Language | English |
| Genre | poetry, juvenile literature, non-fiction |
Biography
editAlice May Douglas was born in Bath, Maine, June 28, 1865, which remained her residence for the remainder of her life.[1][2] She had no formal training in writing, saying instead that "All my poems and stories are the result of inspiration."[2]
She began her career as an author at the age of eleven years, when her first published article appeared among the children's productions of St. Nicholas Magazine. The reading of Little Women at the age of thirteen marked an epoch in her life. She determined to be an author like Jo, and, like her, send for publication a composition she wrote to test her chances of getting published. Consequently, she sent a poem pertaining to a little sister, who shortly before death was seen throwing kisses to God. The Zion's Herald, to which the poem was sent, published it, and from that time, Douglas was a constant contributor to the press.[1]
Douglas was also engaged in editorial work on two monthly papers, the Pacific Banner and the Acorn. Her first volume of poems was Phlox (Bath, Maine, 1888). This was followed during the same year by a second volume, May Flowers (Bath, Maine, 1888). Then she published Gems Without Polish (New York, 1890). She next wrote two juvenile books, one for boys and the other for girls, in the interest of the Lend-A-Hand Clubs. Most of her books first appeared as serials. Among them were Jewel Gatherers, Quaker John in the Civil War, How the Little Cousins Formed a Museum, The Peace-Makers, and Self-exiled from Russia, a story of the Mennonites.[3]
Douglas was State superintendent of the department of peace and arbitration of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She also assisted the national peace department of that organization, by preparing much of its necessary literature and by founding a peace band for children, which had branches in Palestine and Australia.[3]
By religion, she was Methodist. Douglas died January 6, 1943.[4][5]
Selected works
edit- Phlox, 1888
- May Flowers, 1888
- Gems Without Polish, 1890
- Jewel Gatherers
- Quaker John in the Civil War
- How the Little Cousins Formed a Museum
- The Peace-Makers
- Self-exiled from Russia
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 255.
- ^ a b "Douglas, Alice May, Maine Biography File". Lewiston Journal. May 10, 1930. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- ^ a b Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 256.
- ^ Roberts 1991, p. 81.
- ^ Warner, C.D. (1917). Ayres, H. M. (ed.). "The Library of the World's Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. The Reader's Dictionary of Authors". Retrieved 31 July 2018.
Attribution
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life (Public domain ed.). Moulton. p. 255.
Bibliography
edit- Roberts, Nancy L. (June 1991). American peace writers, editors, and periodicals: a dictionary. Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313268427.
External links
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Works related to Woman of the Century/Alice May Douglas at Wikisource- Works by or about Alice May Douglas at the Internet Archive
