Notable Lesbians
This week’s Notable Lesbian is:
Sarah Orne Jewett
September 3, 1849 – June 24, 1909
Sarah Jewett was an American novelist and short story writer whose works were set in or near South Berwick, Maine, 
a declining New England seaport town near the Maine border with New Hampshire. n later life, Jewett often visited Boston, where she was acquainted with many of the most influential literary figures of her day; but she always returned to South Berwick, the “Deephaven” of her stories. Jewett published her first important story in the Atlantic Monthly at age 19, and her reputation grew throughout the 1870s and ’80s. Her most characteristic works include the novella The Country of the Pointed Firs (1896); A Country Doctor (1884), a novel about a New England girl who rejects marriage to become a doctor; and The White Heron (1886), a collection of short stories. Some of Jewett’s poetry was collected in Verses (1916), and she also wrote three children’s books.
Interesting tid bit:
As treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that developed in early childhood, Jewett was sent on frequent walks and through them also developed a love of nature. Jewett established a close friendship with writer Annie Fields and her husband, publisher James T. Fields, editor of the Atlantic Monthly. After the death of James Fields in 1881, Jewett and Annie Fields lived together for the rest of Jewett’s life (Fields died in 1915) in what was then termed a “Boston marriage.” Modern scholars have speculated that the two were lovers.
(Funny that they termed it “Boston marriage” back then, seeing as how now we lesbians can only get married in Massachusetts!)
The Jewett family home in South Berwick, built in the late eighteenth century, is preserved as a National Historic Landmark.
Don’t forget about the Lez Keep it Real Contest!
More Notable Lesbians
If you have a suggestion for a Notable Lesbian, e-maill me at lyndsey.darcangelo@451press.net or use the contact form above and I’ll highlight her in an upcoming post.
notable lesbians, Sarah Orne Jewett, South Berwick, the atlantic monthly, Annie Fields
October 27th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
“A Country Doctor” is my favorite. I also read that Willa Cather considered Jewett to be an important influence on her work.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
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