Edith Willis Linn Forbes (, Willis; after first marriage, Linn; after second marriage, Forbes;

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

, E. W. L.; February 19, 1865 – September 29, 1945) was an American poet and writer. Active in clubs, she founded the Rochester Poetry Society, and served as president. Forbes contributed to ''

The Christian Register ''UU World'' is a quarterly magazine published by the Unitarian Universalist Association. From 1821 to 1957, it was known as ''The Christian Register'', the leading American Unitarian weekly, published by the American Unitarian Association, Bo ...

'', the ''Cottage Hearth'', the ''Christian Union'', the ''

Boston Transcript The ''Boston Evening Transcript'' was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published for over a century from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941. History Founding ''The Transcript'' was founded in 1830 by Henry Dutton and James We ...

'', ''

Godey's Lady's Book ''Godey's Lady's Book'', alternatively known as ''Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book'', was an American women's magazine that was published in Philadelphia from 1830 to 1896. It was the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civi ...

'', ''

Peterson's Magazine ''Peterson's Magazine'' (1842–1898) was an American magazine focused on women. It was published monthly and based in Philadelphia. In 1842, Charles Jacobs Peterson and George Rex Graham, partners in the ''Saturday Evening Post'', agreed ...

'', the ''Kew Moon'', the ''Century'', and other prominent periodicals. Forbes published a volume of ''Poems'' in 1891. Her poem "Restless Heart Don't Worry So," was translated into French, Russian and German, widely circulated in England and the U.S. and set to music by three different composers.

Early life and education

Edith Willis was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, February 19, 1865. She was a daughter of Dr. Frederic Llewellyn Hovey Willis (1853-1934), who was a member of the family of N. P. Willis, and who formerly practiced medicine in New York. Her mother was Love Maria Whitcomb (1824–1908), who was well known some years ago as a writer of juvenile stories. Both parents were inclined to literature, and the daughter inherited the literary inclination. When Forbes was six years old, the family went to

Glenora, New York Glenora is a hamlet in the town of Starkey, Yates County, New York, United States. It is part of the Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located directly south of Lake Ontario in an ...

, on Seneca Lake, for the summers, and to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, for the winters. In Boston, she was educated in private schools until she was eighteen years old, after which her education was conducted by private tutors.

Career

Since the age of eleven, she preserved all her compositions, and by 1893, the number was nearly 400. She wrote very little in prose, a few short stories descriptive of nature. Forbes was proficient in French, German and English literature and music. She contributed to ''The Christian Register'', the ''Cottage Hearth'', the ''Christian Union'', the ''Boston Transcript'', ''Godey's Lady's Book'', ''Peterson's Magazine'', the ''Kew Moon'', the ''Century'', and other prominent periodicals. She published a volume of ''Poems'' (

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, 1891). In 1920, she established the Rochester Poetry Society, and served as president. She also affiliated with the Women's Education and Industrial Union, the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

, and the Door of Hope.

Personal life

In 1886, in

, she married Dr. Samuel Henry Linn (1843-1916), who served at the court of Czar

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...

as the official dentist, and after his permanent return to the U.S., resided in

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

. They had two sons, Willis (1887-1927) and Benjamin Franklin Linn (1890-1923). She traveled in Europe and through the United States after this marriage. On September 28, 1918, in New York City, she married for a second time, George Mather Forbes (1853-1934), a faculty member of the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

. Forbes made her home in

. She died in

Starkey, New York Starkey is a town in Yates County, New York, United States. The population was 3,573 at the 2010 census. The town is in the southeastern section of the county and is south of Geneva. History Starkey may have been settled around 1798, but a sco ...

, September 29, 1945; burial was at Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester.

Selected works

Books by Edith Willis Linn

*
Poems
', 1892 *
Out of the deep; pen pictures in prose and verse
', 1895 *
Within, above, beyond
', 1899 *
A Cycle of Sonnets
', 1918

Books by E. W. L. & H. B.

*
Alcott memoirs : posthumously comp. from papers, journals and memoranda of the late Dr. Frederick L.H. Willis
', 1915

Songs

*
"We are coming : marching song of America"
1918 (lyrics by Edith Willis Linn; composed by

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( , ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era known primarily for American military March (music), marches. He is known as "The March King" or th ...

)

References

Attribution

Bibliography

External links

*
Edith Willis Linn Forbes Papers
Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries,

Edith Willis Linn Forbes Papers Addition
Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries,

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Edith Willis Linn 1865 births 1945 deaths Poets from New York City 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers American women poets Daughters of the American Revolution people Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century Clubwomen