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Lilian Whiting (October 3, 1847 – April 30, 1942) was an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
journalist, editor, and author of poetry and short stories. She served as literary editor of the '' Boston Evening Traveller'' (1880–1890),
editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...
of the ''Boston Budget'' (1890–93), and afterward, spent much of her time in Europe. Whiting was the author of ''The World Beautiful'', ''From Dreamland Sent'', a book of poems, ''A Study of the Life and Poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning'', ''A Record of Kate Field'', ''The World Beautiful in Books'', ''Boston Days'', ''Florence of Landor'', ''The Outlook Beautiful'', ''Italy, the Magic Land'', ''Paris the Beautiful'', " After Her Death" and others.


Early years and education

Emily Lilian Whiting was born in
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...
,
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(or
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), on October 3, 1847, though she often claimed her date of birth as October 3, 1859. Her parents were
Illinois State Senator The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under th ...
Hon. Lorenzo D. Whiting and Lucretia (née, Clement) Whiting. Her ancestry included Rev. William Whiting, the first Unitarian minister of
Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is n ...
, in the early part of the 17th century. Her paternal grandmother was born Mather, and was a direct descendant of
Cotton Mather Cotton Mather (; February 12, 1663 – February 13, 1728) was a Puritan clergyman and author in colonial New England, who wrote extensively on theological, historical, and scientific subjects. After being educated at Harvard College, he join ...
. On her mother's side, her ancestry was also from
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
, largely of the Episcopal clergy. While Whiting was an infant, the parents removed to Illinois. For some time, the parents served as principals of the public schools in
Tiskilwa, Illinois Tiskilwa is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 728 at the 2022 census. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. Exelon Wind, a division of Exelon Power, owns and operates the Illinois Wind Ag ...
, a village near their farm. Subsequently, the father became the editor of the ''Bureau County Republican'', published in
Princeton, Illinois Princeton is a city in and the county seat of Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,832 at the 2020 census. Princeton is part of the Ottawa, Illinois, Ottawa Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, Micropolitan Statistic ...
. In that work, he was assisted by his wife. Later, he was elected to the
Illinois General Assembly The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in ...
as representative from his district, and, after some years in the lower house, was elected State senator, in which capacity he served for 18 consecutive years. He was one of the framers of the constitution of Illinois. Little was left to the children after the death of Senator Whiting, in 1889. The mother died in 1875. Whiting, the only daughter, was educated largely under private tuition and by her parents. She attended the
Mount Carroll Seminary The Mount Carroll Seminary was the name of Shimer College from 1853 to 1896. The Seminary was located in Mount Carroll, Illinois, in the United States. A pioneering institution in its time and place, the Mount Carroll Seminary served as a center ...
(later known as
Shimer College Shimer Great Books School ( ) is a Classic_book#University_programs, Great Books college that is part of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Prior to 2017, Shimer was an independent, accredited college on the south side of Chicago, or ...
) in
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. Books and periodicals abounded in the family home with the best literature of the world available to her. She inherited from her mother much of the temperament of the mystic and the visionary, and her bent was always toward books and the world of thought.


Career

Whiting went to
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, in 1876, to pursue a career in journalism, remaining there for three years. In the spring of 1879, through the acceptance of two papers on
Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movemen ...
,
Murat Halstead Murat Halstead (September 2, 1829 – July 2, 1908) was an American newspaper editor and magazine writer. He was an early war correspondent, reporting during three wars, and a zealous ally of the Republican Party. Biography Born in Paddy's Run ...
gave Whiting a place on his paper, the ''
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''. After a year in
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, she went, in the summer of 1880, 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 ...
, where she soon began to work for the ''Boston Evening Traveller'' as an art writer. To her writing on the art exhibitions and studio work in Boston and
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, she added various miscellaneous contributions. In 1885, she was made the literary editor of the ''Traveller''. In 1890, she resigned from her place on the ''Traveller'', and, three days after, she became the editor-in-chief of the ''Boston Budget''. In that paper, she did the editorial writing, the literary reviews, and a "Beau Monde" column. Whiting passed part of 1896 to 1900 in Europe, principally in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, and
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, and again part of 1903, 1905, 1906–7. She was the author of ''The World Beautiful'', 3 volumes, 1st, 2d, and 3d series; ''From Dreamland Sent'' (poems); ''After Her Death''; ''The Story of a Summer''; ''A Study of the Life and Poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning''; ''
Kate Field Mary Katherine Keemle Field (pen name, Straws, Jr.; October 1, 1838 – May 19, 1896) was an American journalist, correspondent, editor, lecturer, and actress, of eccentric talent. She never married. Field seemed ready to give an opinion on a ...
—a Record''; ''The Spiritual Significance'', 1900; ''The World Beautiful in Books'', 1901; ''Boston Days'', 1902; ''The Life Radiant'', 1903; ''The Florence of Landor'', 1900; ''The Outlook Beautiful'', 1905; ''The Joy that no Man taketh from You'', 1905; ''The Land of Enchantment'', 1906; ''From Dream to Vision of Life'', 1906; ''Italy, the Magic Land'', 1907.


Personal life

For several years, she lived in the Brunswick Hotel in Boston. She was interested in the
Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
and
Theosophy Theosophy is a religious movement established in the United States in the late 19th century. Founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and based largely on her writings, it draws heavily from both older European philosophies such as Neop ...
. Whiting died at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston on April 30, 1942.


Selected works

* ''The World Beautiful'' (three series, 1894, 1896, 1898) * ''A Study of the Life and Character of
Elizabeth Barrett Browning Elizabeth Barrett Browning (née Moulton-Barrett; 6 March 1806 – 29 June 1861) was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime and frequently anthologised after her death. Her work receiv ...
'' (1899) * ''From Dream-Land Sent'' (1899) * ''
Kate Field Mary Katherine Keemle Field (pen name, Straws, Jr.; October 1, 1838 – May 19, 1896) was an American journalist, correspondent, editor, lecturer, and actress, of eccentric talent. She never married. Field seemed ready to give an opinion on a ...
: a Record'' (1899) * ''The World Beautiful in Books'' (1901) * ''Boston Days'' (1902) * ''The Life Radiant'' (1903) * ''The Florence of Landor'' (1905) * ''The Outlook Beautiful'' (1905) * ''Land of Enchantment'' (1906) * ''Italy: The Magic Land'' (1907) * ''Paris, the Beautiful'' (1908) * '' Louise Chandler Moulton: Poet and Friend'' (1909) * ''Life Transfigured'' (1910) * ''The Brownings'' (1911) * ''Athens'' (1913) * ''The Lure of London'' (1914) * ''Women Who Have Ennobled Life'' (1915) * ''Canada the Spellbinder'' (1917) * ''The Golden Road'' (1918)


References


Attribution

* * * *


Bibliography

*


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Lilian 1847 births 1942 deaths 19th-century American journalists 19th-century American women journalists 19th-century American biographers 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American women journalists 20th-century American biographers American women biographers 20th-century American women writers People from Niagara Falls, New York Place of death missing Shimer College alumni Journalists from Chicago Journalists from New York (state) American Bahá'ís Historians from New York (state) Historians from Illinois Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century