Lillian Barrett, also known as Lillian Foster Barrett, (13 June 1884 – 27 April 1963) was an American writer whose output included

novels A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of '' ...

, plays,

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

, and articles for

magazines A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

. Her 1921 novel ''Gibbeted Gods'' was adapted by Barrett into the play ''The Dice of the Gods'' which was staged on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in 1922. Aside from her years studying at

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

, she lived her life in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

Life and career

The daughter of Joseph Barrett and Brianna Barrett (née Thompson), Lillian Foster Barrett was born on 13 June 1884 in

.Miss Lillian Foster Barrett in the U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925, Certificate Number 41214Lillian F Barrett in the Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935; Enumeration Year: 1885; Township: Newport Ward 3; County: Newport; Enumeration District or Census Tract: 205; Line Number: 7; Household Number: 418; Volume Number: 17 Her father worked as the superintendent of the

Newport Casino The Newport Casino is an athletic complex and recreation center located at 180–200 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island in the Bellevue Avenue/Casino Historic District. Built in 1879–1881 by ''New York Herald'' publisher James Gor ...

for forty-two years. She attended Rogers High School in her native city, and graduated from that school in 1902. She then studied at

where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1906. Barrett began writing for magazines in 1915; working initially as a regular contributor to ''

The Smart Set ''The Smart Set'' was an American monthly literary magazine, founded by Colonel William d'Alton Mann and published from March 1900 to June 1930. Its headquarters was in New York City. During its Jazz Age heyday under the editorship of H. L. Men ...

'' with her work for that publication encompassing both novelettes and

. She went on to write for a variety of other magazines including ''

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...

'', ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...

'', and ''

The American Mercury ''The American Mercury'' was an American magazine published from 1924Staff (Dec. 31, 1923)"Bichloride of Mercury."''Time''. to 1981. It was founded as the brainchild of H. L. Mencken and drama critic George Jean Nathan. The magazine featured w ...

''. Her first novel, ''The Sinister Revel'', was published in 1919 by

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Blanche Knopf and Alfred A. Knopf Sr. in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers ...

. This was followed by the novels ''Gibbeted Gods'' (1921) and ''The Crowd Out Front'' (1927). Barrett's brother Richmond Brooks Barrett was also a writer, and together the sister and brother co-authored the plays ''The Hobby Horse'', ''Birds of Passage'', and ''The Fledgling''. Alone, she adapted her novel ''Gibbeted Gods'' into the play ''The Dice of the Gods''. It was staged at the Cort Theatre in Chicago in 1922 in a production starring

Minnie Maddern Fiske Minnie Maddern Fiske (born Marie Augusta Davey; December 19, 1865 – February 15, 1932), but often billed simply as Mrs. Fiske, was one of the leading American actresses of the late 19th and early 20th century. She also spearheaded the fig ...

. The play then toured; ultimately debuting on

at the National Theatre on April 5, 1923. From 1927 to 1934 she worked as the executive secretary of the Casino Theatre Company in Newport. Barret never married and was an active member of Trinity Church in her native city. She died at the age of 78 on 27 April 1963. She is buried at

Island Cemetery The Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery are a pair of separate cemeteries on Farewell and Warner Street in Newport, Rhode Island. Together they contain over 5,000 graves, including a colonial-era slave cemetery and Jewish graves. The pai ...

Notes and References

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Lillian 1884 births 1963 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American women writers Burials at Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery Smith College alumni Writers from Newport, Rhode Island