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

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, 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 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, Bosto ...

'', the ''Cottage Hearth'', the ''Christian Union'', the '' Boston Transcript'', '' Godey's Lady's Book'', ''

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 or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, 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 Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

(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 south of Lake Ontario in an area calle ...

, on Seneca Lake, for the summers, and to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, 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 the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, 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 Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

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

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. 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 (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

. 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)

References

Attribution

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Edith Willis Linn 1865 births 1945 deaths Writers 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