Jessica Nelson North (September 7, 1891 – June 3, 1988) was an American writer, poet and editor.
Early life and family
Jessica Nelson North was born in
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, the daughter of David Willard North and Sarah Elizabeth "Elizabeth" (Nelson) North. She grew up on the shore of
Lake Koshkonong
Lake Koshkonong is a naturally occurring lake that acts as a reservoir in southern Wisconsin. Its size was augmented by the creation of the Indianford Dam in 1932, making it one of the larger lakes in the state. The lake lies along the Rock Rive ...
near to what later became St. Joseph's College in the vicinity of
Edgerton, Wisconsin
Edgerton is a city in Rock County and partly in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,945 at the 2020 census. Of this, 5,799 were in Rock County, and 146 were in Dane County. Known locally as "Tobacco City U.S.A.," beca ...
. She was the older sister of
Sterling North
Thomas Sterling North (November 4, 1906 – December 21, 1974) was an American writer. He is best known for the children's novel '' Rascal'', a bestseller in 1963.
Biography
Early life and family
North's maternal grandparents, James Herve ...
, author of ''
Rascal'' and many other children's books. Jessica Nelson North is one of the major characters portrayed in her brother's well-known book, which was set when she was 25. Jessica and Sterling's family home (the setting of ''Rascal'') in Edgerton has been restored to its 1917 setting and is open as a museum. Sterling North recalled (in ''Rascal'', Chapter 2) that "Both sisters had taken tender care of me after Mother died, Jessica in particular, postponing her career and marriage."
Jessica's grandparents, James Hervey Nelson and Sarah Orelup Nelson, were
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
pioneers. In 1917, which would have been her grandfather James Hervey Nelson's 100th birthday, several of North's uncles wrote extended biographies about their parents and their pioneer farm life. These writing efforts may have been a literary inspiration to both her and Sterling.
Jessica was the aunt of author
Arielle North Olson
Arielle North Olson is an author of children's books.
Family
Arielle is the daughter of noted author Sterling North, who wrote '' Rascal.'' She is also the niece of author, poet and editor Jessica Nelson North. She is one of the copyright owne ...
who was Sterling's daughter. Jessica was also the niece of
Justus Henry Nelson
Justus Henry Nelson (December 22, 1850 – February 6, 1937) established the first Protestant church in the Amazon basin and was a self-supporting Methodist missionary in Belém, Pará, Brazil for 45 years.
Early years
Justus was born December ...
, an early missionary in the Amazon.
Genealogy
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...
was one of Jessica Nelson North's avocations.
Education and marriage
She received a bachelor's degree from
Lawrence College
Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second college in the U.S. to be founded as a coeducation ...
in
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton ( mez, Ahkōnemeh)
is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. One of the Fox Cities, it is situated on the Fox River, southwest of Green Bay and north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the c ...
, where she was a member of
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi (), commonly known as ADPi (pronounced "ay-dee-pye"), is an International Panhellenic sorority founded on May 15, 1851, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is the oldest secret society for women.
Alpha Delta Pi is a mem ...
, and went on to graduate school at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
. North married Reed Inness MacDonald on June 11, 1921 in
Edgerton, Wisconsin
Edgerton is a city in Rock County and partly in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,945 at the 2020 census. Of this, 5,799 were in Rock County, and 146 were in Dane County. Known locally as "Tobacco City U.S.A.," beca ...
and had two children.
Writing career
During college, North was the president of the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
Poetry Club and was the editor of the ''Adelphean'' and the ''History of
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi (), commonly known as ADPi (pronounced "ay-dee-pye"), is an International Panhellenic sorority founded on May 15, 1851, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is the oldest secret society for women.
Alpha Delta Pi is a mem ...
''.
North published her first novel, ''Arden Acres'', in 1935. It is a family drama and social commentary set in the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
told from the point of view of the oldest daughter of a family in the fictional Arden Acres, Illinois. She also published ''Miss Missouri'', ''The Long Leash'' (1928), ''The Prayer Rug'' and ''The Pocket''. Her poem about a child's tea party is one of her most beloved works. It starts:
In the thirties and forties, North was an editor at ''
Poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
'' magazine, one of the leading poetry magazines of the English speaking world. She also published ''The Giant's Shoe'' in 1967, an illustrated children's book. Her work has been included in textbooks including ''Golden Trails''.
Jessica Nelson North died on June 3, 1988 in
Downers Grove, Illinois
Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the eponym for the village. It is a south-west suburb of Chicago. The village is located between I-88 and I-55. ...
.
[ ]
Awards
* The ''Long Leash'' was selected by the Poetry Club as one of the best volumes of the year.
* ''Arden Acres'' won the Friends of American Writers first novel award
References
External links
The Sterling North Society Website which maintains their home as a museum*
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united b ...
History Vol 16, Number 1, September 1962
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:North, Jessica Nelson
1891 births
1988 deaths
Writers from Madison, Wisconsin
20th-century American novelists
American children's writers
American women novelists
Poets from Wisconsin
20th-century American poets
Lawrence University alumni
People from Edgerton, Wisconsin
American women poets
American women children's writers
20th-century American women writers
Novelists from Wisconsin