The Nemesis of Motherhood, and the Mad Lady

Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford (1835-1921) was a notable American writer remembered for her novels, poems and detective stories. Her gothic romances were set apart by luxuriant descriptions, and an unconventional handling of female stereotypes of the day. In 1859, she submitted to Atlantic Monthly a story about Parisian life entitled In a Cellar. The magazines editor, James Russell Lowell, at first believed the story to be a translation, and withheld it from publication. Reassured that it was original, he published it, and it established her reputation. She became a welcome contributor to periodicals. Her other works include: Sir Rohans Ghost (1860), New England Legends (1871), Marquis of Carabas (1882), Hester Stanley at St. Marks (1883), Ballads About Authors (1887), A Scarlet Poppy and Other Stories (1894), Old Washington (1906), The Fairy Changeling (1910), A Little Book of Friends (1916) and The Elders People (1920).