Dynamos: Edith Wharton

Episode Summary

Edith Wharton was born into a wealthy New York family in 1862. She spent much of her childhood traveling Europe, which fostered a love of art, architecture, and literature. After her family returned to New York, Edith made her societal debut and married Edward Wharton, although it was not a happy match. Wharton began writing fiction and co-authored a book on interior design. Dissatisfied with Newport, Rhode Island, she built an estate called The Mount in Massachusetts where she lived for a decade and wrote some of her most famous works. Despite her literary success, her marriage fell apart. After divorcing, Wharton moved to Paris. With World War I breaking out, she devoted herself to charitable work and was allowed to report from the front lines. Her experiences informed her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Age of Innocence about 1870s New York high society. Wharton spent her later years in France writing over 50 books until her death in 1937 at age 75. She was a literary dynamo who overcame personal troubles to become an acclaimed author.

Episode Show Notes

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) used her childhood of privilege as inspiration for her Pulitzer Prize-winning work, The Age of Innocence.

Episode Transcript

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Please welcome Edith Wharton. Edith Wharton was born Edith Newbold Jones on January 24th, 1862 in New York to George Frederick and Lucretia Rhinelander Jones. Her parents were quite wealthy, and Edith was born into a privileged life. She spent most of her early life traveling through Europe. While living in countries like France, Germany, and Italy, Edith developed a love for beauty in art, architecture, and literature. In 1872, the family came back to New York. After the family's return to America, Edith's literary life began. She worked with tutors, read works from her father's library, and even published a book of poetry titled Verses. Edith made her debut into New York society at 17 when she attended dances and parties with the rest of New York's elite. These parties would later face criticism in her works. In 1885, Edith married Edward Robbins Wharton, also known as Teddy. The couple was not a perfect match, and they spent much of their newlywed time traveling. They eventually settled in Newport, Rhode Island. Edith spent her time working on her design skills and co-authored her first nonfiction book, The Decoration of Houses, with architect Ogden Codman, Jr. Newport life was not ideal for Edith. In 1901, she purchased 113 acres in Lenox where she built and designed the Mount. The Mount fit all of Edith's needs as a designer, gardener, hostess, and writer. She would call the Mount her home for 10 years. During the subsequent decade, Edith would write some of her most significant works. Her first novel, The Valley of Decision, was published in 1902. The House of Mirth was published in 1905, and Ethan Frome was published in 1911. While living at the Mount provided Edith with literary inspiration, her life was far from perfect. Her husband Teddy was mentally unstable and the marriage fell apart. The couple sold the Mount in 1911 and divorced two years later. Newly single, Edith left the States for good and moved to Paris. But her move coincided with the start of World War I. Instead of fleeing, Edith devoted herself to creating a network of charitable and humanitarian organizations. She created workrooms for unemployed seamstresses, nursing homes for the sick, lodging for war refugees, and schools for children fleeing war-torn Belgium. Edith was also one of the few journalists allowed on the front lines covering the war. She was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her work in 1916. After the war, Edith left Paris and moved to Parveilleau-Cologne. In 1920, she published her most famous novel, The Age of Innocence. The novel is set in the 1870s in the upper-class, Gilded Age New York City of Edith's youth. The work won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the following year. In 1920, Edith purchased the Chateau St. Clair, a restored convent in the south of France. She would spend the rest of her life writing, gardening, and caring for her dogs. On her last visit to the United States in 1923, she received an honorary doctorate from Yale University. Edith published more than 50 books, including fiction, short stories, travel books, historical novels, and criticism. On August 11, 1937, Edith died from a heart attack. She was 75 years old. She was buried in Versailles. All month, we're highlighting dynamos. For more, check us out on Facebook and Instagram at Womanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow. SPEAKER_08: Thank you. You can sign up to $150 off your booking of four nights or more. Just use code SAVINGBIG150 at checkout to unlock your exclusive offer at cheapcaribbean.com. Semi-annual sale ends October 3rd. See you at the beach. SPEAKER_00: Do you hear it? The clock is ticking. It's time for the new season of 60 Minutes. 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