Leonora Speyer
Encyclopedia
Leonora Speyer, Lady Speyer (née von Stosch) (7 November 1872 – 10 February 1956) was an American poet and violinist.
, the daughter of Count Ferdinand von Stosch of Mantze in Silesia, who fought for the Union.
She studied music in Brussels
, Paris
, and Leipzig
, and played the violin professionally under the batons of Arthur Nikisch
and Anton Seidl
, among others. She first married Louis Meredith Howland in 1894, but they divorced in Paris in 1902. She then married banker Edgar Speyer
(later Sir Edgar), of London
, where the couple lived until 1915.
Sir Edgar had German ancestry and following anti-German attacks on him that year, they moved to the United States and took up residence in New York
, where Speyer began writing poetry. She won the 1927 Pulitzer Prize
for Poetry
for her book of poetry "Fiddler's Farewell".
She had four daughters: Enid Howland with her first husband and Pamela, Leonora, and Vivien Claire Speyer with her second husband.
Life
She was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the daughter of Count Ferdinand von Stosch of Mantze in Silesia, who fought for the Union.
She studied music in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, and played the violin professionally under the batons of Arthur Nikisch
Arthur Nikisch
Arthur Nikisch ; 12 October 185523 January 1922) was a Hungarian conductor who performed internationally, holding posts in Boston, London and - most importantly - Berlin. He was considered an outstanding interpreter of the music of Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Liszt...
and Anton Seidl
Anton Seidl
Anton Seidl was a Hungarian conductor.-Biography:He was born at Pest, Hungary. He began the study of music at a very early age, and when only seven years old could pick out at the piano melodies which he had heard at the theatre...
, among others. She first married Louis Meredith Howland in 1894, but they divorced in Paris in 1902. She then married banker Edgar Speyer
Edgar Speyer
Sir Edgar Speyer, 1st Baronet was an American-born financier and philanthropist. He became a British subject in 1892 and was chairman of Speyer Brothers, the British branch of his family's international finance house, and a partner in the German and American branches...
(later Sir Edgar), of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where the couple lived until 1915.
Sir Edgar had German ancestry and following anti-German attacks on him that year, they moved to the United States and took up residence in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where Speyer began writing poetry. She won the 1927 Pulitzer Prize
1927 Pulitzer Prize
-Journalism awards:*Public Service:**Canton Daily News, for its brave, patriotic and effective fight for the ending of a vicious state of affairs brought about by collusion between city authorities and the criminal element, a fight which had a tragic result in the assassination of the editor of the...
for Poetry
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
The Pulitzer Prize in Poetry has been presented since 1922 for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author. However, special citations for poetry were presented in 1918 and 1919.-Winners:...
for her book of poetry "Fiddler's Farewell".
She had four daughters: Enid Howland with her first husband and Pamela, Leonora, and Vivien Claire Speyer with her second husband.
Selected works
- "April on the Battlefields", The Second Book of Modern Verse (1919). about.com
- "A Note from the Pipes", The Second Book of Modern Verse (1919). about.com
- "Suddenly", Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1920, Bartleby.com
- "Song", Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1920, Bartleby.com
- "Measure Me Sky", "The Pet" The Bookman Anthology
- American Poets, An Anthology Of Contemporary Verse (1923)
- Fiddler's Farewell (1926)
- Slow wall; poems, together with Nor without music (1944)