Zona Gale
Encyclopedia
Zona Gale was an American author and playwright. She became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama, in 1921.
, which she often used as a setting in her writing. She attended Wayland Academy
in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
, and later entered the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, from which she received a Bachelor of Literature degree in 1895, and four years later a master's degree.
After college, Gale wrote for newspapers in Milwaukee
and New York City
, for six years. "A visit to Portage in 1903 proved a turning point in her literary life, as seeing the sights and sounds of town life led her to comment that her 'old world was full of new possibilities.' Gale had found the material she needed for her writing, and returned to Portage in 1904 to concentrate full time on fiction." She wrote and published there until her 1938 death, but made trips to New York.
She published her first novel, Romance Island, in 1906, and began the very popular series of "Friendship Village" stories. In 1920, she published the novel Miss Lulu Bett
, which depicts life in the Midwestern United States
. She adapted it as a play, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
in 1921.
"In addition to her fiction writing, Gale was an active supporter of the La Follettes (both Robert M. La Follette
s, and Philip La Follette
) and progressive causes. She was an active member of the National Women's Party, and she lobbied extensively for the 1921 Wisconsin Equal Rights Law." In the same year, she attended the founding meeting (in New York) of the Lucy Stone League
and became a member of its Executive Committee. Her activism on behalf of women was her way to help solve "a problem she returned to repeatedly in her novels: women's frustration at their lack of opportunities."
In 1928 at the age of fifty-four she married William L. Breese, also of Portage.
Gale died of pneumonia in a Chicago hospital in 1938.
Biography
Gale was born in Portage, WisconsinPortage, Wisconsin
Portage is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,662 at the 2010 census making it the largest city in Columbia County...
, which she often used as a setting in her writing. She attended Wayland Academy
Wayland Academy
Wayland Academy is a private, coeducational college preparatory boarding high school located in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, USA. The student population at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year was 220...
in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,243 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest city in Dodge County, and the largest city fully located within the county. It is the principal city of the...
, and later entered the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, from which she received a Bachelor of Literature degree in 1895, and four years later a master's degree.
After college, Gale wrote for newspapers in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, for six years. "A visit to Portage in 1903 proved a turning point in her literary life, as seeing the sights and sounds of town life led her to comment that her 'old world was full of new possibilities.' Gale had found the material she needed for her writing, and returned to Portage in 1904 to concentrate full time on fiction." She wrote and published there until her 1938 death, but made trips to New York.
She published her first novel, Romance Island, in 1906, and began the very popular series of "Friendship Village" stories. In 1920, she published the novel Miss Lulu Bett
Miss Lulu Bett
Miss Lulu Bett is a 1920 novel by American writer Zona Gale, and later adapted for the stage. Gale received the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her work...
, which depicts life in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. She adapted it as a play, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
in 1921.
"In addition to her fiction writing, Gale was an active supporter of the La Follettes (both Robert M. La Follette
Robert M. La Follette
Robert M. La Follette is the name of:* Robert M. La Follette, Sr. , senator, congressman, governor of Wisconsin and candidate for President, * Robert M. La Follette, Jr. , his son, also a senator from Wisconsin...
s, and Philip La Follette
Philip La Follette
Philip Fox La Follette was an American politician from the US state of Wisconsin. He served three terms as the Governor of Wisconsin and helped create the Wisconsin Progressive Party.-Early life and family:...
) and progressive causes. She was an active member of the National Women's Party, and she lobbied extensively for the 1921 Wisconsin Equal Rights Law." In the same year, she attended the founding meeting (in New York) of the Lucy Stone League
Lucy Stone League
The Lucy Stone League is a women’s rights organization founded in 1921. Its motto is "My name is the symbol of my identity and must not be lost"...
and became a member of its Executive Committee. Her activism on behalf of women was her way to help solve "a problem she returned to repeatedly in her novels: women's frustration at their lack of opportunities."
In 1928 at the age of fifty-four she married William L. Breese, also of Portage.
Gale died of pneumonia in a Chicago hospital in 1938.
Novels
- Romance Island (1906)
- Christmas: A Story (1912)
- Heart's Kindred (1915)
- A Daughter of the Morning (1917)
- Birth (1918)
- Miss Lulu BettMiss Lulu BettMiss Lulu Bett is a 1920 novel by American writer Zona Gale, and later adapted for the stage. Gale received the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her work...
(1920) - Faint Perfume (1923)
- Preface to Life (1926)
- Borgia (1929)
- Papa La Fleur (1933)
- Light Woman (1937)
- Magna (1939)
Short stories
- The Loves of Pelleas and Etarre (1907)
- Friendship Village (1908)
- Friendship Village Love Stories (1909)
- Mothers to Men (1911)
- When I Was a Little Girl (1913)
- Neighborhood Stories (1914)
- Peace in Friendship Village (1919)
- The Neighbors (1920)
- Yellow Gentians and Blue (1927)
- Bill (1927)
- Old-Fashioned Tales (1933)
Plays
- The Neighbors (1914) (in Wisconsin Plays, edited by T.H. Dickinson)
- Miss Lulu Bett (1920) (dramatization of her novel)
- Uncle Jimmy (1922)
- Mr. Pitt (1925)
- The Clouds (1932)
- Evening Clothes (1932)
- Faint Perfume (1934) (dramatization of her novel)
Essays and non-fiction
- Civic Improvement in the Little Towns (1913) (pamphlet)
- What Women Won in Wisconsin (1922) (pamphlet)
- "The Novel of Tomorrow" (1922) (in The Novel of Tomorrow and the Scope of Fiction by Twelve American Novelists)
- Portage, Wisconsin and Other Essays (1928)
- Frank MillerFrank Augustus MillerFrank Augustus Miller was the owner and chief developer of the Mission Inn in Riverside, California, United States. He was also a civic leader and one of Riverside's strongest promoters....
of Mission InnMission InnThe Mission Inn, now known as The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, is a historic landmark hotel in downtown Riverside, California. Although a composite of many architectural styles, it is generally considered the largest Mission Revival Style building in the United States.-History:The property began as a...
(biography) (1938)
External links
- Zona Gale - bibliographical overview, links to works online
- http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wlhba/articleView.asp?pg=5&id=1285&hdl=&np=&adv=yes&ln=&fn=&q=&y1=&y2=&ci=&co=Columbia&mhd=&shd= Obituary in Wisconsin State Journal, December 29, 1938.
- http://books.google.com/books?id=Qltu-Bw0hcUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=American+women+writers,+1900-1945&source=bl&ots=-tOkS1MLr3&sig=sJ-tl6BWj0KsMnmqcu1hmWD-Ptw&hl=en&ei=HgIiTLTsGISClAfI4Nkw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false An online (books.google.com) sourcebook (2000) listing and discussing the works of perhaps 50 American women writers, 1900–1945, including Zona Gale, and including their biographical information as well.