A Biography of Eliza Cook (1812-1889): Victorian Poet, Journalist, and Radical

FAIN: FT-278582-21

Marie Alexis Easley
University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN 55105-1096)

Research and writing towards a biography of English poet and editor Eliza Cook (1812–1898).

I propose to write a biography of Eliza Cook (1812–89), one of the most famous and influential women of letters in Great Britain during the early and mid-Victorian periods. Cook not only was the prolific author of poetry volumes whose work was widely reprinted in the British and American press but also served as the editor of Eliza Cook’s Journal (1849–54), which rivaled Dickens’s Household Words in popularity. Cook was a political radical and iconoclast who dressed in men’s clothing and had a widely publicized romantic relationship with American actress Charlotte Cushman. This book, when complete, will be the first biography dedicated to Cook—long overdue recognition for a writer who was a well-known feminist, celebrity poet, cultural icon, and innovative journalist. I plan to incorporate a wide range of unpublished archival material from libraries in the UK and US, including letters, manuscripts, and author portraits.