Marie Manning (writer)
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Marie Manning (January 22, 1872—November 28, 1945) was a newspaper columnist and novelist in the early 20th century. She wrote the first newspaper advice column, Dear Beatrice Fairfax, in 1898, the precursor to modern versions such as Dear Abby and Ann Landers.
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[edit] Early life
Manning was born in Washington, DC to Elizabeth Barrett and Michael Charles Manning. Her year of birth, while thought to be 1872, was unknown to even her immediate family and closest confidants during her lifetime. She was educated at various private schools in the District of Columbia, graduating from Miss Kerr's, a finishing school for girls.
Her mother had died at childbirth and her father died when she was 18 years old. This sent her to England in the early 1890s to live with relatives, whereby she studied British society and wrote her first novel Long Alingham, Bankrupt. It was published in 1901.
Manning began writing as a columnist for the New York World in 1896 at the "space rate" of $5 per week. After being granted an exclusive interview with the President of the United States, Grover Cleveland, she was promoted to permanent staff and her salary was raised to $30 per week. When the paper's Editor moved to the New York Evening Journal in 1898, she followed at his invitation. There she collaborated with two other women to create a women's page entitled the "Hen Coop".
[edit] Dear Beatrice Fairfax
During the same year, the Hen Coop received three letters from readers who sought advice about personal situations in their lives. Manning suggested a new column exclusively used for giving personal advice. The column was named Dear Beatrice Fairfax at her suggestion, named after Dante's Beatrice and her own family's country home in Fairfax County, Virginia. The column began on July 20, 1898 as the first advice column in the United States.
Her advice was an immediate success, and received so many letters that the United States Post Office soon refused delivery of them and the Journal had to retrieve the letters itself. Manning's common sense advice was imitated nationwide thanks to its tremendous popularity. However, Manning's efforts went largely unrewarded and her payrate and status remained low at the paper. She eventually resigned.
[edit] Novels
In the course of her lifetime, Manning had four published novels.
- Lord Alingham, Bankrupt (1902)
- Judith of the Plains (1903)
- Personal Reply (1943)
- Ladies Now and Then (1945)
[edit] Magazines
In 1905, Manning married and devoted most of her life to raising her two sons. During this time she freelanced and her short stories were published in various magazines including Harper's Monthly and Ladies' Home Journal.
[edit] Return to column
Due to losses incurred by her family in the 1929 Stock Market Crash, Manning went back to work for the New York Evening Journal, again writing her Beatrice Fairfax column (which had been syndicated for years). She wrote the column until her death in 1945.
[edit] Trivia
There is a reference to Beatrice Fairfax in the opening verse of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's song "But Not For Me", from the musical Girl Crazy:
Beatrice Fairfax, don't you dare
Ever tell me he will care.
I'm certain
It's the final curtain...
