Grace King

Grace King, 1887

Grace Elizabeth King (November 29, 1851 – January 14, 1932) was an American author of Louisiana stories, history, and biography, and a leader in historical and literary activities.

Biography

She was born in New Orleans, the third of what became seven children of lawyer William Woodson King and Sarah Ann (née Miller) King.[1] The family had an aristocratic background but had been impoverished by the American Civil War. Grace King later studied under Charles Gayarré and eventually found her living in writing; among her subjects were other women who had been put in the same situation.

In 1915 she was awarded an honorary degree in letters from Tulane University. Her many literary friends and acquaintances included Mark Twain and Edmund Wilson.

She is buried in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.

Grace King High School on Grace King Place in Metairie, Louisiana, is named in her honor. The Residential Life Administration building at Louisiana State University is also named after her.

Selected bibliography

References

  1. Bush, Robert. Grace King: A Southern Destiny. Louisiana State University Press, 1983: 2. ISBN 0-8071-2487-7

External links