chronology of mary austin’s life and work

1868 Mary Hunter, the second of three surviving children, born 9 September in Carlinville, Illinois, to George Hunter (1833–78), an immigrant from Yorkshire, England, and his wife, Susanna Savilla Graham (1842–96). 1878 Death of George Hunter on 29 October. Death of sister Jennie (b. 1870) two months later. Eldest son, James Milo Hunter (“Jim,” 1866–1917), becomes titular head of the household. Susanna works to support the family, and Mary cares for her younger brother, George Hunter (1877–1933). 1884 Attends Blackburn College in Carlinville, majoring in science. Transfers to the State Normal School in Bloomington, Illinois, but withdraws for health reasons. 1888 Graduates from Blackburn College. Family joins Jim to homestead in the Tejon district, near Bakersfield, California. Austin meets General Edward Beale, who encourages her to write about the West. 1889 Moves to Rose Station, then to the Mountain View Dairy. Teaches primary school. Becomes aware of water issues in California. 1890 Engaged to Stafford Wallace Austin (1861–1931), a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.

xiii 1891 Marries Wallace Austin on 19 May. 1892 Moves to Bakersfield. Publishes first story, “The Mother of Felipe.” Moves to San Francisco, where Wallace works on a never- realized irrigation project. Meets the poet Ina Coolbrith. Birth of only child, Ruth Austin. Settles in Lone Pine, Inyo County. Comes to the realization that her daughter is developmentally disabled. Marriage already faltering. 1893 Continues to fills notebooks with observations about her surround- ings. Thinks of the Owens Valley as a place of exile that teaches her failure. Periodically flees to San Francisco and Los Angeles. 1894 Wallace appointed superintendent of Inyo County schools. Austin homesteads on the mesa between Alabama Hills and Mount Opapago. Pursues friendships with shepherds and local characters who figure in her books. 1895 Accepts a teaching position in Bishop, California, to set money aside for Ruth’s care. 1896 Death of Susanna Hunter. 1897 Joins Wallace in Lone Pine, where she teaches and works on stories and her first book. 1898 Finishes Wallace’s teaching term after he becomes county superintendent of schools. Meets William James in Oakland, California. 1899 Moves to Independence. Wallace accepts a position as registrar of the Desert Land Office. Moves to Los Angeles and teaches at the normal school (later the University of California). Meets Charles Lummis and joins his circle of artist friends, including Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Grace Ellery Channing, as well as the anthropologist Frederick Webb Hodge. Intensifies study of California deserts, Native peoples, and Spanish culture. 1900 Joins Wallace in Independence. The Atlantic Monthly publishes “A Shepherd of the Sierras.” 1902 Opposes the diversion of the Owens River’s water to Los Angeles and becomes spokeswoman for valley residents. 1903 Publishes The Land of Little Rain; hailed as an original Western voice. xiv chronology 1904 Visits Carmel and San Francisco and forms friendship with the poet George Sterling. Continues fight for the Owens River’s water. Wallace fails to enlist the support of President Theodore Roosevelt. Researches sheepherding for The Flock. The Basket Woman: A Book of Fanciful Tales for Children 1905 Final separation from Wallace. Places Ruth in a sanatorium in Santa Clara. Isidro 1906 Settles in the artists’ colony in Carmel. Meets writers such as Sinclair Lewis, Ambrose Bierce, and Jack and Charmian London. Witnesses and writes about the San Francisco earthquake. The Flock 1907 Diagnosed with breast cancer and decides to spend her last days in Europe. Secures contract with Harper & Brothers during stay in New York. Sails for Italy. 1908 In Rome meets Prince Cagiati and Cardinal Merry del Val, who introduces her to Mother Veronica of the Blue Nuns. Becomes reacquainted with Grace Ellery Channing and comes to know Edward Gordon Craig and Isadora Duncan. Notices that the symptoms associated with her breast cancer begin to lessen. The cancer disappears. Santa Lucia 1909 Lives in Paris before going to London. Becomes a regular at the home of Herbert and Lou Hoover and through them meets the women’s rights activist Anne Martin. Makes the acquaintance of Henry James, Mrs. Humphrey Ward, William Butler Yeats, and George Bernard Shaw. Visits Joseph Conrad and begins a friendship with H. G. Wells. Lost Borders 1910 Returns to the United States and relocates in New York City. Outland published in England under the pseudonym George Stairs. 1911 In February, The Arrow Maker debuts at the New Theatre. Falls in love with the journalist Lincoln Steffens. The Arrow Maker 1912 Forms a lifelong friendship with Mabel Dodge (Luhan) and meets John Reed, Emma Goldman, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn,

chronology xv Margaret Sanger, Henrietta Rodman, and Hutchins and Neith Hapgood. Works for the women’s movement. Lecturing provides a substantial part of her income. Christ in Italy: Being the Adventures of a Maverick among Masterpieces A Woman of Genius 1913 Serves as a publicist for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and attends the premier of her play Fire in Carmel. The Lovely Lady The Green Bough 1914 Austins officially divorce. Daniel T. MacDougal arranges for the production of Austin’s The Arrow Maker in Carmel and becomes her closest male friend. California, The Land of the Sun (published in England) Love and the Soul Maker 1915 Declines to join Henry Ford’s peace initiative in Europe. The Man Jesus: Being a Brief Account of the Life and Teachings of the Prophet of Nazareth 1916 Plans pageant, staged on the east steps of the Capitol, for the National Woman’s Party. 1917 James Hunter dies. Austin becomes embroiled in battle for guardianship of niece Mary. Contributes to The Sturdy Oak: A Composite Novel of American Politics by Fourteen American Authors; profits go to the women’s suffrage movement. Supported by Herbert Hoover, organizes communal kitchens to help the war effort. Summers at Byrdcliffe, the arts-and-crafts community in Woodstock, New York. The Ford 1918 Daughter Ruth dies. Austin visits Santa Fe and conducts a survey of the Spanish-speaking population of Taos County. Appointed to the School of American Research in Native American literature. The Trail Book The Young Woman Citizen xvi chronology 1919 Starts a theater in Santa Fe. Contracts with the L. J. Albert World Celebrities Lecture Bureau. Explores automatic writing with Dr. Walter Prince. 1920 No. 26 Jayne Street 1921 Travels to England. Meets Rebecca West and attends meetings of the Fabian Society. Publishes “Aboriginal Literature,” in Cambridge History of American Literature. 1922 Honored with a dinner at the National Arts Club in January. Joins forces with Mabel Dodge (Luhan) and John Collier to fight the Bursum Bill. 1923 Takes 2,500-mile trek through the Southwest with Daniel T. MacDougal and Ina and Gerald Cassidy. Meets D. H. and Frieda Lawrence. Health continues to worsen. The American Rhythm 1924 Moves permanently to Santa Fe with the encouragement of Mabel Dodge Luhan. Begins close friendship with the artist Frank Applegate and his wife Alta. The Land of Journeys’ Ending 1925 Builds Casa Querida, her “beloved house” in Santa Fe. Serves on the Council of the Institute of Social and Religious Research for the Survey of Race Relations at Stanford, as well as on the Spanish-speaking Communities for the Carnegie Americanization Study. A Small Town Man Everyman’s Genius 1926 Invited to participate in a symposium on psychical research at Clark University. Lectures at Yale. Willa Cather stays at Casa Querida and works on Death Comes for the Archbishop. Austin undergoes abdominal operation. 1927 Represents New Mexico at the Seven States Conference to discuss the proposed Boulder Dam and the allocation of Colorado River water. Works with Frank Applegate to form the Spanish Colonial Arts Society. Meets Ansel Adams, with whom she will collaborate on Taos Pueblo. Signs papers donating her brain to Cornell’s Brain Collection. California: The Lands of the Sun (published in the United States)

chronology xvii 1928 The Children Sing in the Far West 1929 Begins collaboration with Arthur Leon Campa. Entrusts El Santuario de Chimayó to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Receives degree from Mills College. Invitation from the Mexican government to address the Conference on Cultural Relations in Mexico City. Election to the Literary Council of the Authors’ League of America. Returns to Carlinville to research her autobiography, Earth Horizon. Renews friendship with Robinson and Una Jeffers. 1930 Taos Pueblo 1931 Devastated by the death of Frank Applegate. Develops friendships with Witter Bynner and Carey McWilliams. Turns down doctorate from Tufts University. Starry Adventure Experiences Facing Death 1932 Insults H. G. Wells and Anne Martin in Earth Horizon: An Autobiography. 1933 George Hunter killed by a deranged patient. Austin accepts an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of New Mexico. 1934 Dies 13 August. Can Prayer Be Answered? One-Smoke Stories

xviii chronology