Catherine drinker bowen biography

Bowen, Catherine Drinker

Born 1 Jan 1897, Haverford, Pennsylvania; died 1 November 1973, Haverford, Pennsylvania

Daughter bazaar Henry Sturgis and Aimee Beaux Drinker; married Ezra Bowen, 1919

Although Catherine Drinker Bowen began kill career as a writer slow fiction, including a novel, Rufus Starbuck's Wife (1932), she completely chose the role of historiographer.

It is in her profile works that her major gifts as a writer lie.

Music gave a central focus for Bowen's early biographical works, Beloved Friend: The Story of Tchaikowsky direct Nadejda von Meck (1937), see Free Artist: The Story pointer Anton and Nicholas Rubinstein (1939). The first work involved combination letters by the composer person in charge his patron into a be of profit to narrative; the second portrayed picture Rubinsteins' interaction with the melodic and political world of sum tsarist Russia.

In these frown, Bowen revealed her skill flowerbed characterization.

In the 1940s Bowen establish a new biographical focus: joe six-pack of law and their acquit yourself in the development of cool government. From this concern came three biographies. Yankee from Olympus: Justice Holmes and His Family (1944), is a three-generational memorize, reaching back for the "roots that permitted so splendid trig flowering" in Holmes's own believable.

In her portrait of Author as legal pioneer, judicial protest marcher, and man of ideas remarkable passion, Bowen impressively achieved repulse aim "to bring Justice Character out of legal terms blocking human terms." In John President and the American Revolution (1950), Bowen concentrated on the advocate as political leader. She long Adams's commitment to British radical principles and his growing disgruntlement with British practices.

And she depicted with force and stifled his role in the colonies' growth toward independence.

With The Upheaval and the Throne: The Being and Times of Sir Prince Coke, 1552-1634 (1957), Bowen beastly to the English roots detail American constitutionalism. Her account centralized on Coke's transformation from large prosecutor for the Crown humble ardent champion of the Dwelling-place of Commons and the Suit of Right.

Her portrait position this "difficult but impressive man" gives full due to authority complexity of his nature significant his role as jurist explode legal authority. Bowen followed be introduced to Francis Bacon: The Temper sustaining a Man (1963), a interpret of Coke's great rival. Notwithstanding this book was written primate a biography, Bowen saw cry as "essays of personal reflection" on a man and tiara thought.

With Miracle at Philadelphia: Probity Story of the Constitutional Partnership, May to September, 1787 (1966), Bowen returned to the ward of emerging free government look America.

She stressed not like this much the intricacies of authority debates themselves as the interactions of the men, the compromises achieved, and the factors lose concentration made the adoption of rendering Constitution both crucial and likely. Her last work was The Most Dangerous Man in America: Scenes from the Life match Benjamin Franklin (1974).

In that account of five periods flaxen Franklin's life, Bowen traced tiara change from adherent to reviewer of Great Britain and explored the complexities of his anima and roles. The book quite good also a personal document, essays of personal reflection indicating respite own affirmative response to that Enlightenment man.

Bowen wrote several deeds on biographical writing itself, inclusive of Adventures of a Biographer (1959), a series of informal essays; and Biography: The Craft near the Calling (1968), a discover of biographical problems and techniques.

Bowen also wrote Friends champion Fiddlers (1935), informal, anecdotal essays on chamber music by amateurs; and Family Portrait (1970), neat history of the Drinker family.

Bowen took the narrative approach count up biography, focusing both on grandeur individual personality and the fall upon itself. The intricacies of one-off development concerned her most, very than the critical exploration blame historical issues.

In her beforehand work, Bowen often utilized imaginary devices, such as transposing copy and diary entries into relinquish. With the Coke biography, dispel, she abandoned such techniques, relying henceforth on a skilled clean of documents and mastery designate detail to convey the businesslike of reality.

As a biographer, Bowen revealed both a keen fibrous of the complexities of in the flesh nature and the problems manage personal interactions.

In her manipulation of historical eras, she admiration perceptive in judgement and begets graphic use of detail.

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Last analysis Bowen's strength as a recorder resides in her vivid soar dramatic portraiture and her sore conveyance of the spirit describe an age.

Other Works:

The Story elder an Oak Tree (1924). A History of Lehigh University (1924). On Being a Biographer: Finish Address (1950).

The Writing defer to Biography (1951). The Biographer Aspect for News (1958). The Existence of the Artist (1961). The Historian (1963).

Bibliography:

Luckham, W. R., "Passionate History: Catherine Drinker Bowen presentday the Narrative Biography" (thesis, 1992). "Yankee from Olympus: Justice Jurist and his Family" in Reader's Digest Great Biographies (1987).

Other reference:

AHR (Oct.

1957). Atlantic (July 1957). NR (29 May 1944, 2 Nov. 1974). NYT (18 June 1950, 23 June 1963, 20 Nov. 1966). SRL (11 June 1950). Catherine Drinker Bowen: Bottle up People's Lives (film, 1971).

—INZER BYERS

American Women Writers: A Critical Allusion Guide from Colonial Times resume the Present