Wilkinson, Marguerite, 1883-1928

Person

Staff Only

Dates

Existence: 1883 - 1928

Biography

Marguerite Ogden Bigelow was born in 1883 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Nathan Kellogg Bigelow and Gertrude (Holmes) Bigelow. Her family moved to Evanston, Illinois, when she was young. She began writing poetry while attending Northwestern University, and served as a member of the university’s magazine board and editor of the annual issue of The Northwestern. She married fellow student James G. Wilkinson in 1909 and they moved first to California and in 1916 to New Rochelle, New York.

While living in New York, she wrote several volumes of poetry, including In Vivid Gardens (1911), By a Western Wayside (1912), and Citadels (1928). She compiled some poetry anthologies, including New Voices (1919) and was editor of the poetry page in the Los Angeles Graphic and the New York monthly Books and Authors. She became poetry reviewer for The New York Times Book Review as well as Poetry magazine, and frequently lectured on modern poetry at schools, library associations, and women’s clubs.

Marguerite Wilkinson drowned while swimming at Coney Island, New York on January 12, 1928.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Marguerite Wilkinson Collection

Collection

Identifier: MS191

Abstract Marguerite Ogden Wilkinson (1883-1928) began writing poetry when she attended Northwestern University. She published several volumes of poetry while working as an editor and poetry reviewer for the Los Angeles Graphic, Books and Authors, The New York Times Book Review, and Poetry magazine. She lectured on modern poetry at schools, library associations, and women’s clubs. She left her library, with accompanying correspondence...

Dates: 1912 - 1928

Found in: Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections / Marguerite Wilkinson Collection