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George William Russell [AE] letter to Miss Joanna Fortune

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Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Irish poet, dramatist and editor George William Russell, who most often used the pseudonym AE, was a key figure in the rise of the Irish National Theatre.

Russell was born April 10, 1867, in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland. He was an important leader in the Agricultural Cooperative Movement and in 1905, was appointed the editor of its chief publication, the Irish Homestead. The Irish Homestead later became the Irish Statesman, which Russell edited until 1930. Russell wrote a number of books of poetry, including his first published volume, Homeward: Songs by the Way (1894). In addition to numerous essays, many of which were collected and published, Russell wrote several novels and an autobiography. Russell’s play, Deirdre, was performed at the Irish National Theatre in 1902. George Russell died July 17, 1935, in Bournemouth, England.

Contemporary Authors Online (reproduced in Biography Resource Center). http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioR (accessed February 12, 2010).

Miss Joanna Fortune was a wealthy Chicago native who supported literary publications such as her friend, Jane Heap's The Little Review, and Harriet Monroe's Poetry.

Heap, Jane. Dear Tiny Heart : the letters of Jane Heap and Florence Reynolds. Edited by Holly A. Baggett. New York : New York University Press, 2000. Page 178.

George William Russell wrote to Miss Joanna Fortune to decline a speaking tour in America because of his duties as editor of the

Irish Statesman and his responsibilities with the Agricultural Cooperative Movement.

Russell elaborated on his need to decline by explaining his inability to be away from work for more than a few weeks for vacation a year. He further offered his responsibilities as economic adviser of the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society as a reason. He mentioned the "terrible condition" of his country and compared the fighting between factions to "medieval cities with vendettas in their streets" and saw no way out of the trouble.

Box 60, F0861: Shelved in SPEC MSS 0099 manuscript boxes.

Purchase, November 2009.

Processed and encoded by Anita Wellner, February 2010. Further encoded by George Apodaca, November 2015.

Publisher
University of Delaware Library Special Collections
Finding Aid Author
University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
Finding Aid Date
2015 November 5
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The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

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Collection Inventory

AE, George William Russell letter to Miss Joanna Fortune.
Box 60 Folder F0861

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