Harriet Prescott Spofford

A contemporary of Emily Dickinson, Harriet Prescott Spofford was born in 1835 in Maine. She began writing to support her invalid parents, and over 60 years, she wrote in almost every genre. Like Dickinson, she was guided by Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Higginson suggested to Dickinson that she should read Spofford's work (letter 261). She is most well-known for her Gothic adventure stories, and Dickinson particularly liked the passion and imagination in her words.