Marguerite Frances Cowley (née Baird; 1890 – September 23, 1970), known as Peggy Cowley and also as Peggy Baird and by her first married name Peggy Johns, was an American landscape painter. She was married to poet-playwright Orrick Johns and writer Malcolm Cowley and was the lover of playwright Eugene O'Neill and poet Hart Crane.[1][2][3]
Baird was a member of the women's suffrage movement. In 1917, she invited Dorothy Day to join the National Woman's Party.[4] They were jailed for 60 days for their protests but were released after 16 days and pardoned by President Woodrow Wilson.[1]
Personal lifeedit
After divorcing her first husband, Johns, she married Malcolm Cowley in 1919.[5][6] In 1931 she moved to Mexico to obtain a divorce. While there her long friendship with poet Hart Crane turned into Crane's first and only documented heterosexual affair.[7][8][9] As Crane wrote to a friend about his romance with Peggy Cowley, "Rather amazing things have happened to me since Xmas. Peggy Cowley ... is mainly responsible".[10] This affair has since become a major point of interest for Crane scholars—particularly for those reading him with an eye toward his sexuality—as his engagement with heterosexual life is a determining theme in his last major poem, "The Broken Tower". Appearing at moments to be a highly symbolic affirmation of their relationship, as well as a denial of his homosexual past (the 'broken tower' can be read as a defeated phallus), the poem was written just months before Crane committed suicide by jumping off of a passenger ship in 1932, following a trip to Mexico.[11][12]
Though their relationship had begun to deteriorate by that time (Crane said he had "misunderstood and misinterpreted Peggy's character quite badly"), Cowley was with Crane on the boat, and she figures briefly, but poignantly, in the events leading up to his death.[13]Hart Crane and family papers Almost thirty years later, she wrote about this period in an article for Venture, "The Last Days of Hart Crane."[14]
After Crane's death, Cowley married twice more and converted to Catholicism at the age of 60.[15] Cowley died of cancer at Dorothy Day's Catholic Worker Farm in Tivoli, New York, where Cowley had resided for ten years.[16]
Referencesedit
^Johns, Orrick (1937). Time of Our Lives. New York: Stackpole.
^Black, Stephen A. (2002). Eugene O'Neill: Beyond Mourning and Tragedy. Yale University press. p. 201. ISBN0-300-09399-3.
^Hart Crane, The Letters of Hart Crane, 1916-1932 (Hermitage House, 1952), page 403
^Klejment, Anne; Roberts, Nancy L. (1996). American Catholic Pacifism. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 21–22. ISBN0-275-94784-X.
^Cheever, John (28 August 1983). "My Friend, Malcolm Cowley". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
^Krebs, Albin (29 March 1989). "Malcolm Cowley, Writer, Is Dead at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
^Newman, Karen; Clayton, Jay; Hirsch, Marianne (2002). Time and the Literary. Routledge. p. 241. ISBN0-415-93960-7.
^Hart Crane, The Letters of Hart Crane, 1916-1932 (Hermitage House, 1952), page 403
^See, for instance, Harold Bloom's introduction to Mark Simon's edition of Crane's poems, published by Liveright (2000), p. xxx.
^Wald, Alan M. (2012). American Night: The Literary Left in the Era of the Cold War. UNC Press Books. p. 139. ISBN9780807837344. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
^Matthew Marcovic, Peggy Baird Cowley: 'Late Have I Loved Thee': Her Wayward Journey from Greenwich Village to Rome (St. Matthew Books, 2010)
^Paul L. Mariani, Broken Tower: A Life of Hart Crane (W.W. Norton, 2000), page 427)
External linksedit
Letter from Katherine Anne Porter to Peggy Cowley, October 01, 1931
January 01, 1970
peggy, cowley, marguerite, frances, cowley, née, baird, 1890, september, 1970, known, also, peggy, baird, first, married, name, peggy, johns, american, landscape, painter, married, poet, playwright, orrick, johns, writer, malcolm, cowley, lover, playwright, eu. Marguerite Frances Cowley nee Baird 1890 September 23 1970 known as Peggy Cowley and also as Peggy Baird and by her first married name Peggy Johns was an American landscape painter She was married to poet playwright Orrick Johns and writer Malcolm Cowley and was the lover of playwright Eugene O Neill and poet Hart Crane 1 2 3 Peggy CowleyBornMarguerite Frances Baird1890DiedSeptember 23 1970 1970 09 23 aged 79 80 Tivoli New YorkSpousesOrrick Johns div 1919 wbr Malcolm Cowley m 1919 div 1931 wbr Contents 1 Activism 2 Personal life 3 References 4 External linksActivism editBaird was a member of the women s suffrage movement In 1917 she invited Dorothy Day to join the National Woman s Party 4 They were jailed for 60 days for their protests but were released after 16 days and pardoned by President Woodrow Wilson 1 Personal life editAfter divorcing her first husband Johns she married Malcolm Cowley in 1919 5 6 In 1931 she moved to Mexico to obtain a divorce While there her long friendship with poet Hart Crane turned into Crane s first and only documented heterosexual affair 7 8 9 As Crane wrote to a friend about his romance with Peggy Cowley Rather amazing things have happened to me since Xmas Peggy Cowley is mainly responsible 10 This affair has since become a major point of interest for Crane scholars particularly for those reading him with an eye toward his sexuality as his engagement with heterosexual life is a determining theme in his last major poem The Broken Tower Appearing at moments to be a highly symbolic affirmation of their relationship as well as a denial of his homosexual past the broken tower can be read as a defeated phallus the poem was written just months before Crane committed suicide by jumping off of a passenger ship in 1932 following a trip to Mexico 11 12 Though their relationship had begun to deteriorate by that time Crane said he had misunderstood and misinterpreted Peggy s character quite badly Cowley was with Crane on the boat and she figures briefly but poignantly in the events leading up to his death 13 Hart Crane and family papers Almost thirty years later she wrote about this period in an article for Venture The Last Days of Hart Crane 14 After Crane s death Cowley married twice more and converted to Catholicism at the age of 60 15 Cowley died of cancer at Dorothy Day s Catholic Worker Farm in Tivoli New York where Cowley had resided for ten years 16 References edit Johns Orrick 1937 Time of Our Lives New York Stackpole Black Stephen A 2002 Eugene O Neill Beyond Mourning and Tragedy Yale University press p 201 ISBN 0 300 09399 3 Hart Crane The Letters of Hart Crane 1916 1932 Hermitage House 1952 page 403 Klejment Anne Roberts Nancy L 1996 American Catholic Pacifism Greenwood Publishing Group pp 21 22 ISBN 0 275 94784 X Cheever John 28 August 1983 My Friend Malcolm Cowley The New York Times Retrieved 21 October 2019 Krebs Albin 29 March 1989 Malcolm Cowley Writer Is Dead at 90 The New York Times Retrieved 21 October 2019 Newman Karen Clayton Jay Hirsch Marianne 2002 Time and the Literary Routledge p 241 ISBN 0 415 93960 7 Mariani Paul The Broken Tower p 377 Murphy Brenda Monteiro George 2016 Eugene O Neill Remembered University of Alabama Press p 333 ISBN 9780817319311 Retrieved 21 October 2019 Hart Crane The Letters of Hart Crane 1916 1932 Hermitage House 1952 page 403 See for instance Harold Bloom s introduction to Mark Simon s edition of Crane s poems published by Liveright 2000 p xxx Wald Alan M 2012 American Night The Literary Left in the Era of the Cold War UNC Press Books p 139 ISBN 9780807837344 Retrieved 21 October 2019 See the last chapter in Mariani as well as articles on The Broken Tower and Hart Crane s sexuality Vol 4 No 1 1961 Matthew Marcovic Peggy Baird Cowley Late Have I Loved Thee Her Wayward Journey from Greenwich Village to Rome St Matthew Books 2010 Paul L Mariani Broken Tower A Life of Hart Crane W W Norton 2000 page 427 External links editLetter from Katherine Anne Porter to Peggy Cowley October 01 1931 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Peggy Cowley amp oldid 1215525011, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
