Anna Benneson McMahan

Born in Quincy, Illinois, in 1846, Anna Benneson McMahan became an American writer, lecturer, and traveler whose career grew out of a strong literary education and wide cultural interests. She later wrote for the Chicago Tribune as a weekly columnist, and her published work shows a lasting interest in major figures of English literature.

After the death of her husband, Dr. Robert W. McMahan, she spent time traveling in Europe. Those journeys informed several of her best-known books, including With Byron in Italy, With Shelley in Italy, Florence in the Poetry of the Brownings, and works centered on Shakespeare. Her writing often blends biography, literary appreciation, and a sense of place, inviting readers to encounter famous authors through the worlds they lived in.

McMahan died in 1919. Though not widely known today, she left behind a thoughtful body of work that reflects both deep reading and firsthand exploration, making her an appealing author for listeners who enjoy literary history and classic subjects.