author
Anne C. Lynch (Anne Charlotte Lynch) Botta
1815–1891
A poet, teacher, and salon host, she helped shape 19th-century American literary life by bringing writers, artists, and thinkers together in her New York home. Her work ranged from poetry and essays to a widely used handbook of world literature.
1 Audiobook
Handbook of Universal Literature, From the Best and Latest Authorities
by Anne C. Lynch (Anne Charlotte Lynch) Botta
About the author
Born in Bennington, Vermont, in 1815, Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta built an unusually varied literary career. She studied at the Albany Female Academy, taught young women in Providence and Brooklyn, and began publishing poetry and prose while still quite young.
She became especially known for the salon she hosted in New York, a gathering place for many leading writers, artists, and public figures of her day. Alongside that role, she published poems, essays, reviews, and Handbook of Universal Literature, a book that helped introduce readers to a broad range of authors and traditions.
After marrying Italian-born scholar Vincenzo Botta in 1855, she continued to be an active presence in literary and cultural circles. Remembered for both her own writing and her gift for creating community, she remains a vivid figure in the story of American literary society.