Charles Macomb Flandrau

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on December 9, 1871, Charles M. Flandrau studied in his hometown before going to Harvard, where he graduated in 1895. He taught literature there for a year, later worked as a tutor abroad, and spent time editing The Youth’s Companion in New York before returning to St. Paul.

His first novel, Harvard Episodes, drew on college life with an insider’s eye and found an audience, followed by The Diary of a Freshman. He is best known for Viva Mexico!, a travel book shaped by his experiences on his brother’s coffee plantation in Mexico. Along with his own writing, he was part of St. Paul’s literary scene and encouraged younger writers through the Nimbus Club.

Later in life, after his mother’s death, his writing and social life diminished, and he lived more quietly, dividing his time among St. Paul, Spain, and France. He died on March 29, 1938.