author
Delia Austrian
1874–1928
A sharp-eyed American journalist and drama critic, she wrote about theater with enough influence that a major Drama League honor was later named for her. Her work also left behind a rich record of literary and theatrical interests.
1 Audiobook
Ways of War and Peace
by Delia Austrian
About the author
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1874, Delia Austrian became an American journalist with a strong connection to the theater world. She studied at the University of Chicago and built a career as a writer and critic at a time when women were still fighting for space in public literary life.
Austrian is best remembered for her work in dramatic criticism and for the reputation she earned among theater circles. After her death in 1928, her name lived on through the Delia Austrian Medal, an award created by the Drama League that later became the Distinguished Performance Award.
Her legacy also survives in archives and library collections associated with her papers and her bequest of books and materials related to drama and writing. Taken together, they suggest a life deeply invested in literature, performance, and the craft of storytelling.