Emily Edson Briggs

author

Emily Edson Briggs

1831–1910

One of the first American women to gain a national reputation as a reporter, she brought Washington politics to life with wit, color, and a sharp eye for society. Writing as “Olivia,” she turned the capital’s everyday dramas into lively reading for a broad audience.

1 Audiobook

The Olivia Letters Being Some History of Washington City for Forty Years as Told by the Letters of a Newspaper Correspondent

The Olivia Letters Being Some History of Washington City for Forty Years as Told by the Letters of a Newspaper Correspondent

by Emily Edson Briggs

About the author

Born Emily Pomona Edson Briggs in Ohio, she later grew up near Chicago, taught for a time, and married John R. Briggs in the 1850s. After moving to Washington during the Civil War era, she found her place in journalism and began writing about the capital with unusual confidence and style.

Using the pen name Olivia, she became known for vivid newspaper letters and commentary that blended politics, personality, and social observation. She is remembered as one of the first American women journalists to achieve national recognition, and she was also among the early women admitted to the congressional press galleries.

Her best-known book, The Olivia Letters (1906), looks back on decades of life in Washington, D.C. Today she stands out as a pioneering reporter who helped open political journalism to women while giving readers an entertaining, close-up view of public life.