Ethel M. (Ethel May) Kelley

Born on June 21, 1878, in West Harwich, Massachusetts, Ethel May Kelley was an American writer active in the early decades of the twentieth century. Reliable reference sources describe her as a novelist, short-story writer, and poet, and record that she died on August 1, 1955.

Kelley’s career appears to have ranged widely. Contemporary and reference sources note that she wrote children’s books and poetry, edited magazines, and later became known for fiction. Her work includes novels such as Beauty and Mary Blair, Turn About Eleanor, and Outside Inn, along with books for younger readers.

She is remembered today as a versatile popular author whose writing bridged children’s literature and adult fiction. Her surviving books suggest a writer comfortable with both light, engaging storytelling and the literary magazine world of her time.