author
Eunice Tietjens
1884–1944
A central figure in Chicago’s literary scene, this widely traveled poet, novelist, and editor brought an unusually international outlook to early 20th-century American writing. Her work was shaped by years abroad and by a long, influential role at Poetry magazine.
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About the author
Born Eunice Strong Hammond in Chicago in 1884, she was educated in Europe and went on to build a literary career as a poet, novelist, journalist, and editor. She is often associated with the Chicago Renaissance, and her writing drew energy from extensive travel in Asia, Europe, North Africa, and the South Pacific.
Her poems began appearing in Poetry in the 1910s, and she later served for more than twenty-five years as Harriet Monroe’s associate editor at the magazine. During World War I, she also worked in France as a correspondent for the Chicago Daily News, adding journalism to an already varied career.
Tietjens wrote across genres, including poetry, fiction, and books for younger readers, and she was known for bringing a global, curious perspective to her work. She died in Chicago in 1944, but she remains remembered as an important literary voice and a steady presence behind one of America’s most influential poetry magazines.