Grace Clarke Newton

Grace Clarke Newton was an American writer and poet whose work appeared in the early 20th century. A Project Gutenberg edition of A Hunting Alphabet lists her as the author of A Small Girl’s Stories, A Book of Rhyme, and Poems in Passing, showing a range that stretched from children’s writing to light verse and social observation.

She is best remembered for The A B C of Drag Hunting (also published as A Hunting Alphabet), a 1917 book that turns the rituals and mishaps of the hunt field into playful, polished verse. The book’s mix of humor and insider detail suggests a writer who knew the world she was describing and enjoyed making it sparkle for readers.

A Southampton History Museum feature places her in the stylish social world of New York and Southampton during the Gilded Age, describing her as the daughter of Thomas B. Clarke. Even where biographical details remain a little elusive, her surviving books leave a clear impression: she wrote with elegance, a light touch, and a fondness for vivid scenes.