author
Mary Ashley Townsend
1832–1901
A nineteenth-century poet and novelist with a sharp wit, she wrote under the pen name “Xariffa” and became known for both lyrical verse and lively, humorous sketches. Her work was closely tied to New Orleans, where she built a literary reputation and published widely.
1 Audiobook
The brother clerks : a tale of New-Orleans
by Mary Ashley Townsend
About the author
Born Mary Ashley Van Voorhis in Lyons, New York, she is often listed with the birth year 1832, though some sources give 1836. After marrying Gideon Townsend, she made her life in New Orleans, a city that strongly shaped her writing and public identity.
Writing as Xariffa, she gained attention for poetry as well as for humorous prose pieces sometimes described as “Quillotypes.” Her books included Xariffa’s Poems, and she was known in her day as a popular regional voice with a gift for both sentiment and satire.
She also stood out for her literary connections beyond the United States: sources note that she was invited to join Mexico’s Liceo Hidalgo, an unusual honor for an American writer of her time. She died in 1901, leaving behind a body of work remembered for its wit, feeling, and strong sense of place.