author
Mary Catherine Crowley
1856–1920
A Boston-born writer with a gift for both poetry and storytelling, she wrote for children, magazine readers, and Catholic audiences at a time when literary careers for women were still hard-won. Her work moves easily between grace, sentiment, and a lively interest in history and faith.
1 Audiobook
Apples, Ripe and Rosy, Sir And Other Stories for Boys and Girls
by Mary Catherine Crowley
About the author
Born in Boston on November 28, 1856, Mary Catherine Crowley was an American author who also wrote under the pen name Janet Grant. She was known for poems and novels, and contemporary accounts also describe her as a skilled musician and linguist.
Crowley began publishing in the late 1870s, contributing poems and short stories to magazines including Wide Awake, St. Nicholas Magazine, Ladies' Home Journal, and The Pilot. She later lived in Detroit for about a decade, where she worked with the Detroit Free Press and became active in Catholic literary circles.
Her writing ranged from children's literature to historical and religious subjects, giving her a broad readership. She died on May 4, 1920, but her career still offers a vivid glimpse of an author who was at home in both popular magazines and more devotional, reflective writing.