Mary Wilder Tileston

Born in Boston in 1843, Mary Wilder Tileston was an American editor, compiler, and poet whose books brought together poetry, prayers, hymns, and short passages for daily reading. She is especially associated with devotional collections such as Daily Strength for Daily Needs, a widely known anthology designed to offer brief encouragement throughout the year.

Tileston wrote and edited across several genres, including religious and reflective verse, literary collections, and children's work. Rather than being known for a single novel or poem, she is remembered for her gift for selection and arrangement: bringing voices from many writers into books meant to comfort, inspire, and accompany ordinary life.

She died in 1934. Today, her name endures mainly through the long afterlife of her anthologies, which continue to interest readers drawn to classic devotional writing and thoughtfully gathered verse.