author
Olive Tilford Dargan
1869–1968
A poet and novelist shaped by the mountains of the American South, she wrote with equal feeling about beauty, hardship, and everyday people. Her long career ranged from lyrical early poems to later fiction and social writing rooted in the lives of Appalachian communities.
7 Audiobooks
The Flutter of the Goldleaf, and Other Plays
by Olive Tilford Dargan, Frederick Peterson
The Mortal Gods, and Other Plays
by Olive Tilford Dargan
Lords and Lovers, and Other Dramas
by Olive Tilford Dargan
The Welsh Pony, Described in two letters to a friend
by Olive Tilford Dargan
Path Flower, and Other Verses
by Olive Tilford Dargan
Semiramis, and Other Plays
by Olive Tilford Dargan
Highland annals
by Olive Tilford Dargan
About the author
Born in Grayson County, Kentucky, on January 11, 1869, she spent part of her youth in the Ozarks and later became closely connected with western North Carolina. She first worked in education, then built a literary career as both a poet and novelist.
Her early books won attention for their lyric poetry, and over time her writing broadened to include novels, regional studies, and work focused on mountain life. North Carolina sources note that the University of North Carolina awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters in 1924, recognizing the impact of her work.
She lived a remarkably long life, dying on January 22, 1968. Today she is remembered for writing that joined a poet’s ear with a deep interest in Southern landscapes and the lives of ordinary people.