Stories of Romance

Allan Cunningham

1784–1842

A stonemason’s apprentice from rural Scotland who became a prolific poet, songwriter, novelist, and journalist in London, he built a career out of storytelling in many forms. His work is especially remembered for drawing on Scottish history, legend, and song.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

1809–1894

A celebrated voice of 19th-century America, this physician-writer mixed wit, warmth, and sharp observation in poems and essays that made him a household name. He is especially remembered for the lively Breakfast-Table series and for "Old Ironsides," the poem that helped save the USS Constitution.

Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford

1835–1921

An American writer of gothic tales, poetry, and novels, she brought vivid atmosphere and psychological intensity to 19th-century magazines and books. Her work helped push popular fiction toward something stranger, darker, and more daring.

John Wilson

1785–1854

Best known by the pen name Christopher North, this energetic Scottish writer mixed criticism, poetry, and lively magazine writing with a long career in academia. His work helped shape the voice of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine and made him a memorable figure in 19th-century literary life.