American Literature: Biographies

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. The Oxford Companion to American Literature Further reading

Richard Watson Gilder

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Richard Watson Gilder , 1844–1909, American editor and poet, b. Bordentown, N.J. In 1869 he became an editor of the magazine Hours at Home, which merged with Scribner's Monthly in 1870. Just before Scribner's became the Century, Gilder succeeded J. G. Holland as its editor (1881), a position he retained until his death. The Century was a leading publication during his life. In 1874 he married an artist, Helena de Kaye, and their home became a literary and artistic center; the Authors' Club was founded there in 1882. Gilder's volumes of poetry include The New Day (1875) and The Fire Divine (1907).

Bibliography: See his letters (ed. by his daughter, Rosamund Gilder, 1916).

His sister was Jeannette Leonard Gilder, 1849–1916, American editor and novelist, b. Flushing, N.Y. She was an assistant editor of Scribner's Monthly. With her brother Joseph Gilder, she was coeditor of the Critic from 1881 to 1885, after which she was sole editor until 1906. A keen dramatic and music critic, she wrote columns for various newspapers.

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Gilder, Richard Watson

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | | Copyright

Gilder, Richard Watson (1844–1909), was an assistant editor of Scribner's Monthly after 1870, and when it was succeeded by The Century (1881) remained as editor until his death. In this position he was a leader of New York artistic, civic, and social life. The best of his 16 volumes of poetry is The New Day (1875), a cycle of love sonnets. He characterized his verse as “insufficient but irrepressible,” and called himself a “squire of poesy.” He also wrote books on Lincoln (1909) and Cleveland (1910), and his Letters (1916) were edited by his daughter Rosamond, later a writer on theatrical subjects and editor of Theatre Arts Monthly (1945–48). His sister Jeannette (1849–1916) assisted him on Scribner's, wrote columns for various newspapers, of which Chats about Books was distinguished as probably the first American literary gossip column, and with another brother, Joseph B., wrote Authors at Home (1888).

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Gilder, Richard Watson." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Gilder, Richard Watson." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-GilderRichardWatson.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Gilder, Richard Watson." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-GilderRichardWatson.html

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