The Almanacks of Mary Moody Emerson: A Scholarly Digital Edition

Preparation for digital publication of the final thirty-six folders of the Almanacks of Mary Moody Emerson (1774-1863), American scholar and aunt of Ralph Waldo Emerson. (36 months)Born in Concord, Massachusetts, on the eve of the American Revolution, Mary Moody Emerson (1774-1863) was a self-educated scholar and author whose intellectual production bridges the 18th and 19th centuries. Most widely known as the brilliant aunt of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mary Emerson anticipated her nephew's work and published her own pseudonymous essays; her most significant literary production is a series of unpublished manuscripts she called 'Almanacks' (c. 1804-1855). Spanning over 50 years and 1,000 pages, these documents feature characteristics of the spiritual diary, commonplace book, and epistolary essay and reflect the ways in which early American women adapted traditionally 'masculine' genres and subject matter, demonstrated their literary artistry, and engaged in emerging public spheres. The editors are collaborating with the Brown University Women Writers Project to publish a digital edition of the complete Almanacks in its subscription database, Women Writers online.