Mary Spear Nicholas Tiernan


Mary Spear Nicholas Tiernan was a 19th-century American writer. Her earliest contributions to literature appeared in Bledsoe's "Southern Review." Her first novel, Homoselle, was the most popular and successful of the "Round Robin Series." Tiernan, encouraged with the reception with which her first novel had met, entered upon an active career, writing for "The Century" and "Harper's Magazine" and publishing two additional novels, Sousette and Jack Horner, 1890. The last of these included a second edition.

Early years

Mary Spear Nicholas was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1836, or February 14, 1835. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Byrd Ambler and Robert Carter Nichols.

Career

Much of Tiernan's early life was spent in Richmond, Virginia, which is depicted in her novels, Homoselle, Suzette, and Jack Horner. She was a contributor to The Century and Scribner's Magazines, and to Southern Review. Her literary work was often the most interesting part of the programs of the Eight O'Clock Club, and the Woman's Literary Club, of which she was one of the founders.

Personal life

On July 23, 1873, she married Charles B. Tiernan, of Baltimore. She died of pneumonia on January 13, 1891 in Baltimore, and was buried in Green Mount Cemetery.

Selected works