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Glaspell, Susan (1876–1948) By Gainor, J. Ellen
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Susan Glaspell shaped the development of American Modernism not only as an award-winning author but also as a founding member of the Provincetown Players, the groundbreaking theater company that nurtured other American modernists such as Eugene O’Neill.
Although she spent most of her career on the East Coast, Glaspell hailed from Davenport, Iowa, and attended Drake University in Des Moines. While still a teenager, she began working in journalism; after college, she joined the staff of the Des Moines Daily News, covering the State Legislature and criminal trials. Glaspell also began to write short fiction and soon decided to pursue creative writing exclusively, publishing her first novel, The Glory of the Conquered (1909), while continuing to place stories in leading magazines.