Mary Hunter Austin

Date of Birth: September 9, 1868

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: August 13, 1934

Biography

Mary Hunter Austin was an influential American writer best known for her evocative works about the American Southwest. Born on September 9, 1868, in Carlinville, Illinois, Austin developed a deep connection to nature and the landscape, which became a central theme in many of her writings. She graduated from Blackburn College in Illinois and moved to California in 1888, where she spent much of her life exploring and documenting the desert environment. Her most famous work, “The Land of Little Rain” (1903), is a collection of essays that beautifully describe the arid landscapes and the people who inhabit them. Austin was also an early advocate for environmental conservation and women’s rights, often blending these themes into her literary work. Throughout her life, she published over 30 books, encompassing novels, essays, and plays. Austin was involved in the literary and artistic communities of her time, often collaborating with other notable figures, including Ansel Adams and Robinson Jeffers. She passed away on August 13, 1934, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but her legacy lives on through her contributions to American literature and environmental thought.

5 Interesting Facts about Mary Hunter Austin

1. Mary Hunter Austin was a founding member of the Sierra Club, an influential environmental organization in the United States.

2. “The Land of Little Rain” was illustrated by E. Boyd Smith, whose drawings added a visual depth to Austin’s vivid descriptions.

3. Austin was a close friend of photographer Ansel Adams, and they shared a mutual love for the American Southwest’s landscapes.

4. In addition to her literary career, Austin was a playwright and had several of her plays produced during her lifetime.

5. She was a staunch advocate for Native American rights and often incorporated their perspectives and voices into her works.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Mary Hunter Austin

1. “Man is the end of nature; nothing so easily defiles and corrupts her.”

2. “The land is a great teacher, and the best instruction is to live in it and learn its ways.”

3. “We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals.”

4. “I confess I have a soft spot for any landscape that has a rock in it.”

5. “The land of little rain is one of the last places in America where you can still see the sky as it was meant to be seen.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Mary Hunter Austin’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but she was not known to have amassed significant wealth from her literary career.

Children

Mary Hunter Austin had one child, a daughter named Ruth Austin. Tragically, Ruth was intellectually disabled, which added significant personal challenges to Austin’s life.