Booth Tarkington (1869-1946) was a novelist and playwright from Indiana, well known for his depiction of life in the Midwest. The Pulitzer Prize was awarded to him for The Magnificent Ambersons (1918) and for Alice Adams (1921), two novels that humorously portray the hypocrisies of upper class families. He attended Purdue University and Princeton, where he was a well-known literary and social figure. In later life he divided his time between Indiana and his estate, Seawood, in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he became friends with neighbor Kenneth Roberts.
“Jewett, Tarkington, and the Maine Line” by Richard Cary (Colby Library Quarterly, February 1956) contains details about Tarkington’s life and work.
COLLECTION DETAILS
Our Booth Tarkington Collection contains letters, manuscripts, memorabilia, photographs and clippings and is described online.
Additional work consulted:
“Booth Tarkington.” American National Biography Online. Web. 19 March 2015.
HIGHLIGHTED DONORS FOR THIS COLLECTION
Florence (Mrs Ben Ames) Williams – primary donor