The Gilded Age was a rich time in American literature. In this episode, we explore a few of the more prominent and popular authors of the era who were writing about everyday life and the lived experiences of women, people of color, and many others during this historical time period. Exploring their work and activities in the 1880s gives us a more well-rounded view of what was actually happening in the U.S. at the time of the Gilded Age.

What inspired this episode?

Fictional Peggy Scott has been trying to get her work published in a magazine or other publication, but she has faced challenges along the way despite her obvious talent. We started to wonder what writers were prominent in the time, with a particular focus on women and black women like Peggy.

What we discovered was a rich body of American literature th ...