| Birth Date: | August 28, 1898 |
| Death Date: | May 26, 1980 |
| Resting Place: | Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hamden, New Haven County, Connecticut, U.S.[1] |
| Notable Works: | Phases of the Moon (1936) and Mortal Sequence (1939) |
| Education: | Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California), Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College |
Charlotte Wilder (Aug 28, 1898 – May 26, 1980 Brattleboro, Vermont) was an American poet and academic who worked in the Federal Writers Project.
Wilder published poetry in The Nation and Poetry Magazine. She also published poetry collections in 1936 and 1939.
Wilder was the daughter of Amos Parker Wilder and Isabella Thornton Niven. She was the third child and eldest sister of Thornton Wilder, Isabel Wilder, Janet Wilder Dakin, and Amos Wilder.[2]
Wilder grew up in Berkeley, California, and graduated from Berkeley High School. In 1919, she received her Bachelor of Arts in English literature, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Mount Holyoke College in 1919. In 1925, Wilder received an M.A. from Radcliffe College.
After graduation from college, Wilder taught at Wheaton College. In 1928, she became an assistant professor of English at Smith College, where she taught until 1931. In 1934, Wilder became a full-time poet.[3]
Wilder also worked for the Atlantic Monthly as a proof reader and for The Youth's Companion.
According to an article in the January 15, 1983, issue of The Nation, ("New Deal New York" by Frederika Randall), Wilder worked on the Federal Writers' Project during the 1930s.[4]
Wilder experienced a mental health crisis in 1941, the repercussions of which lasted until her death. She died on May 26, 1980, in a nursing home in Brattleboro.
The following works appeared in The Nation:
The following works appeared in Poetry Magazine:[5]
Two collections of her work were published by Coward-McCann, Inc.: Phases of the Moon (1936) and Mortal Sequence (1939).