Dorothea Brande
- Writer
American author, lecturer and magazine editor, Dorothea Brande, was the
youngest of five children born to Frederick S. and Alice P. Thompson of
Chicago, Illinois. Alice Dorothea Alden Thompson was born in Englewood,
a Chicago community, on 12 January, 1892. Both of her parents were
originally from Maine and had previously lived in Delaware where her
three oldest siblings were born. Her father was employed as a manager
at local business in the Chicago area. Brande attended the Universities
of Michigan and Chicago, earning her Phi Beta Kappa key at the former.
She went on to work as a newspaper reporter in Chicago and later as
circulation manager for American Mercury magazine during the time of
H.L. Mencken and
George Jean Nathan. In the 1930s she
became an associate editor of Bookman magazine and later its successor
(1934), the American Review. In the years to come Brande would also
operate a nationwide correspondence school for aspiring writers and
tour on the lecture circuit.
In 1916 she married fellow Chicago newspaper reporter Herbert Brande
(abt. 1890-?). Herbert would later gain some notoriety as an editorial
writer. Their marriage ended in divorce sometime before 1930. In 1936
she married Seward B. Collins (1899-1952), who at the time was American
Review's editor.
Her inspirational book, "Wake Up and Live" (1936) was written during
the Great Depression and was a best seller and her most successful
book. She was also the author of "Becoming a Writer" (1934), "Most
Beautiful Lady" (1935), "Letters to Philippa"(1937), "My Invincible
Aunt" (1938) and others.
Dorothea Brande passed away at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston
on 17 December, 1948. She was survived by her husband, son Justin
Brande (1917-2000) and adopted son Gilbert Collins. Justin was a dairy
farmer who later became a respected conservationist on behalf of the
state or Vermont.
youngest of five children born to Frederick S. and Alice P. Thompson of
Chicago, Illinois. Alice Dorothea Alden Thompson was born in Englewood,
a Chicago community, on 12 January, 1892. Both of her parents were
originally from Maine and had previously lived in Delaware where her
three oldest siblings were born. Her father was employed as a manager
at local business in the Chicago area. Brande attended the Universities
of Michigan and Chicago, earning her Phi Beta Kappa key at the former.
She went on to work as a newspaper reporter in Chicago and later as
circulation manager for American Mercury magazine during the time of
H.L. Mencken and
George Jean Nathan. In the 1930s she
became an associate editor of Bookman magazine and later its successor
(1934), the American Review. In the years to come Brande would also
operate a nationwide correspondence school for aspiring writers and
tour on the lecture circuit.
In 1916 she married fellow Chicago newspaper reporter Herbert Brande
(abt. 1890-?). Herbert would later gain some notoriety as an editorial
writer. Their marriage ended in divorce sometime before 1930. In 1936
she married Seward B. Collins (1899-1952), who at the time was American
Review's editor.
Her inspirational book, "Wake Up and Live" (1936) was written during
the Great Depression and was a best seller and her most successful
book. She was also the author of "Becoming a Writer" (1934), "Most
Beautiful Lady" (1935), "Letters to Philippa"(1937), "My Invincible
Aunt" (1938) and others.
Dorothea Brande passed away at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston
on 17 December, 1948. She was survived by her husband, son Justin
Brande (1917-2000) and adopted son Gilbert Collins. Justin was a dairy
farmer who later became a respected conservationist on behalf of the
state or Vermont.