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Christopher MorleyAmerican journalist, novelist, essayist and poet
Date of Birth: 05.05.1890
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Christopher Morley
Christopher Morley, an American journalist, novelist, essayist, and poet, was born on May 5, 1890, in Haverford, Pennsylvania. His father, Frank Morley, was a mathematics professor at Haverford College, while his mother, Lilian Janet Bird, was a poet and musician who instilled in Christopher a love for literature and poetry. The family moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1900.
Morley attended Haverford College, graduating in 1910 and delivering the farewell speech at the commencement ceremony. He then spent the next three years at New College, Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship, studying modern history. In 1913, after completing his studies at Oxford, Christopher moved to Garden City, New York, where he married Helen Fairchild. They had four children together and lived in Hempstead and later Queens Village before settling in Roslyn Estates, New York in 1920.
In Roslyn Estates, Morley built a house called "Green Escape" and in 1936, he built a cabin on the property to serve as his writing retreat. However, after experiencing a series of strokes in 1951, his health declined, and he wrote significantly less. Christopher Morley passed away on March 28, 1957, and was buried in a local cemetery. After his death, his widow sold his personal papers and book collection to the University of Texas at Austin.
Early Life and Writing Career
Morley began writing while in college, serving as the editor of "The Haverfordian," the university newspaper, and contributing articles to it. He also worked on scripts for the college's theater department and excelled in sports, playing cricket and football for the university teams. In 1912, he published his first collection of poetry, "The Eighth Sin," while at Oxford. Upon returning to the United States, he started his literary career as an advertising copywriter and the first reader of manuscripts at Doubleday Publishing.
In 1917, Morley became a newspaper reporter and eventually a columnist for a newspaper in Philadelphia. He also served as an editor for "Ladies' Home Journal" from 1917 to 1918 and the "Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger." His first novel, "Parnassus on Wheels," was published in 1917 and featured the wandering book peddler Roger Mifflin. The character of Mifflin returned in Morley's second novel, "The Haunted Bookshop," published in 1919.
Morley later became an editor for the "New York Evening Post" in 1920 and was one of the founding members and long-time writing editor of the "Saturday Review of Literature." Known for his sociability, Morley organized the "Three Hours for Lunch Club" and was a devoted fan of Sherlock Holmes stories.
Notable Works and Legacy
Morley authored over 100 novels, essay collections, and poetry anthologies. His most famous work is the 1939 novel "Kitty Foyle," which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film. The book, one of the first to openly discuss abortion, became an instant bestseller, selling over a million copies.
Morley was also a close friend of Don Marquis, the creator of popular literary characters such as Archy the cockroach and Mehitabel the streetwise cat. In 1924, the two collaborated on the novel "Pandora Lifts The Lid."
Interestingly, Morley wrote his own obituary for the biographical dictionary "Twentieth Century Authors" in 1942.
Christopher Morley's contributions to literature and his versatile writing career have made him a notable figure in American letters. His works continue to be appreciated for their wit, charm, and exploration of various themes.
