Mary Noailles Murfree’s literary career followed the vicissitudes of the American local color movement that occurred in the late-nineteenth century. Murfree, who published under the pseudonym Charles Egbert Craddock, rose from the ranks of the unknown to become one of the most sought-after writers of regional literature in the 1870s and 1880s, publishing nearly all her stories in the prestigious

Atlantic Monthly

and her novels with admired presses. While Murfree’s production remained steady into the new century, her popularity waned with that of local color, and she was never able to recapture her initial fame.

Murfree was born on January 24, 1850 at Grantland, a family estate near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Murfree came from a distinguished family of the Southeastern United States, and

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Citation: Hardwig, Bill. "Mary N. Murfree". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 July 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3263, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3263 Mary N. Murfree 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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