Charles Warren Stoddard
Charles Warren Stoddard (1843–1909) was an American author known for his travel literature and poetry, which often reflected his extensive journeys through regions like the South Pacific, the Middle East, and Alaska. Born in Rochester, New York, and later moving to San Francisco, Stoddard faced health challenges that influenced his education and career. He began publishing poetry in the early 1860s under the pseudonym Pip Pepperpod and found mentorship with notable figures like Bret Harte and Mark Twain.
Stoddard's works are celebrated for their lyrical descriptions and cultural insights; his first book, *South-Sea Idyls*, spurred interest in Polynesia. Although he had a tumultuous personal life marked by alcoholism and a series of fleeting relationships, including same-sex affairs, he maintained close connections with friends who appreciated his conversational talents. His teaching career included roles at the University of Notre Dame and the Catholic University of America. Stoddard’s legacy includes over fifteen books and numerous articles, which are now valued for their historical perspectives on cultures and lifestyles long past. He spent his later years in Monterey, California, where he passed away in 1909.
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Charles Warren Stoddard
- Born: August 7, 1843
- Birthplace: Rochester, New York
- Died: April 23, 1909
- Place of death: Monterey, California
Biography
Charles Warren Stoddard was born on August 7, 1843, in Rochester, New York, the son of Harriet Abigail Freeman Stoddard and Samuel Burr Stoddard. In 1855, the family moved to San Francisco, where his father had a job with a shipping firm, but Charles was sent back to a boarding school in western New York. Two years later, Charles, now fifteen, was called to San Francisco. From 1863 to 1864, he took a preparatory course at the College of California in Oakland, but poor health forced him to drop out. A homosexual, Charles Stoddard had a series of affairs, often with adolescents, but never established a lasting relationship. His most rewarding attachments were with a number of friends, both men and women, who tolerated his alcoholism and his indiscreet behavior because of his gentle nature and his gift for conversation.
Stoddard’s first published work, a poem, appeared anonymously in 1861. Thereafter poetry by Pip Pepperpod, Stoddard’s pseudonym, were published regularly in the Golden Era. In 1864, following medical advice, Stoddard spent six months in Hawaii. Upon his return, he began sending his poems to a new journal, the Californian, which was edited by Bret Harte, a leading writer and journalist. Stoddard’s first book of poetry, Poems, was edited by Harte.
In 1868, Stoddard again went to Hawaii, where his sister lived, and sent back travel letters to the San Francisco Evening Bulletin. In 1870, he sailed to Tahiti on a French ship with a gay crew. After another trip to Hawaii, he went to England, where he was secretary-companion to the humorist Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) during a lecture tour. From England, Stoddard went to Italy and then made his way throughout Europe. He also spent a year in the Middle East and, much later, a summer in Alaska.
Almost all of the fifteen books and the nine hundred periodical articles that Stoddard produced during his lifetime were based on his travels. Stoddard’s travel books were admired for their lyrical descriptions, their insights into different cultures, and their humor. His first book, South-Sea Idyls, captured the ambience of the South Pacific so well that it attracted the attention of Robert Louis Stevenson and established a vogue for Polynesia. His autobiographical work, A Troubled Heart, which describes Stoddard’s conversion to Roman Catholicism, was also praised by critics. However, his one novel, For the Pleasure of His Company, is of interest only because the protagonist is gay.
During most of his life, Stoddard did not hold a regular job but was supported by friends. In 1885, he was hired by the University of Notre Dame to teach literature, but after a year and a half, he was forced to resign because of his involvement with young male students. In 1889, he was appointed chair of English at the new Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He remained there for thirteen years, leaving only when his health worsened. In 1906, Stoddard settled in Monterey, California, where he died three years later.
In his own day, Charles Stoddard created interest in areas of the world with which most of his readers were unfamiliar, such as the South Pacific, the Middle East, and Alaska. A century later, his works were seen as valuable records of ways of life that had long since disappeared.