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Author: Scott, Jonathan M.

Biography:

SCOTT, Jonathan M. (fl 1817)

In 1817, Scott alluded to "poverty" as a motive for publishing two long poems with historical and explanatory notes, modelled on Walter Scott (q.v.). In the preface to Blue Lights, he further describes himself as a native of Connecticut who had suffered hardship in youth but who now in "old age" is "a district teacher in the village of ----." Blue Lightswas first proposed for publication by subscription at the cost of $1 a copy, but there is no subscription list in the published volume and the bookseller's price was fifty cents, so it seems probable that the subscription was a failure. The poems were successful enough that both had second editions, however, and Samuel Kettell published extracts in his influential collection of American poets in 1829. The Connecticut connection seems to be sound--the subscription proposal and early advertisements came from Hartford CT--but the other details may be fanciful. The author, who identifies himself as "Esq.," uses Latin epigraphs and was certainly educated, but he was not a graduate of Yale and no documents have been found about his life. (American Mercury [Hartford CT] 30 Apr. 1816; Kettell)

 

Books written (4):