Noted biographer Cynthia Griffin Wolff, a esteemed professor at MIT for many years, passes away at the age of 87.
Cynthia Griffin Wolff, Renowned Scholar of Literature, Bids Adieu
Say Goodbye to Cynthia Griffin Wolff, the esteemed American literature scholar who left this world on July 25 at the age of 87.
In 1980, Cynthia found her academic home at MIT, receiving the Class of 1922 Professor of Humanities title five years later. She taught in the Literature Section and subsequently shifted to the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies. With a focus on 19th and 20th century female American writers, she remained a reputable figure at MIT until her retirement in 2003.
Born on August 20, 1934, in Saint Louis, Missouri, Cynthia had an impressive academic journey, earning her PhD in English from Harvard University in 1965 following stints with Radcliffe College and Harvard Medical School. Prior to MIT, she was a tenured professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the English and American literature department.
Two significant literary biographies marked Cynthia's career: "A Feast of Words: The Triumph of Edith Wharton" (1977) and "Emily Dickinson" (1986). Known for her painstaking approach, she meticulously unearthed primary sources before even drafting and analyzed her subjects' works with an in-depth understanding of their historical and personal contexts.
Cynthia embarked on a literary biography of Willa Cather years before her retirement but found it challenging to bring the work to fruition.
Kenneth Manning, the Thomas Meloy Professor of Rhetoric at MIT, reflects on Cynthia, stating, "As a devoted teacher and an inspired scholar, Cynthia Griffin Wolff indelibly marked her literary legacy worldwide with her groundbreaking biographies of Edith Wharton and Emily Dickinson. I was eagerly awaiting the same creative brilliance in her biography of Willa Cather."
Post-retirement, Cynthia spent most of her time in South Dennis, Massachusetts, residing in an early 19th-century Cape Colonial that she carefully restored. Later, she moved into the Orchard Cove senior community in Canton, Massachusetts.
She leaves behind sons Patrick and Tobias, daughter-in-law Diana, and two grandchildren, Samuel and Athena.
Though specific details about Cynthia's work on Willa Cather are unavailable, her unfinished labor would likely dive deep into Cather's life, literary accomplishments, and legacy. For a thorough understanding of her potentially unfinished biography, consulting literary archives or scholarly publications closely related to Cynthia's research may provide valuable insights.
- Cynthia Griffin Wolff, an accomplished scholar in the field of American literature, was a faculty member at MIT, focusing on education and self-development, particularly in the area of 19th and 20th century female American writers.
- Throughout her career, Cynthia conducted extensive research and made significant contributions to science and society, as showcased by her two critical literary biographies, "A Feast of Words: The Triumph of Edith Wharton" and "Emily Dickinson."
- Post-retirement, personal growth remained a priority for Cynthia, as she dedicated her time to technology by restoring an early 19th-century Cape Colonial home.
- Though her work on William Cather remains unfinished, learning more about Cynthia's approach to research, through her published works and literary archives, may provide valuable insights into what she may have discovered about Cather's life, literary accomplishments, and legacy.
