Brenda Ueland

Brenda Ueland (October 24, 1891-March 5, 1985) was born in Minneapolis in 1891. She graduated from Barnard College and became the first female reporter on the Minneapolis Tribune. Relocating to Greenwich Village, Ueland worked as an editor and freelance writer and befriended writers and radicals like John Reed and Eugene O’Neill. After returning to Minneapolis, she continued her work as a journalist and received the Knights of St. Olaf medal from the Norwegian government. Ueland died at age 93 in 1985.

In addition to freelance writing and reporting, Ueland also wrote two books. If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence, and Spirit was published in 1938; in it, she shares her personal philosophy toward both writing and life. She gives twelve points to remember while writing. It was reissued by Graywolf Press and remains a bestseller. Ueland’s other book is an autobiography called Me: A Memoir.