Ann S (Ann Sophia) Stephens

Ann Sophia Stephens (1810-1886) was an American novelist and magazine editor who is credited as the progenitor of the dime novel genre. She began her writing career in Portland, Maine, where she co-founded and edited the Portland Magazine. Later, in New York, she served as the editor of The Ladies Companion and adopted the pseudonym Jonathan Slick. Stephens wrote over twenty-five serial novels, along with short stories and poems for well-known periodicals. Her novel "Malaeska, the Indian Wife...See more

Ann Sophia Stephens (1810-1886) was an American novelist and magazine editor who is credited as the progenitor of the dime novel genre. She began her writing career in Portland, Maine, where she co-founded and edited the Portland Magazine. Later, in New York, she served as the editor of The Ladies Companion and adopted the pseudonym Jonathan Slick. Stephens wrote over twenty-five serial novels, along with short stories and poems for well-known periodicals. Her novel "Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter" is considered the first dime novel and was highly influential. Stephens also published her own magazine, Mrs Stephens' Illustrated New Monthly. Her works include "High Life in New York," "The Old Homestead," and "A Noble Woman." See less