Katherine Garrison Chapin | |
|---|---|
 Chapin c. 1942 | |
| Born | September 4, 1890 Waterford, Connecticut, US |
| Died | December 30, 1977 (aged 87) Devon, Pennsylvania, US |
| Education | Miss Keller's School Columbia University |
| Years active | 1920s–1950s |
| Notable works | Lament for the Stolen (1938) And They Lynched Him on a Tree (1940) Plain-Chant for America (1941) |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Charlotte Mason (aunt) Cornelia Chapin (sister) Marguerite Caetani (half-sister) Schuyler Chapin (nephew) |
Katherine Garrison Chapin (September 4, 1890 – December 30, 1977), sometimes known by her married name Katherine Biddle, was an American poet, librettist, and playwright. She is best known for two collaborations with composer William Grant Still: And They Lynched Him on a Tree (1940) and Plain-Chant for America (1941).
Chapin began publishing poems in the late 1920s, in the popular press and in literary journals including Poetry. Many of her works, including her two joint compositions with Still, were musical libretti. Her corpus covers a variety of subjects, but evinces a particular fascination with politics and racial justice. Critics regarded her work as skilled, traditional, and somewhat lacking in feeling.