Michael E. Stone

Katherine Harris Bradley (1846–1914) and Edith Emma Cooper (1862–1913) were English authors who collaborated under the pseudonym Michael Field. They were also romantic partners for over 40 years. Together, they produced approximately 40 works, including poetry and verse dramas, as well as a lengthy journal titled 'Works and Days.' Their intention was to keep their shared identity secret, but this became known publicly. Bradley's family had connections to esoteric figures like Joanna Southcott, and she herself was influenced by Aestheticism and figures like Walter Pater. Cooper later became an active Catholic, a religious shift also reflected in their later writings. Their work often explored themes influenced by classical and Renaissance culture, particularly Sappho. They maintained a wide circle of literary and artistic friends, including Robert Browning, Oscar Wilde, and Charles Ricketts. Despite early critical attention, their recognition waned, a situation often attributed to the revelation of their joint authorship. They were devoted to each other and their pets, with their joint journal documenting their lives and intellectual pursuits.

Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper adopted the shared pseudonym Michael Field to publish their approximately 40 collaborative works. This partnership, which began after they agreed to live together in the late 1870s, also represented a lifelong romantic relationship. Their early joint publications included 'Bellerophôn' under different pseudonyms before they settled on Michael Field for their 1884 work 'Callirhöe and Fair Rosamund.' The secrecy of their joint pen-name was intended but eventually revealed, reportedly after confiding in Robert Browning. Their shared identity was central to their concept of oneness, with friends referring to them collectively as 'the Fields' or 'the Michaels.' Their joint journal, 'Works and Days,' documented their lives and creative endeavors together.

The work of Michael Field was significantly influenced by the Aesthetic movement, particularly the ideas of Walter Pater. Katherine Bradley's background included familial ties to followers of Joanna Southcott, and she herself engaged with Ruskin's utopian projects. Both authors developed a broad network within the literary and artistic communities of their time. They were acquainted with prominent figures such as Robert Browning, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling, and the painters Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon, near whom they settled in Richmond. Their intellectual circle also included figures like Vernon Lee and J. A. Symonds. Their shared devotion extended to their pets, notably their dog Whym Chow, to whom they dedicated a book of poems.

The spiritual journey of Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper marked a significant evolution in their lives and work. Initially, their writing was influenced by classical and Renaissance paganism, with a particular interest in Sappho. However, following the death of Cooper's father in 1899 and a period of emotional disturbance after the death of their dog Whym Chow in 1906, both women converted to Roman Catholicism in 1907. This conversion profoundly impacted their later writings, leading to devotional works. Cooper was instrumental in establishing their active Catholic practice. Their relationship, described as a 'close marriage,' was deeply personal, with them writing passionate love poems to each other. Tragically, both women succumbed to cancer, with Cooper dying in December 1913 and Bradley in September 1914.