Kathleen Tankersley Young (1905 – 1947) was an American poet and literary activist associated with the modernist literary scene of the 1930s and 1940s. She contributed poems and reviews to a number of avant‑garde literary magazines of the period and was involved in small‑press publishing initiatives that promoted experimental writing. Young’s work is noted for its lyrical intensity and engagement with contemporary social and artistic concerns, and she has been identified by scholars as part of a network of women writers who helped shape American modernism. Her poetry was posthumously collected and issued in limited editions, contributing to an ongoing critical reassessment of her role in mid‑twentieth‑century American literature.
Key points
- Birth–death: 1905 – 1947
- Profession: Poet, literary editor, small‑press publisher
- Literary context: Modernist and avant‑garde literary circles in the United States during the 1930s–1940s
- Legacy: Recognized in scholarly studies of American modernist poetry and women’s literary networks; her posthumous collections have kept her work in academic discussion.
