Mary MacLane was a Canadian-born American writer who became a sensation in the early twentieth century for her frank, rule-breaking autobiographical works. Known popularly as the "Wild Woman of Butte," MacLane is widely credited with helping to pioneer the confessional style of memoir writing. Her candid exploration of her own life, desires, and intellect challenged the rigid social norms of her era.
MacLane achieved immediate notoriety with the publication of her bestselling first memoir, which scandalized the public with its open discussions of sexuality, egoism, and non-conformity. She actively nurtured her reputation as an uncontrollable and wild figure. As an openly bisexual writer and a vocal feminist, her lifestyle and prose defied the traditional expectations placed upon women of her generation.
Her distinctive voice earned her comparisons to the memoirist Marie Bashkirtseff, a parallel MacLane herself drew in her writings. The influential critic H. L. Mencken famously dubbed her "the Butte Bashkirtseff." Though she published two subsequent books, her later work did not match the massive cultural shockwave of her debut, yet her legacy as a trailblazer of modern memoir writing remains secure.
