Anne Virginia Sharpe Patterson was a nineteenth-century American author and essayist who published both under her own name and the pseudonym Garry Gaines. Born in Delaware, Ohio, in September 1841, she was the daughter of Caroline Snyder and George W. Sharpe, a Maryland state senator. Patterson was educated at home by her father until his passing, after which she completed three years of study at the Delaware Female Seminary. Following her marriage, she relocated to Bellefontaine, Ohio, which became the center of her civic and literary activities.\n\nPatterson began her writing career contributing articles to the Cincinnati Gazette. She gained wider recognition for "The Girl of the Period," a series of satirical pieces originally written for the Bellefontaine Examiner. These satires were compiled and republished in 1878 under her pen name, Garry Gaines. Despite facing chronic ill health starting in 1881, she maintained an active writing and public life.\n\nBeyond her literary output, Patterson was a dedicated organizer for women's literary and social groups in Ohio. In 1889, she served as the vice-president of the Ohio Women's Press Club, and the following year, she founded the Woman's Club of Bellefontaine. She continued her work in these spheres until her death in 1913.
