Rachel Carson

Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-born zoologist and biologist whose landmark book, Silent Spring, is often credited with having launched the global environmental movement. Silent Spring had an immense effect in the United States, where it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy.

Relationship with Dorothy Freeman

In recent years, Rachel Carson has been adopted as a lesbian icon, based on the controversial claim that she carried on a long-term lesbian relationship with her friend Dorothy Freeman, spanning the final twelve years of her life.

Related Topics:
Lesbian - Dorothy Freeman

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The claim arises from correspondence between Carson and Freeman, since published by Dorothy Freeman's granddaughter Martha in the book Always Rachel: the letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952-1964, an intimate portrait of a remarkable friendship. In their correspondence, Rachel addressed Dorothy as "darling" or "dearest", and the letters were replete with sentiments like the following, quoted from a letter dated 1 January 1954:

Related Topics:
1 January - 1954

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...As I told you, you were always with me when I wakened in the night--and I did often, not being a very good train sleeper--and always the sense of your presence, and of your sweet tenderness, and love was very real to me. And I wondered if perhaps, in the same sense, I stayed in West Bridgewater that night. You don't need to answer that, for I think I know.

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And let me say again how truly perfect it all was. Reality can so easily fall short of hopes and expectations, especially where they have been high. I do hope that for you, as they truly are for me, the memories of Wednesday are completely unclouded by any sense of disappointment, or of hopes unrealized. And as for you, my dear one, there is not a single thing about you that I would change if I could! Once written, that seems an odd thing to say; I am trying to express my complete and overflowing happiness in the whole thing!

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Others have countered these claims, observing among other things that Dorothy Freeman was married. Carson spoke of Dorothy's sharing of their letters with her husband Stanley:

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And darling, I hope I made it clear in my little note that I was so glad you read him the letter--or parts of it. I want him to know what you mean to me.

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The record is incomplete, according to Martha Freeman, because Carson and Freeman destroyed some of their correspondence. They sometimes referred to this in their letters as putting their letters "into the strong box."

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