Juliette Peirce

She probably first met Charles in New York City at the Hotel Brevoort's New Year's Eve ball in December 1876.

Charles and Juliette became close friends and travel companions, and were likely romantically involved before his divorce was official.

His later applications to many universities for teaching posts were all unsuccessful, and in fact he never again held a full-time permanent position anywhere.

As a result, Juliette was often blamed for Peirce's failure to reach the eminent social stature his intellect might have commanded.

They named their property Arisbe for possibly any or all of the following reasons: Even as they sank into poverty, they continued to make expansions to the house, almost losing it and their land because of unpaid debts.

His mental and physical illnesses worsened with time, and he suffered numerous breakdowns over the course of his life, rendering him increasingly unreliable.

Pierce-Arrow, by Susan Howe, New Directions, 1999, consists of an essay and poems focusing on Charles and his wife Juliette.

The spelling of the title is correct, referring to the old motor car company, as well as punning for example on the Peirce arrow ("