The plates in "The Natural History of the State of New York”, created by her paleontologist brother-in-law James Hall, were based on Mary and Sarah's drawings.
They were a collection of images and descriptions of the natural world of New York including landscapes, fossils, and animals illustrated by the Aikin sisters.
However, because of the traction his writing had gained under the pseudonym "Florio", he abandoned his career in law and became a full-time author.
Throughout her young adult years, Mary E. Brooks published short poems in multiple periodicals [8] including The Craftsman, The New York Amulet, Ladies' Chronicles Magazine, the Mirror and her husband's Literary Gazette.
Her poetry remained anonymous in the margins of these periodicals and depicted lighthearted themes such as human emotion and nature.
As an editor, her husband left comments on her work published in the Gazette such as "We welcome the sweet and contemplative Norna.
"The Rivals of Este", the collection's namesake, is a poem that intertwines the themes of love, jealousy, and ambition within the historical context of Renaissance Italy.