These writings, which first appeared in 1841, tell us much about the writer herself and the city in which she lived: Hartford, Connecticut. A cultural centre of the new nation, the city's Congregationalism, its free black society, and local literary tradition, are all reflected in Ann Plato's work. The topics that dominate are her ardent Christianity, her belief in education as a means of advancement, and her romantic preoccupation with death and, occasionally, racial issues.