Catherine began writing poetry with her younger sister Eleanor at an early age, and it reflects their sadness about their mother's condition. Following their mother's death in 1836, the sisters published two volumes together under the byline, "The Two Sisters of the West": "The Wife of Leon" (1843) and "The Indian Chamber, And Other Poems" (1846). Their father encouraged their writing and commissioned printers in Cincinnati and New York, respectively, for the volumes. The poetry met with moderate success. Today it is criticized as par for its time, relying heavily on many gothic and sentimental contrivances.