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20th Century Children's Authors - Rawlings
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20th Century Children's Authors - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings - The
Yearling
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Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Gross Creek
Hawthorn, Florida
March 24, 1948.
Dear Miss Montgomery:
Your list of books is really impressive.
Your text on The Yearling is accurate.
No, I don't need the mimeographed sheet returned.
With all good wishes,
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
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"The Yearling"
Published by: Charles Scribner's Sons Year: 1938
Real Name: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Mrs. Norton Baskin Pen Name: ditto
What do you family and friends call you?: Marjorie
A. YOUR BACKGROUND
Date of birth: Aug. 8, 1896 Place of birth: Washington D.C.
Father's occupation: patent att'y Number of Brothers: 1 and sisters:
Father's nationality: American Mother's nationality: American
Kind of home during childhood (farm, small town, city apt. etc):
divided between suburb of Wash, Where: and father's farm in Maryland
Amount of schooling (high school, college, etc.): high school and B.A. from
university of Wisconsin
Economic status during childhood (poor, middle class, wealthy): middle
class
Special interests as a child (sports, books, games, etc.): books, anything
to do with nature, building stories around paper dolls--hated regular
dolls.
When did you begin to write?: as soon as I could put pencil to paper
Why?: couldn't help it
Who encouraged you?: teachers and parents
whom I showed the drawings.
What and when was your first success or recognition?: at age of 11,
winning
$2 prize in children's page of Washington Post. Biggest money I ever
received.
How did you happen to write for children?: Never wrote specifically for
child-
ren. The Yearling just happened to be told simply enough to appeal to them.
However, remember sitting on steps of Baptist Church and telling stories to
other children.
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B. THE WRITING OF THE BOOK
Where did you get the idea for the book?: See introduction to school
edition of
The Yearling
Were the characters real people, or based on real people?: See above
Where were you living at the time?: Cross Creek, Fla.
What was your major occupation?: Writing and orange growing
Did you talk the book over with any of them?: No
Did you discuss it with an editor?: Yes
Where and how did you get the material? (library research, travel,
personal experience, etc.) See school edition of The Yearling
When did you begin to write the book?: See enclosed sheet
Where?: Cross Creek
How much had you had published when you began it? (Give names of books):
South Moon Under, Golden Apples
What was your purpose in writing this book?: writers seldom have a
"purpose"
in writing anything at all. They write because a theme and a set of
characters
are irresistible.
How do you write? (typewriter, long-hand, dictate): typewriter
Where? (study, office, etc.): front porch in warm weather, by fireplace in
cold
Do you keep regular office hours?: Yes. If so, what are they?: work 8 hrs.
a day when
on a book
Do you revise much?: greatly
Write easily or laboriously?: laboriously
Do you let your family or friends read your work, or try it out on
children?: neither
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Who makes your final copies? (yourself, private secretary, public
typist, etc.): myself
Did you make an outline before writing the book?: more or less
Did you decide on the title first or last?: first
how long did it take you to write the book?: See sheet
Did you work on it steadily?: yes
Was your book accepted immediately by a publisher?: Yes Was it immediately
popular on publication?: I suppose so
C. ILLUSTRATIONS
How much did you have to do with the illustrations of your book?: Nothing
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D. WHAT SORT OF PERSON YOU ARE
What did you look like when you wrote this book? Dark or Fair?: Medium
Tall or short?: Tall Thin or plump?: Thin then-
Color of eyes?: Blue Wore glasses?: for reading
Color of hair?: dark Kind of hair--long or short?: short
Curly or straight?: straight
Are you quiet or talkative?: Both Friendly or reserved?: Both
Do you laugh a great deal or are you usually grave?: Both
Are you quick-tempered ir calm and placid?: Both
What sort of clothes do you wear most when writing? (sports, suits,
slacks, etc.): whatever I have that isn't too ragged
Favorite occupations and hobbies?: Nature, cooking, reading
What is your normal speech like?: (Meticulously correct, colloquial,
slangy, abrupt, rambling, etc.): Reasonably correct - occasionally abrupt
If strongly religious, give denomination.: strongly religious but of no
denomination
Can you direct me to any articles or books which have been written
about you?: Suggest you write Mr. Norman Snow, c/o Scribner's, 597 -5th
Ave.,
New York City 17.