  Mystery
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"It's hard to come up with a 'quote' about myself. Perhaps I could say that most of my writing has been concerned with understanding between people. Whether of different races, or religions, or even in the same family I tried in my books... to deal with the subject of understanding the other fellow."
-- Phyllis A. Whitney
"It's a long way from 1903 to 2000. In my lifetime, I've gone from rickshas to a man on the moon. The changes and developments in the field of mystery writing have been tremendous, as well, and the present trends seem exciting and stimulating although I can only write about them from a personal viewpoint. -- Phyllis A. Whitney
Sometimes it's interesting to examine what it is that has made us mystery writers. Not just writers-the answer to that is easy-we can't help it. I know why I am a mystery writer and a mystery reader. I was exposed at an early age and the virus has stayed with me. --- Phyllis A. Whitney
"Never mind the rejections, the discouragement, the voices of ridicule (there can be those too). "Work and wait and learn, and that train will come by. If you give up, you'll never have a chance to climb aboard."--- Phyllis A. Whitney
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Born in Yokohama, Japan 104 years ago, the brilliant and gifted story teller spun her magic for eighty years. 'Playing with words' was her life long before she began writing professionally. She started writing at the age of 12 while still a student, and worked in libraries and bookstores, eventually serving as Children's Book Editor of the Chicago Sun and the Philadelphia Inquirer in the 40s'. Then she seriously began writing, and for the next sixty some years introduced generation after generation of readers to what she variously called mystery, suspense, romantic suspense and Gothic romance.
The first Phyllis Whitney book I remember reading was A STONE BULL. It was set in New York state at and near the Mohonk Mountain House. I used to stay in a cabin down the hill from the main house and spent summers scampering around the rocks and boulders of the labyrinth...when I wasn't writing, filling journal after journal with stories of our adventures on the mountain.
Once a week we walked down across the far field and crossed over a rickety foot bridge. Then it was a mile hike into a tiny village with a tinier library. They only had three of her books and I read them over and over and over again. In the evening I would sit perched in my favorite climbing tree, shoulders leaning against a branch and read until it was too dark to see. Then, cozied down in my sleeping bag, flashlight in hand, I'd read until I could no longer force my eyes to stay open. From that cabin in the Adirondacks, I was transported around the world and was able to get a taste of many places i would later visit as an adult.
One of the aspects of her writing that captivated me at that age (and ever since) was that her settings were so deliciously explored and described that they gained life becoming a character (in a sense) every bit as much as the characters themselves.
After that initial summer, upon returning home to my local library, I discovered two entire shelves devoted to her work and spent the next year devouring every thing she had written. Her last book, AMETHYST DREAMS, was published in 1997 when she was ninety-four years old!
Over the years, Ms Whitney received the Edgar Allan Poe best juvenile award (1961); Sequoia Children's Book award (1963); Malice Domestic award (1989); and the Lifetime Achievement award from Society of Midland Authors (1995). In 1975 Ms Whitney served as president of the Mystery Writers of America and was named a Grand Master by that organization in 1988.
Reportedly she was then beginning to write her autobiography. I don't know if she finished it, but I hope it is published some day as I would love to read that as well.
Ms Whitney passed away in February of this year. She leaves behind more than seventy mysteries written for both adults and children as well as several excellent books on writing fiction. Her legacy, and her words continue. As does her inspiration. Thank you, Phyllis Whitney! |
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| It's been a long time since I last guest edited a mystery newsletter, so don't have any feedback to offer. I wanted to do this one in remembrance of an awesome author who contributed so much to the mystery genre. |
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Mystery: May 14, 2008 Issue [#2391]
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