Marijane Meaker was an author of pioneering young adult and lesbian fiction, including under such pen names as M.E. Kerr and Vin Packer.
- Died: November 21, 2022 (Who else died on November 21?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Springs, New York of cardiopulmonary arrest at the age of 95.
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Writing career
Meaker began her career as a novelist under the Vin Packer pseudonym, writing crime novels. Her 1952 novel “Spring Fire” was groundbreaking, called the first lesbian novel and the book that launched the genre of lesbian pulp fiction. Meaker wrote 20 books as Packer, including two based on the murder of Emmett Till (1941–1955). As she was writing as Packer, Meaker debuted the pseudonym Ann Aldrich, under which she wrote a series of nonfiction books about lesbianism. In 1972, she began publishing young adult fiction as M.E. Kerr. Her debut as Kerr was “Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!,” chosen as an ALA Notable Children’s Book and named one of the 100 most significant works of children’s literature of the 20th century by the School Library Journal. Also as Kerr, Meaker wrote more than two dozen other books including “Gentlehands,” “Me Me Me Me Me: Not a Novel,” and “Night Kites.” She wrote several books under her own name, as well as under the pseudonyms M.J. Meaker and Mary James.
Notable quote
“I like pseudonyms. I like disguises. I’ve always hated the name Marijane. And I think the idea that you can name yourself is interesting.” —from a 2020 interview for NPR’s “Fresh Air”
Tributes to Marijane Meaker
Full obituary: The New York Times
