Mary Downing Hahn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Downing Hahn | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 9, 1937 Washington, D.C. (or College Park, Maryland, sources vary), U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Period | 1979- Present |
| Genre | Young adult fiction including ghost, horror, mystery stories |
| Notable works | Stepping on the Cracks, Wait Till Helen Comes |
Mary Downing Hahn (born December 9, 1937) is an American writer of young adult novels and a former school librarian. Popular for her ghost and mystery novels, Hahn is known for novels such as Stepping On The Cracks and Wait Till Helen Comes.[1] Since publishing her first book in 1979, Hahn has written over 30 novels.[2][3] Her latest novel, What We Saw, was published in September 2022.[4]
Mary Downing Hahn grew up in College Park, Maryland. As a child, she played with other neighborhood kids, engaging in games like “Kick the Can” and “Mother, May I,” as well as cowboy and outlaw games[5]. In elementary school, Hahn was known as the class artist. She preferred to read and draw rather than write reports. From a young age, Hahn had begun writing and telling stories using pictures and drawings. As she reached junior high, Hahn wanted to tell more complex stories, and for this, she needed to write.[6] At the age of 13, Hahn found an interest in writing and illustrating children’s books. She began her first children’s book, Small Town Life, and while the book was never published, it marked the beginning of her career.[7]
Hahn attended college at the University of Maryland at College Park, where she earned her Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees.[8] While in college, Hahn had begun writing poetry and short stories. It wasn't until 1979, at the age of 41[9] when Hahn published her first book, The Sara Summer.[10]
Personal life
Mary Downing Hahn is the daughter of Kenneth Ernest Downing (an automobile mechanic) and Anna Elisabeth Sherwood (a teacher).[11] Mary Downing married William E. Hahn on October 7, 1961, and together they had two daughters, Katherine Sherwood, and Margaret Elizabeth.[12] After 16 years of marriage, they divorced and on April 23, 1982, Mary Downing Hahn married Norman Pearce Jacob (a librarian).[13]
A few years after the release of her first book, at the age of 44, Hahn suffered from a major stroke.[14]
Careers
While Hahn is known as a novelist, she has had many different jobs throughout her career. From 1960 to 1961, she worked as an art teacher at a junior high school in Greenbelt, MD. In 1963, she worked as a clerk in a Hutzler's Department Store in Baltimore, MD. From 1963 to 1965, she worked as a homemaker and writer. From 1965 to 1970, she worked as an English instructor at the University of Maryland. Along with working at the university, from 1973 to 1975, Hahn also worked as a freelance artist for Cover to Cover. From 1975 to 1991, Hahn worked for Prince George's County Memorial Library System in Laurel, MD.[15]
Books
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