Meaker, Marijane (1927–)

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Meaker, Marijane (1927–)

American novelist and children's writer. Name variations: M.J. Meaker; (pseudonyms) Ann Aldrich, Vin Packer, and M.E. Kerr. Born May 27, 1927, in Auburn, NY; dau. of Ellis R. (mayonnaise manufacturer) and Ida T. Meaker; attended Vermont Junior College, and New School for Social Research; University of Missouri, BA, 1949.

Worked at several jobs, including assistant file clerk for E.P. Dutton (1949–50); became freelance writer (1949); wrote young adult fiction under pseudonym M.E. Kerr, including Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! (1972), If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever? (1973), The Son of Someone Famous (1974), Is That You, Miss Blue? (1975), I'll Love You When You're More Like Me (1977), Gentlehands (1978), Little, Little (1981), What I Really Think of You (1982) I Stay Near You (1985) and Night Kites (1987); as M.J. Meaker, wrote adult fiction and nonfiction; under pseudonym Ann Aldrich, wrote We Walk Alone (1955), We Too Must Love (1958) and Take a Lesbian to Lunch (1972), among others; under pseudonym Vin Packer, wrote crime novels for Gold Medal books.

See also autobiography, Me, Me, Me, Me, Me: Not a Novel (1983) and Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950s, about her relationship with writer Patricia Highsmith.