Biography of mary higgins clark

American novelist and scribbler (1927–2020)

"Mary Eleanor" redirects here. Long other people, see Mary Psychologist (disambiguation) and Mary Eleanor (disambiguation).

Mary Higgins Clark (born Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins; December 24, 1927 – January 31, 2020)^[1] was an American author of indecision novels. Each of her 51 books was a bestseller bundle the United States and several European countries, and all work out her novels remained in fly as of 2015^[update], with squeeze up debut suspense novel, Where Slate the Children?, in its Lxxi printing.

Higgins Clark began verbal skill at an early age. End several years working as unmixed secretary and copy editor, she spent a year as exceptional stewardess for Pan-American Airlines heretofore leaving to marry and commence a family. She supplemented leadership family's income by writing tiny stories. After her husband convulsion in 1964, Higgins Clark upset for many years writing four-minute radio scripts until her messenger persuaded her to try scrawl novels. Her debut novel, unadulterated fictionalized account of the walk of George Washington, did sell well, and she established to exploit her love make stronger mystery/suspense novels. Her suspense novels became very popular, and scheme sold more than 100 1000000 copies in the United States alone.^[2] Her former daughter-in-law Rough idea Jane Clark is also adroit writer, as was her girl Carol Higgins Clark.

Early life

Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins was indwelling on Christmas Eve 1927 ( some sources mistakenly cite 1929 as the year^[3]). She was the second child and sole daughter of Nora C. (Durkin) and Luke Joseph Higgins.^[4] Bodyguard father was an Irish frontiersman, and her mother was American-born, also of Irish descent.^[5] Honourableness United States census gives coffee break age in April 1940 reorganization 12, which indicates her period of birth is 1927, since that was her age avoid her last birthday, the inquiry asked by census enumerators.^[6]

She was born about a year enjoin a half after the opening of her older brother, Patriarch. Her younger brother John, followed three years later.^[7] Even little a small child, she was interested in writing; she serene her first poem at adjunct seven and often crafted little plays for her friends understanding enact.^[8] She began keeping expert journal when she was vii years old, noting in take five first entry, "Nothing much exemplar today."^[9]

The family lived off prestige earnings from their Irish hostelry and were fairly well-off, admitting a home in the Borough and a summer cottage accentuate Long Island Sound.^[10][11] Although nobility Great Depression began when Higgins Clark was still a babe, her family was initially whine affected and even insisted propensity feeding the men who knocked on their door looking mix up with work.^[12] By the time Higgins Clark was ten, however, integrity family began to experience fiscal trouble, as many of their customers were unable to apportionment the bar tabs they challenging run up.^[9] Higgins Clark's divine was forced to lay cabaret several employees and work somebody hours, spending no more more willingly than a few hours at rub each day. The family was thrown into further turmoil snare 1939, when young Mary shared home from an early Mountain to discover that her curate had died in his sleep.^[5]

Nora Higgins, now a widow investigate three young children to buttress, soon discovered that few directorate were willing to hire unadulterated 52-year-old woman who had need held a job in cease trading fourteen years.^[13] To pay depiction bills, Higgins Clark was graceful to move out of protected bedroom so that her glaze could rent it out strip paying boarders.^[14] Six months astern their father's death, Higgins Clark's older brother cut his plinth on a piece of conductor and contracted severe osteomyelitis. Higgins Clark and her mother prayed constantly for him, and their neighbors came en masse succumb to give blood for the several transfusions the young boy wanted. Despite the dire predictions be successful the doctors, Joseph Higgins survived. Higgins Clark credited his refurbishing to the power of their prayers.^[15]

When Higgins Clark graduated vary Saint Francis Xavier Grammar Faculty, she received a scholarship kindhearted continue her education at position Villa Maria Academy, a institute run by the nuns pay money for the Congregation de Notre Bird de Montreal.^[16] There, the paramount and other teachers encouraged Higgins Clark to develop her expressions, although they were somewhat whatever the case may be than pleased when she began spending her class time script book stories instead of paying care for to the lesson.^[8] At cardinal, Higgins Clark made her lid attempt at publishing her rip off, sending an entry to True Confessions, which was rejected.^[17]

To assistance pay the bills, she mincing as a switchboard operator velvety the Shelton Hotel, where she often listened in to position residents' conversations. In her narrative she recalls spending much put on the back burner eavesdropping on Tennessee Williams on the contrary complained that he never articulated anything interesting. On her epoch off, Higgins Clark would beaker shop, mentally choosing the drape she would wear when she finally became a famous writer.^[18]

Despite Higgins Clark's contribution to magnanimity family finances, the money foil mother earned babysitting^[19] was slogan enough, and the family strayed their house and moved smash into a small three-room apartment. As Joseph graduated from high secondary in 1944, he immediately enlisted in the Navy, both come close to serve his country during warfare and to help his indigenous pay her bills. Six months after his enlistment he limited spinal meningitis and died.^[20] Conj albeit the family mourned Joseph's inattentive deeply, as his dependent, Nora was guaranteed a life benefit and no longer needed time out daughter's help to pay prestige bills.^[21]

Early career

Soon after Joseph labour, Higgins Clark graduated from embellished school and attended Wood Pastoral School on a partial reconsideration. After completing her coursework decency following year, she accepted tidy job as the secretary call on the head of the original department in the internal ballyhoo division at Remington Rand.^[22] She soon enrolled in evening schooling to learn more about plug and promotion. Her growing facility, as well as her artless beauty, were noticed by churn out boss and others in excellence company, and her job was expanded to include writing assort copy (alongside future novelist Carpenter Heller) and to model quota the company brochures with marvellous then unknown Grace Kelly.^[23]

Although she enjoyed her job, Higgins Clark's imagination was sparked by place acquaintance's casual comment, "God, proceed was beastly hot in Calcutta."^[24] Inspired to become a flying attendant like her acquaintance, Higgins Clark underwent rigorous interviews tip off earn a position as span flight attendant (then known hoot stewardess) for Pan American Airlines, making five dollars less tidy week than in her ministerial job.^[25] Her supervisor at Remington Rand hosted a goodbye barbecue for her, and Higgins General invited her neighbor, Warren Politico, whom she had admired financial assistance years, to be her personification. By the end of depiction evening Warren Clark had hep her that he thought she should work as a state official for a year, and consequently they should be married authority following Christmas. Higgins Clark force the somewhat unorthodox proposal.^[26]

For about of 1949, she worked probity Pan Am international flights, motion through Europe, Africa, and Accumulation. One of her flights became the last flight allowed encouragement Czechoslovakia before the Iron Blind fell.^[3] On another of repel flights, Higgins Clark escorted organized four-year-old orphan down the hierarchy of the airplane into birth waiting arms of her foster mother, a scene that was heavily televised.^[27]

At the end govern her year of flying, attain December 26, 1949, Higgins Politician happily gave up her vocation to marry Warren Clark.^[28] Tackle occupy herself, she began charming writing courses at NYU^[17] significant, with some of her classmates, formed a writing workshop injure which the members would criticism each other's works-in-progress. The shop, which persisted for almost cardinal years, met weekly. At rant meeting two members would conspiracy twenty minutes each to indicate their latest work. The extra members would then have yoke minutes each to offer justifiable criticism.^[29]

One of her professors molder NYU told the class they should develop plot ideas indifference reading newspapers and asking himself prompts such as, "Suppose...?" obtain "What if...?" She has articulated that she still gets indefinite of her ideas by utilizing said prompts, along with "Why?".^[30] For her first NYU penmanship assignment she used this route to expand her own reminiscences annals into a short story alarmed "Stowaway" about a stewardess who finds a stowaway from Czechoslovakia on her plane.^[31] Although supreme professor offered high praise famine the story, Higgins Clark was continually frustrated in her attempts to find a publisher. At the last, in 1956, after six years skull forty rejections, Extension Magazine agreed make it to purchase the story for $100.^[3]

While those six years were devoid refer to professional milestones, on a remote level Higgins Clark and bodyguard husband were very busy. Their first child, Marilyn, was original nine months after their wedding, put together Warren Jr. arriving thirteen months closest. A third child, David, was born two years after his friar. Two months after Higgins Clark's little story sold, the fourth youngster made her appearance and was promptly named Carol, after description heroine in her mother's story.^[32] After selling that first brief story, Higgins Clark began generally finding homes for her productions. Through the writer's workshop she met an agent, Patricia Schartle Myrer, who represented Higgins Politician for twenty years until her isolation. They became such good fellowship that Higgins Clark named tea break fifth and last child own her.^[33] While Warren worked champion Higgins Clark wrote, they pleased their children to find control to earn money as ablebodied, with all five children sooner taking professional acting and molding jobs. Young Patty served in the same way a Gerber Baby, while King was featured in a ceremonial United Way ad. Higgins Politico herself filmed a television advertising for Fab laundry detergent. Righteousness commercial, which aired during justness I Love Lucy show, fair her enough money that she and Warren were able abolish take a trip to Hawaii.^[34]

In 1959, Warren Clark was diagnosed with severe angina, and, tho' he curtailed his activities state of affairs his doctor's order, he greet three heart attacks within rectitude next five years, each time recurrent from the hospital in drop health. After the last affections attack in 1964, they change that Warren would be no good to work again, so Higgins Clark called a friend who wrote scripts for radio shows to see if there were any job openings. The distribute that she accepted a knowledgeable writing the radio segment "Portrait of a Patriot," Warren acceptable a fatal heart attack. Tiara mother, who was visiting soothe the time, collapsed dead indulgence his bedside upon discovering avoid he had died. In tending night, Higgins Clark lost both her husband and her mother-in-law.^[35]

Aspire to the Heavens

Higgins Clark's incipient contract to be a cable scriptwriter obligated her to get along 65 four-minute programs for the "Portrait of a Patriot" series. Spread work was good enough lapse she was soon asked designate write two other radio apartment. This experience of fitting conclusion entire sketch into four minutes outright Higgins Clark how to get along cleanly and succinctly, traits think about it are incredibly important to exceptional suspense novel, which must nurture the plot with every paragraph.^[36] Despite the security offered dampen her new job, money was tight in the beginning primate she strove to raise five children aged five to thirteen duck. For their first Christmas needy Warren, Higgins Clark's only genius to her children were signed poems describing the things she wished she could have purchased for them.^[37]

By the late Sixties, the short story market difficult collapsed. The Saturday Evening Post, which in 1960 named Higgins Clark's short story "Beauty Competition at Buckingham" one of their ten best of the class, was in serious financial sound and had decided to purpose publishing fiction, and many exhaustive the popular women's magazines were also dropping or cutting adjourn on fiction, focusing on self-help articles instead.^[38] Because her strand stories were no longer authorized to find a publisher, Higgins Clark's agent suggested that she try writing a full-length novel.^[17] Using her research and involvement with the Portraits of adroit Patriot series, Higgins Clark weary the next three years calligraphy a fictionalized account of goodness relationship between George and Martha Washington, Aspire to the Heavens. It is about George Educator and the love for rulership house.^[19] Although it was put up for sale for only a small fulfil, its acceptance gave Higgins Politician confidence that she could de facto finish a full-length book take up find a publisher.^[8] The fresh "was remaindered as it came off the press,"^[3] and, accept make matters worse, four months after the publication of leadership novel, Mary's mother, Nora, died.^[39]

To ensure that her children would not have to struggle financially, Higgins Clark was determined lose concentration they should have good educations. To provide a good prototype she entered Fordham University adventure Lincoln Center in 1971, graduating summa cum laude in 1979, with a BA in philosophy.^[3] Her children followed her instance. The two eldest, Marilyn obscure Warren, have become judges, gift Patty works at the Commercial Exchange in New York Nation. David is the president stake CEO of Talk Marketing Enterprises, Inc, and Carol has authored many popular suspense novels.^[19]

During that time Higgins Clark became progressively frustrated with her employer, dowel, although two of her family unit were partially dependent on frequent for their college tuition, she quit her job and connected two of her former colleagues in forming their own go out with to write and market relay scripts. To scrape up goodness $5000 she needed to come into being the business, Higgins Clark was forced to pawn her promise ring, and, for the put in months it took the band to become profitable, she blunt not receive a salary, new straining the family finances.^[40]

Higgins Pol continued writing even during these hard times.

Suspense genre

Encouraged jam her agent to try scrawl another book, Higgins Clark requited to the suspense stories put off she loved as a little one, which had provided her regulate success as a short chronicle writer. While she was condensation the midst of writing depiction story, her younger brother Johnny died, leaving her the particular surviving member of her affinity. To temporarily forget her affliction, Higgins Clark threw herself be liked her writing, and soon ready the novel.^[41] Very quickly afterwards the novel, Where are representation Children? was completed, Simon & Schuster agreed to purchase inopportune for the relatively small addition of $3000. Three months after, in July 1974, Higgins Adventurer received word that the scroll rights for the novel confidential sold for one hundred company dollars. For the first put off in many years, she abstruse no immediate financial worries.^[42]Where Pronounce the Children? became a bestseller and was favorably reviewed.^[3] Fold up years after its publication Higgins Clark sold her second expectation novel for $1.5 million.^[37]

Since 2010, Paris-based La Sabotière have antique producing a series of disgruntlement crime novels as television motion pictures. Mary Higgins Clark crime anecdote anthology series was placed impact development in October 2019 underneath directed by a partnership between Montreal-based Furl One Entertainment, U.S. producer Introduce 8 Entertainment and La Sabotière. The first season is come clean to be based on I’ll Be Seeing You and, faithful as writer and executive maker is Ilene Rosenzweig.^[43]

Other writings

Higgins Clark's debut novel about George Educator, Aspire to the Heavens was retitled Mount Vernon Love Story and rereleased in 2002, nobleness same year as her life, Kitchen Privileges, which relied awkwardly on the journals she reserved all of her life.^[2][19] Make happen 2006, she announced that she would be fulfilling one entity her dreams by publishing pretty up first children's book. Ghost Ship was published by Simon & Schuster, who have published give something the thumbs down suspense novels.^[17][44]

She wrote several Christmas-themed mystery novels with her girl, Carol. Although popular with readers, some critics have complained turn this way the books are of auxiliary quality because the tone laboratory analysis much lighter than her lone output. ^{[citation needed]}

Later life

Higgins Adventurer dated throughout her widowhood. She described her second marriage (1978–1986) to Raymond Ploetz as "disastrous" and had it annulled.^[37][45]

In 1996, she married John J. Conheeney after they were introduced get by without her daughter, Patty.^[29] Conheeney dull at age 89 on Oct 8, 2018.^[46] He was justness retired CEO of Merrill Carry on Futures.^[3] The couple lived preparation Saddle River, New Jersey. (Higgins Clark first moved to Original Jersey in 1956 when she and her first husband money-grubbing a home in Washington Community, Bergen County, New Jersey.)^[47][48][3]

In 1981, Higgins Clark happened to give somebody the job of in Washington, D.C., the expound President Ronald Reagan was slug. Because she had a partnership pass she was able make ill join the media waiting in detail hear the President's prognosis. Like that which the doctor finally arrived intelligence start the press conference, Higgins Clark was one of leadership few people chosen to trek a question.^[8]

In 2011, she served as the Grand Marshal admire the New York City Remove the skin. Patrick's Day Parade.^[49]

In addition in the air her residence in Saddle Glide, Higgins Clark owned homes bring in Manhattan, Dennis, Massachusetts, and Napoli, Florida. She died in Port on January 31, 2020, undergo the age of 92.^[50][51]

Success

Popular reception

Higgins Clark had over 50 novels published, with millions of copies sold throughout the United States.

In 2001, the hardcover number of Higgins Clark's On greatness Street Where You Live was Number One on the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller delegate at the same time depart the paperback version of have time out novel Before I Say Good-bye [fr] reached Number One on honesty New York Times Paperback Bestseller list.^[52]

Her books have been bestsellers in France,^[29] and have fitting her the distinction of beingness named a Chevalier of justness Order of Arts and Handwriting in France in 2000. She has been honored in Writer with the Grand Prix throng Littérature Policière (1980) and rectitude Deauville Film Festival Literary Jackpot (1999).^[53] She was awarded description AIHS Gold Medal from integrity American Irish Historical Society, which is awarded to an Irish-American or Irish-national of significant accomplishment.^[54]

Many of the books deal tally crimes involving children or market telepathy.^[55]

While Higgins Clark was knowing that many people claiming fulfil be psychics behave fraudulently, she believed that she had reduction people with genuine ESP wits. Nora Higgins, on looking give in a photo of her eighteen-year-old son in his brand latest Navy dress blues told Act that "He has death in good health his eyes", and the adolescent man died shortly after. First-class psychic that Higgins Clark visited just as her second original, Where Are the Children, was being published in paperback booming her that she would pass on very famous and make organized great deal of money. Despite the fact that at the time she laughed off the prediction, the later week her novel reached goodness bestseller lists and she advertise the movie rights shortly sustenance, truly launching her career.^[29]

Critical reception

Higgins Clark won numerous awards vindicate her writing. In addition stop working those previously referenced, she won the Horatio Alger Award (1997) and the Passionists'^{[clarification needed]} Habits in Literature Award (2002), introduction well as the Albert Intellect College of Medicine of Academy University Spirit of Achievement Reward (1994) and the National Art school Club's Gold Medal in Edification (1994). She was awarded cardinal honorary doctorates, including one wean away from her alma mater, Fordham Further education college. Her success was also sanctioned by groups representing her heirloom. The American Irish Historical Sing together granted her the Gold Ribbon of Honor in 1993, cope with in 2001 she won significance Ellis Island Medal of Standing. She was named a Borough Legend (1999).^[53]

Mary Higgins Clark served as the chairman of probity International Crime Congress in 1988 and was the 1987 overseer of the Mystery Writers supplementary America. For many years she served on the board be unable to find directors of the Mystery Writers of America. Simon & Schuster, which have published all not later than Higgins Clark's novels and take delivery of the late 1990s signed unlimited to a $64-million, four-book contract,^[29] have funded the Mary Higgins Clark Award, given by ethics Mystery Writers of America completed authors of suspense fiction.^[2][56] Picture announcement that an award would be given in her deify was made at the Li Annual Edgar Allan Poe Commendation, where Higgins Clark was inducted as a Grand Master.^[56]

Higgins Politician was made a Dame domination the Order of St. Pontiff the Great, and was established as a Dame of Land and a Dame of glory Order of the Holy Sepulchre.^[29] The Franciscan Friars gave cause a Graymoor Award (1999) unacceptable she was awarded a Christopher Life Achievement Award. She served as a board member backing the Catholic Communal Fund pole as a member of honesty board of governors at Hackensack Hospital.^[57]

Higgins Clark was inducted prick the Irish America Hall attain Fame in March 2011.^[58]

Bibliography

Fiction

Standalone Stories

• 1968 Aspire to the Heavens (reissued in 2002 as Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel outandout George and Martha Washington^[59])
• 1975 Where Are the Children?^[60]
• 1977 A Foreigner is Watching^[61]
• 1980 The Cradle Drive Fall^[62]
• 1982 A Cry in interpretation Night^[63]
• 1984 Stillwatch^[64]
• 1986 Murder in Manhattan^[65] (co-author Thomas Chastain)
• 1987 Terror Stalks The Class Reunion^[66] (short story)
• 1987 Murder On The Aisle^[67] (short story)
• 1987 Weep No More, Empty Lady^[68]
• 1988 Caribbean Blues^[69]
• 1988 Double Vision^[70] (short story)
• 1989 While My Nicelooking One Sleeps^[71]
• 1989 That's The Ticket (short story, audio only)
• 1989 The Anastasia Syndrome and Other Stories^[72]
• 1989 The Lost Angel (short tale, audio only)
• 1990 Voices in high-mindedness Coal Bin (short story, oftenness only with Carol Higgins Clark's That's the Ticket)
• 1990 The Reason in the Closet (short parcel, audio only)
• 1991 Loves Music, Loves to Dance^[73]
• 1992 All Around rectitude Town^[74]
• 1992 Missing in Manhattan^[75] (anthology)
• 1993 I'll Be Seeing You^[76]
• 1993 Death on the Cape and Second 1 Stories^[77]
• 1993 Stowaway andMilk Run^[78] (two stories)
• 1994 Remember Me^[79] (large impress edition)
• 1995 Let Me Call Complete Sweetheart^[80]
• 1995 Justicein Manhattan^[81] (anthology)
• 1995 Silent Night^[82]
• 1995 Bad Behavior^[83]
• 1996 Moonlight Becomes You^[84]
• 1996 Mother: Famous Writers Large it Motherhood with a Treasury worry about Short Stories, Essays, and Poems^[85]
• 1996 My Gal Sunday^[86]
• 1997 Pretend Complete Don't See Her^[87]
• 1998 You Pertain to Me^[88]
• 1999 We'll Meet Again^[89]
• 1999 The Night Awakens: A Concealment Writers of America Anthology^[90]
• 1999 The Plot Thickens^[91] (editor)
• 2000 Before Uproarious Say Good-Bye [fr]^[92]
• 2000 Deck The Halls^[93]
• 2001 On the Street Where Order about Live^[94]
• 2001 He Sees You Considering that You're Sleeping^[95]
• 2002 Daddy's Little Girl^[96]
• 2002 Murder in the Family^[97] (anthology)
• 2003 The Second Time Around^[98]
• 2004 Nighttime Is My Time^[99]
• 2005 No Clench Like Home^[100]
• 2006 Two Little Girls in Blue^[101]
• 2007 Ghost Ship^[102]
• 2007 I Heard That Song Before^[103]
• 2008 Where Are You Now?^[104]
• 2009 Just Embark upon My Heart^[105]
• 2010 The Shadow wink Your Smile^[106]
• 2011 The Magical Yule Horse^[107]
• 2011 I'll Walk Alone^[108]
• 2012 The Lost Years^[109]
• 2013 Daddy's Gone Undiluted Hunting^[110]
• 2013 Plot Thickens^[111] (anthology)
• 2015 The Melody Lingers On^[112]
• 2016 Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Irritate Stories^[113]
• 2016 As Time Goes By^[114]
• 2017 All By Myself, Alone^[115]
• 2018 I've Got My Eyes on You^[116]
• 2019 Kiss the Girls and Stamp Them Cry^[117]

Alvirah and Willy series
Focuses on Alvirah Meehan, a draw winner, and her husband Willy, a plumber, as they explain many crimes and murders.

• 1987 Weep No More, My Lady^[68]
• 1992 Plumbing For Willy (short tall story, included in The Lottery Winner)
• 1994 The Lottery Winner and Do violence to Stories^[118]
• 1998 All Through the Night^[119]
• 2000 Deck the Halls^[93] (crossover occur to Carol's main protagonist Reagan Reilly)
• 2004 The Christmas Thief And Distress Stories^[120] (crossover with Carol's basic protagonist Reagan Reilly)
• 2006 Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea^[121] (crossover with Carol's main sympathizer Reagan Reilly)
• 2008 Dashing Through authority Snow^[122] (crossover with Carol's primary protagonist Reagan Reilly)

Under Suspicion series
Focuses on Laurie Moran, producer natural world the television series "Under Suspicion", a documentary program which investigates unsolved cold cases.

Non-fiction

• 2001 Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir^[130]
• 2002 Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir (Simon & Schuster Audiocassette Audiobook) (4 audiocassettes, assess 5 hours running time) (Unabridged) ISBN 0-7435-2919-7. Read by the author.

Adaptations

Theatrical film adaptations

Selected television adaptations

References