John P. Marquand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John P. Marquand
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| Born | John Phillips Marquand November 10, 1893 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
| Died | July 16, 1960 (aged 66) Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Sawyer Hill Burying Ground |
| Pen name | J.P. Marquand |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Education | Newburyport High School |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Spouse |
Christina Sedgwick
(m. 1922; div. 1935)Adelaide Hooker
(m. 1937; div. 1958) |
| Children | 5 |
John Phillips Marquand (born November 10, 1893 – died July 16, 1960) was a famous American writer. He was first known for his exciting Mr. Moto spy stories. Later, he became very popular and respected for his funny novels that made fun of society. He even won a Pulitzer Prize in 1938 for his book The Late George Apley.
One of Marquand's main ideas in his books was how hard it could be to live in America's upper class. He wrote about people who followed strict, unwritten rules. He showed both respect and humor when describing their lives.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Phillips Marquand was born in Wilmington, Delaware. His parents were Philip and Margaret Marquand. His mother was related to Margaret Fuller, a well-known writer and thinker from the 1800s. John was also a cousin of Buckminster Fuller, a famous inventor.
Marquand grew up in Newburyport, Massachusetts, where his family had lived for a long time. He was raised by his three aunts while his parents lived in other cities.
He went to Newburyport High School. He earned a scholarship that helped him go to Harvard College. Many of his family members had gone to Harvard. However, Marquand felt like an outsider there because he came from a public school and didn't have much money. He tried to join the college newspaper but was turned down. Still, he became part of the humor magazine, the Harvard Lampoon.
After graduating in 1915, Marquand worked as a reporter for The Boston Evening Transcript.
Military Service
While at Harvard, Marquand joined the Massachusetts National Guard. In 1916, he was sent to the Mexican border. Later, like many young men, he served in the First World War. He fought in France during the war.
Writing Career and Themes
Marquand's life and writing showed his mixed feelings about American society. He often wrote about the powerful, old families. Even though he felt left out at Harvard, he still wanted to be successful in society.
In 1922, he married Christina Sedgwick. Her aunt's husband was the editor of The Atlantic Monthly magazine. In 1925, Marquand published his first important book, Lord Timothy Dexter. This book explored the life of an unusual person from Newburyport named Timothy Dexter.
By the mid-1930s, Marquand was a very successful writer. He wrote many stories for popular magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Some of his early stories and novels were historical. He called these "costume fiction" because they were set in the past.
In the late 1930s, Marquand started writing novels about the challenges of social class. Many of these books were set in New England. Some took place in a made-up town called Clyde, Massachusetts, which was based on his hometown of Newburyport.
His first novel in this style was The Late George Apley (1937). It made fun of Boston's upper class and won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1938. Other novels that explored New England society include Wickford Point (1939), H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1941), and Point of No Return (1949).
During World War II, Marquand worked as a part-time war reporter. The war's big impact on American families often appeared in his later novels. Some characters in his books felt it was their duty to help with the war, even if they were older.
Even though he had mixed feelings about America's elite, Marquand eventually became a part of it. He joined important social clubs in Boston and New York. Through his second marriage to Adelaide Ferry Hooker, he became connected to the famous Rockefeller family. He owned fancy homes in Newburyport and the Caribbean.
Personal Life
John Marquand was married two times and had five children. He married Christina Sedgwick in 1922, and they had two children, John Jr. and Christina Jr. They divorced in 1935.
The next year, Marquand married Adelaide Ferry Hooker. They had three children together. They divorced in 1958.
Death
John Phillips Marquand passed away on July 16, 1960. He was 66 years old. He died from a heart attack in his sleep at his home in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He is buried in the Sawyer Hill Burying Ground in Newburyport.
Novels by John P. Marquand
Mr. Moto Novels
- No Hero (1935)
- Thank You, Mr. Moto (1936)
- Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)
- Mr. Moto Is So Sorry (1938)
- Last Laugh, Mr. Moto (1942)
- Stopover Tokyo (1957)
Other Crime Novels
- Ming Yellow (1935)
- Don't Ask Questions (1941)
- It's Loaded, Mr. Bauer (1949)
Literary Novels
- The Unspeakable Gentleman (1922)
- The Black Cargo (1925)
- Warning Hill (1930)
- The Late George Apley (1937)
- Wickford Point (1939)
- H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1942)
- So Little Time (1943)
- Repent in Haste (1945)
- B.F.'s Daughter (1946)
- Point of No Return (1949)
- Melville Goodwin, USA (1951)
- Sincerely, Willis Wayde (1955)
- Women and Thomas Harrow (1958)
Some of his novels, like The Late George Apley and H.M. Pulham, Esquire, were published as special Armed Services Editions for soldiers during World War II.
Collections of Short Stories
- Four of a Kind (1923)
- Haven's End (1933)
- Thirty Years (1954)
- Life at Happy Knoll (1957)
See also
In Spanish: John Phillips Marquand para niños
