Margaret Craven (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Craven
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| Born | March 13, 1901 Helena, Montana, US |
| Died | July 19, 1980 (aged 79) Sacramento, California |
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| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Short stories, novels |
| Notable works | I Heard the Owl Call My Name |
Margaret Craven (March 13, 1901 – July 19, 1980) was an American writer. She is best known for her popular novel, I Heard the Owl Call My Name. This book tells a touching story about a young priest and the Kwakwaka'wakw people in British Columbia, Canada.
Contents
About Margaret Craven
Early Life and Education
Margaret Craven was born on March 13, 1901, in Helena, Montana. Her father, Arthur J. Craven, was a lawyer. Soon after she was born, her family moved to Bellingham, Washington. She had an older brother, Leslie, and a twin brother named Wilson.
After finishing high school, Margaret went to Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. She studied history there. Even though she was very good at writing, she chose not to study English.
Starting Her Writing Career
After graduating in 1924, Margaret moved to San Jose, California. She started working as a secretary for the Mercury Herald newspaper. Soon, she began writing the newspaper's editorials. Editorials are articles that share the newspaper's opinion on important topics. At first, her articles were published under her boss's name, but later they had her own name.
After her boss passed away, Margaret moved back to Palo Alto. She started writing short stories for different magazines, like the Delineator. Later, her mother came to live with her in California, and they moved to San Francisco.
Writing Challenges and Success
In 1941, the Saturday Evening Post magazine began publishing her stories. She continued to write for the Post for the next 20 years. During this time, Margaret faced a big challenge: she almost lost her eyesight. A bacterial infection caused her to become nearly blind. Because of this vision problem, she did not write any novels for a while. Luckily, her eyesight improved around 1960.
Just before her vision got better, Margaret and her mother moved to Sacramento, California. Her twin brother, Wilson, was living there.
Inspiration for Her Famous Novel
Margaret learned about the Native American people living on the northern British Columbia coast. Her brother Wilson had visited them and told her about their culture. She also read many books about their way of life. This inspired her to write a story for the Post called "Indian Outpost."
In 1962, Margaret visited several Native American villages on the B.C. coast. She spent time with the Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) people. This experience deeply inspired her first novel, I Heard the Owl Call My Name.
A Best-Selling Author
I Heard the Owl Call My Name was first published in Canada in 1967. It became a best-seller in the U.S. when it was published there in 1973. That same year, the book was made into a television movie for CBS. The American edition of the book sold over one million copies and was translated into many different languages.
Margaret Craven later published another novel called Walk Gently This Good Earth (1977). She also wrote an autobiography, Again Calls the Owl (1980), which tells her life story. Her collection of short stories, The Home Front, was published in 1981.
Margaret Craven passed away at her home in Sacramento on July 19, 1980. Both her mother and her twin brother Wilson had passed away before her.
Books by Margaret Craven
- I Heard the Owl Call My Name. Toronto: Clark Irwin, 1967.
- Walk Gently This Good Earth. New York: Putnam, 1977.
- Again Calls the Owl. New York: Putnam, 1980.
- The Home Front. New York: Putnam, 1981.
