Eve Merriam

Eve Merriam (July 19, 1916 – April 11, 1992) was an American poet and writer.

Writing career

Merriam's first book was the 1946 Family Circle, which won the Yale Younger Poets Prize.^[1]

Her book, The Inner City Mother Goose, was described as one of the most banned books of the time.^[2] It inspired a 1971 Broadway musical called Inner City and a 1982 musical production called Street Dreams.^[2] In 1981 she won the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.^[2] She published a total of 88 books.

Personal life

Born as Eva Moskovitz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating with an A.B. from the Cornell University in 1937, Merriam moved to New York to pursue graduate studies at Columbia University. She was married for a time to writer Leonard C. Lewin. She later married screenwriter Waldo Salt and was actress Jennifer Salt's stepmother.

Death

Merriam died on April 11, 1992 in Manhattan from liver cancer.

References

Core biographical material

• "Eve Merriam, Poet and Author Who Wrote for Children, Is Dead," Bruce Lambert, The New York Times, April 13, 1992.
• Heffer, Helen Ruth Julian. A Checklist of Works by and about Eve Merriam. Master’s thesis, University of Maryland, 1980. Includes 84-page biographical essay.
• Copeland, J. S., Speaking of Poets: Interviews with Poets Who Write for Children and Young Adults (1993).
• short biography from Wisconsin Writers' Collection at MITH
• Biography at Jewish Women's Archive
• “Eve Merriam.” In Anne Commire, ed., Something About the Author, vol. 40. Detrolt: Gale Research Co., 1985.

In other works

• Randy Shilts. The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life &Times of Harvey Milk (New York: St. Martins, 1982).
• Kate Weigand. Red Feminism: American Communism and the Making of Women’s Liberation (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001).

Archival materials

• Finding Aid for holdings related to Eve Merriam in the University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collection
• Papers, 1840-1978 (inclusive), 1930-1978 (bulk): A Finding Aid.Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
• Additional papers, 1960-1984 (inclusive), 1978-1984 (bulk): A Finding Aid.Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
• Additional papers of Eve Merriam, ca.1930-1992: A Finding Aid.Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
• Audiovisual collection of Eve Merriam, 1964-1992: A Finding Aid.Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.

Notes