Dan Wickenden
Dan Wickenden was an American writer and editor, born on March 24, 1913, in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, to English immigrant parents. His father held a prominent position as a chemist for a paper company, which influenced Wickenden's early life experiences. Growing up on Long Island before the rise of suburban development, he developed a passion for writing during his high school years. After graduating from Amherst College in 1935, he began his professional writing career, facing early challenges in publishing. Despite initial struggles, he found some success with his first novel, "The Running of the Deer," which marked his commitment to a writing career.
Throughout his life, Wickenden experienced periods of financial hardship, which led him to take various jobs, including a stint at the Grand Rapids Press. He married Hermione Hillman in 1951 and welcomed a son, David, the following year. Seeking stability, he transitioned into an editing role at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, where he worked for over 25 years, shaping the works of notable authors. After retiring in 1978, he continued to work as a freelance consultant and writer until his death from a heart attack on October 27, 1989, in Weston, Connecticut. Wickenden's life reflects the journey of a dedicated writer navigating the complexities of literary success and personal responsibilities.
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Dan Wickenden
Author
- Born: March 24, 1913
- Birthplace: Tyrone, Pennsylvania
- Died: October 27, 1989
- Place of death: Weston, Connecticut
Biography
Dan Wickenden was born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, on March 24, 1913. His parents were English immigrants, and his father worked as a chemist with the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, eventually becoming the chief of the laboratory in the company’s New York office. Wickenden’s earliest memories were of Long Island, New York, at a time before suburban sprawl consumed the lovely farms and wetlands.
He and his family took a trip to England after he completed the eighth grade. When he returned to the United States to start high school, he began to write seriously for publication. Although he had been writing bits and pieces of fiction since he was old enough to hold a pencil, he rarely produced a complete story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. However, once he began producing complete stories, he began to send them to various magazines, without much success.
He attended Amherst College, majoring in English and taking roles in student plays. Shortly after his graduation in 1935, while he was working for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), he sold a play and a short story. Deciding that he was officially a writer after the acceptance of his first novel, The Running of the Deer, two years later, he set about to support himself entirely by his writing. However, that proved easier said than done, and for the next several years he lived a life of virtual poverty. In 1940, he decided to take a trip around the United States, and subsequently took a job with the Grand Rapids Press in Michigan. However, within eighteen months he grew frustrated at his inability to write any fiction and quit to return to the East Coast and freelancing.
Over the next several years he visited Guatamala twice. He married Hermione Hillman in 1951 in the United States. The next year their son David was born, an event that probably led to his decision that he needed regular employment. He became an editor at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1953, and he remained in that position for more than twenty-five years. During that period he edited the works of a many authors, including such Wendell Berry and Edward Louis Wallant. In 1978, he retired from regular employment and became a freelance editorial consultant and writer. He died of a heart attack on October 27, 1989, in Weston, Connecticut.