Norma Fox Mazer
Norma Fox Mazer (1931-2019) was a prominent American author known for her insightful young adult literature that explores complex adolescent issues with empathy and realism. Born in New York City and raised in Glen Falls, she developed an early love for storytelling and character observation, which influenced her writing throughout her life. Mazer began her writing career contributing to women's magazines and, together with her husband, established a disciplined writing routine, which led to numerous publications in both fiction and nonfiction. Throughout her career, she authored several acclaimed novels and collaborated on projects, often focusing on themes of autonomy, conflict, and the nuances of human behavior.
Her works, such as "Good Night, Maman" and "After the Rain," have received multiple awards, including the Newbery Honor and the Edgar Allan Poe Award, recognizing her contributions to literature for young readers. Critics have praised her ability to create relatable characters and tackle familiar themes in fresh ways, often involving deception and the quest for personal identity. Through her stories, Mazer aimed to inspire readers to find their inner strength and navigate the complexities of growing up, making her a respected figure in young adult literature.
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Norma Fox Mazer
- Born: May 15, 1931
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: October 17, 2009
Biography
Norma Fox Mazer was born on May 15, 1931, in New York City, New York, the second child of three daughters. Mazer’s working-class parents, Michael Fox and Jean Garlen Fox, raised her in Glen Falls, New York, where she learned to read as a young child. She observed and listened to people around her, once experiencing an epiphany about human behavior—how adults were often immature like children and how both groups were frequently predictable. People often misinterpreted her introspective manner, not appreciating her insights and accusing her of being self-absorbed. Mazer wrote stories and recorded her opinions in a diary. Reporting for the school newspaper left her dissatisfied. Mazer envisioned writing fiction, but practical concerns delayed her ambitions. She studied briefly at Antioch College before marrying writer Harry Mazer on February 12, 1950. They have three daughters and one son. Mazer took night classes at Syracuse University in the late 1950’s. She has lived in several places in New York.
By 1964, Mazer and her husband committed to a daily writing schedule, often waking before dawn to create stories prior to work. The Mazers sold romantic fiction to women’s magazines. Mazer wrote weekly stories for seven years, then decided to focus on novels. She wrote several books and collaborated on three novels, including The Solid Gold Kid (1977), with her husband. She edited poetry collections, contributed short stories to anthologies, and wrote magazine features and scholarly articles. She researched secondary histories and primary accounts of World War II and the Holocaust to write Good Night, Maman (1999), rewriting the manuscript several times to attain a believable mix of fact and fiction.
Critics lauded Mazer’s young adult literary creations for their realism, characterization, and compassion, depicting adolescent issues and emotions honestly and empathetically. Critics have particularly noted her skills as a short-story writer, ability to create tension, focus on teenagers becoming autonomous and resisting conforming to parents’ and friends’ expectations, and fresh approaches to familiar themes and social problems. Mazer strives to embolden readers to discover their inner strengths to deal with conflicts. Readers identify with her flawed characters and the thought-provoking situations they face that are sometimes inconclusive. Plots frequently involve lies and secrets.
Her works have consistently been named to U.S. and European notable book lists and have received recognition. In 1974, Mazer’s second novel, A Figure of Speech (1973), was nominated for a National Book Award. Mrs. Fish, Ape, and Me, the Dump Queen (1980) received the 1982 German Children’s Literature Prize. Saturday the Twelfth of October (1975) won a 1975 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Dear Bill, Remember Me? and Other Stories (1976) was honored with the 1976 Christopher Award. Taking Terri Mueller (1981) won the 1981 Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Allan Poe Award and the 1985 California Young Readers’ Medal. Mazer twice won the Iowa Teen Award, recognizing When We First Met (1982) in 1986 and Silver (1988) in 1989. Her novel After the Rain (1987) won several awards, including being named a 1988 Newbery Honor Book.