Pam Conrad
Pam Conrad was a notable American author born on June 18, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in a working-class family and developed a passion for the arts early in her life, eventually studying at the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan. After a brief stint in college, she became a mother and followed her husband during his service in the U.S. Air Force, which sparked her interest in the American prairie. Following her divorce in 1982, Conrad pursued her education further, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984.
Conrad's writing career began in earnest after attending a writers' conference, leading to the publication of her first children's book, "I Don't Live Here!" Her second book, "Prairie Songs," established her reputation as a significant children's author, earning multiple awards, including the Spur Award and Golden Kite Award. Throughout her career, she wrote for various periodicals and tackled complex themes in her literature, such as mental health and addiction, always with sensitivity and depth. Despite her battle with breast cancer, she continued to write until her passing on January 22, 1996. Conrad's legacy as a children's author is marked by her acclaimed storytelling and her ability to authentically convey the experiences of her characters.
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Subject Terms
Pam Conrad
Writer
- Born: June 18, 1947
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
- Died: January 22, 1996
- Place of death: Rockville Center, New York
Biography
Pamela Elizabeth Stampf Conrad was born on June 18, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, to mechanic Robert F. Stampf and Doris Dowling Stampf. She first lived in a Queens basement apartment beneath her maternal grandparents’ home. Conrad moved to Valley Stream on Long Island, New York, when she was seven years old and attended Brooklyn Avenue School.
Conrad took dancing lessons. By eighth grade, she auditioned successfully for the High School of Performing Arts and began studying in Manhattan. After graduation, she attended a Rhode Island college for a semester, then taught exercise classes at a Manhattan studio.
On June 25, 1967, she married illustrator Robert R. Conrad, whom she had met while commuting to the High School of Performing Arts. They had two daughters and one son who died. When her husband enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, Conrad moved with him to assignments in Denver, Colorado, and Buckburnett, Texas. While she lived in Colorado, Conrad visited friends in Nebraska, becoming intrigued by the prairie.
She moved with her family to Rockville Centre on Long Island. Conrad took children’s literature courses at Bank Street College and writing classes at Hofstra University. Divorcing her husband in 1982, she resumed seeking her college diploma. In 1984, Conrad completed her bachelor of arts degree at the New School for Social Research. She instructed aspiring writers at Queens College from 1979 to 1996. Conrad also taught at the Highlights Writers Conference in Chautauqua, New York. She enjoyed sailing her boat.
Diagnosed with breast cancer, Conrad continued writing, giving her agent several manuscripts for posthumous publication before she died on January 22, 1996, in her Rockville Centre house.
Conrad’s publication history started when she attended the 1981 Hofstra Writers’ Conference, where her interaction with author Johanna Hurwitz resulted in Conrad writing her first children’s book, I Don’t Live Here!. Her second book, Prairie Songs, secured Conrad’s status as a significant children’s author. Conrad published her writing in several periodicals, including The New York Times, McCall’s, and Publishers Weekly.
Reviewers praised the way Conrad’s elegant prose presented her characters and settings, particularly on the U.S. frontier. They noted her books realistically and empathetically addressed such serious topics as insanity and drug addiction. Her novel Prairie Songs received numerous awards in 1985, including the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award for outstanding juvenile Western and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame’s Western Heritage Award. The Society of Children’s Book Writers named it a Golden Kite Award honor book. The Child Study Association of America, American Library Association (ALA), Children’s Book Council, National Council for Social Studies, and Horn Book all designated it a notable book. The next year, Conrad’s Prairie Songs continued collecting awards from the International Reading Association, Society of Midland Authors, and Women’s National Book Association. Conrad won her second Spur Award for My Daniel in 1989. The Mystery Writers of America presented Conrad’s novel Stonewords: A Ghost Story an Edgar Award for outstanding juvenile mystery in 1991. It had been a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book the previous year.