M. E. Kerr

• Born: May 27, 1927
• Place of Birth: Auburn, New York
• Died: November 21, 2022

Biography

M. E. Kerr was born Marijane Agnes Meaker in 1927 in the small town of Auburn, New York. Her parents were Ida Meaker, a homemaker, and Ellis Meaker, a mayonnaise manufacturer, and Meaker had both an older and a younger brother.

Although Meaker did not consider her parents to be particularly intellectual, the Meaker home was full of books, and Marijane was an avid reader. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer and began submitting stories to various publications while still in school. Even then, she submitted her work under a variety of pseudonyms, many of which were male, in part because male writers were more socially accepted than female writers at that time and in part because Meaker found the idea of creating alternate personas fascinating.

Meaker’s teenage years were largely shaped by World War II, during which her older brother served in the armed forces, and many of her schoolmates also eventually went off to war. In one wartime incident, which Meaker chronicles in her memoir Me, Me, Me, Me, Me: Not a Novel (1983), Meaker and a boy she sometimes dated helped a female friend who was Christian elope with a young Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany on the night before the young man was to go off to war. Later, Meaker modeled an important character in If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever? (1973) after this Jewish friend.

Perhaps because Meaker’s father feared that Meaker might do something similar herself, he was rather strict and did not allow his daughter to date soldiers, which made it somewhat difficult for her to maintain an active social life. Meaker therefore spent a great deal of her time in her room writing stories, which her mother found worrisome and unfeminine. Eventually, because she wanted to escape both her parents’ strictness and what she viewed as the limits of small-town life, Meaker convinced her parents to send her to boarding school at Stuart Hall in Staunton, Virginia. There, Meaker found herself to be something of a loner and troublemaker, and she was even expelled in her senior year, although her parents managed to have her reinstated in time to graduate with her class. (These experiences later informed her 1975 novel, Is That You, Miss Blue?) Meaker then went on to study at Vermont Junior College and the University of Missouri, where she initially studied journalism but finished with a degree in English literature.

Her formal schooling complete, Meaker moved to New York City, where she shared an apartment with several other young women and did menial office work for a publishing company. Meaker became convinced that no writer could succeed without an agent but was unable to get one herself, so she began pretending to be an agent under her real name and submitting her pseudonymous stories on her own behalf. She also expanded the types of writing that she submitted, including “confession stories,” articles, fiction for women’s magazines, poetry, and thrillers.

In 1951, Meaker had the thrill of receiving a letter to the “agent” Marijane Meaker, indicating that the Ladies’ Home Journal wished to buy the story Meaker had sent on behalf of her pretend client Laura Winston. The story sold for enough money to allow Meaker to keep writing instead of seeking another office job, and she continued to submit fiction under a variety of names. One of her most prolific pseudonyms was Vin Packer, under which she sold several paperback original suspense novels and lesbian pulp fiction.

Then, as Ann Aldrich, Meaker penned a series of nonfictional gay guides: We Walk Alone and We, Too, Must Love in 1955, Carol in a Thousand Cities in 1960, We Two Won’t Last in 1963, and Take a Lesbian to Lunch in 1972.

Gradually, Meaker became aware of the relatively new field of young adult literature, in part because of the influence of authors such as Louise Fitzhugh and . Indeed, Meaker notes in an autobiographical essay for Something About the Author (1980) that she enjoyed Paul Zindel’s young adult novel The Pigman (1968) so much that it inspired her to compete and try to write a young adult novel herself. This ambition led to the publication of Meaker’s first young adult novel, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! (1972), which was named an American Library Association Notable Book. By this time, Meaker was working as a volunteer writing teacher at a high school in Manhattan, and she had based the title character in her novel on one of her students. The story was later adapted for television and aired as an ABC after-school special in 1978. The success of this book, the first published under the pseudonym M. E. Kerr, led Meaker to realize that many of her own adolescent experiences would provide rich source material, and her successful career writing young adult fiction as M. E. Kerr was born. Kerr produced some two dozen novels for young adults.

Kerr's Fell series—Fell (1988), Fell Back (1989), and Fell Down (1991)—won acclaim as well. The Fell of the titles refers to protagonist John Fell, a boarding-school student who investigates mysterious occurrences and deaths. The Mystery Writers of America nominated Fell Back for its 1990 Edgar Award for best young adult mystery book.

Meaker’s first memoir, Me, Me, Me, Me, Me: Not a Novel, chronicled much of Meaker’s adolescence. Each chapter in the book detailed a specific event or time period in Meaker’s life that made an impression—often a negative one—upon her, such as dating, attending ballroom dancing classes, going to boarding school, and joining a sorority in college. Each chapter concluded with notes on how Meaker eventually incorporated that event or time period into her fiction in some changed form. Meaker specifically noted that whenever her characters were tomboys who resisted authority, they incorporated a great deal of her own personality. In fact, Susan "Dinky" Hocker in particular was so like Meaker herself that Meaker did not need to think up Dinky’s lines of dialogue but merely needed to remember them.

Some of Meaker’s novels dealt with the often controversial topic of homosexuality, including Night Kites (1986) and Deliver Us from Evie (1994). While Meaker confined most of her writings about sexuality to fiction, in 2003, she published another memoir, titled Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950’s, under her own name. The book details Meaker’s somewhat tumultuous two-year relationship with mystery novelist Patricia Highsmith, which took place between 1959 and 1961, a time when most gay and lesbian people felt they could not openly acknowledge their sexuality for fear of losing jobs, friends, and family. The forthright memoir indicated that the relationship ended in part because of Meaker’s jealousy and in part because of Highsmith’s own obsessions.

Meaker has written over sixty books during her lengthy career. She has also engaged in gay rights activism, cofounding the East End Gay Organization in 1978, and supported others' writing ambitions through her Ashawagh Hall Writers Workshop. Among various honors, Meaker received the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1993, and the National Council of Teachers of English presented her with its ALAN Award in 2000.

In her later years, Meaker lived in East Hampton, New York. She died on November 21, 2022, in her home at the age of ninety-five.

Analysis

M. E. Kerr often stated that she preferred to write about characters who were underdogs or outsiders in some sense, which was immediately apparent in her young adult fiction. Included among the “outsider” characters about whom she wrote so convincingly were gay men and lesbians (Night Kites and Deliver Us from Evie), Jewish people (If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?), little people (Little Little, 1981), obese teenagers (Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!), and others.

Kerr’s young adult novels were often praised for their realistic portrayal of characters’ reactions to uncomfortable social situations. Part of this realism stemmed from the fact that many of her novels were written not from the social outcast’s point of view but from that of characters close to them who were able to witness the social ostracism slightly more objectively and therefore apply what they learn to their own relationships. Kerr’s narrators often found themselves disillusioned with human nature and disappointed that people had difficulty accepting that which is different, even when that difference occurred in someone they love.

Perhaps another reason for Kerr’s success writing young-adult fiction was in her ability to make her outcast characters sympathetic to readers by pitting them against the same kind of authority figures with whom readers may themselves struggle. For instance, in If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?, a student named Duncan Stein transfers into the main character’s high school and initially refuses to go out for sports or other traditional high school activities; this is something to which readers who do not enjoy or excel at sports might easily relate.

Another theme often addressed by Kerr was how families relate to one another, particularly in times of family crisis. In some novels, Kerr’s young adult characters had divorced parents, whereas in others they had parents who were married and who for the most part supported each other but who often disagreed where their children were concerned. For instance, in both Night Kites and Deliver Us from Evie, the parents of the LGBTQ characters have different levels of difficulty adjusting to their children’s sexuality. For the most part, Kerr’s fictional families tried to come through for one another in times of crises, but family relationships were never portrayed as easy.

The emotional resonance of Kerr’s fiction, as well as her memorable and distinct characters, helped her win over readers and earn a number of literary awards, including multiple citations as American Library Association notable books, School Library Journal’s best books of the year, and The New York Times’ outstanding books of the year. One of Kerr’s greatest strengths was in her ability to analyze events and real people’s characteristics, as well as events from her own life, and turn them into fictional situations that transcend any given time period so that her work remains relevant for multiple generations.

If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?

First published: 1973

Type of work: Novel

Alan Bennett’s senior year is derailed by the arrival of Duncan Stein, a Jewish student who makes classmates question their values and traditions.

In If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?, high school athlete Alan Bennett is complacent about his relatively easy life, particularly since he has just started dating the popular and attractive Leah. He is completely unprepared for the arrival of Duncan Stein, a half-Jewish student whose parents open an alcoholism rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Alan’s small hometown. Utilizing a first-person, past-tense narrative from Alan’s point of view, the novel immediately creates suspense when Alan states that “unforeseen clouds are gathering in the distance,” thus leading the reader to wonder how and why Duncan’s arrival should affect Alan’s life so profoundly.

Duncan, whose classmates nickname him “Doomed” due to his unusual appearance and his lack of desire to “fit in,” refuses to go out for basketball despite his height and instead starts an underground newspaper that questions whether love can be anything but ephemeral. Alan is surprised and annoyed when most of the female students, embracing Duncan’s ideas of tragic romanticism, decide that dating has become passé. The fact that Duncan is able to influence such a large number of students so quickly lends realism to Kerr’s portrayal of high school life, where sweeping fads can become so important.

At the same time Alan’s school life is changing, his long-estranged father contacts him and asks him to visit, an invitation that makes Alan both angry and curious. Unfortunately, the visit deteriorates when Alan’s father drinks too much, revealing his own self-loathing and emotional problems. Still reeling from the unpleasant encounter, Alan runs into Duncan’s attractive stepmother and builds up an idealized relationship with her in his own mind. Once again, however, Alan is disillusioned by the imperfections he finds in others, a common theme in much of Kerr’s fiction. Although the high school eventually settles back into its old social patterns, Alan finds that he himself has changed and that he no longer belongs. In particular, Alan observes how ironic it is that Duncan has taken Alan’s place as a well-liked student athlete dating the popular Leah, while Alan himself has become the outsider. The book leaves the reader with the sense that Alan will eventually become a writer and will be able to look back at these events with some detachment, but they will leave a mark on him for the rest of his life.

Night Kites

First published: 1986

Type of work: Novel

Erick Rudd has just begun dating his best friend’s girlfriend when he learns that his beloved older brother is gay and dying of AIDS.

In Night Kites, seventeen-year-old Erick Rudd experiences sudden changes in his life when he leaves his longtime girlfriend to begin a relationship with the unconventional Nicki, who has been dating Erick’s best friend, Jack. At the same time, Erick learns that his older brother Pete is gay and dying of AIDS and discovers that friends, neighbors, and even relatives will begin to avoid their entire family out of ignorance about the ways in which AIDS can be contracted. Interestingly, Kerr noted in an interview in School Library Journal that when she wrote the book, she did not expect that AIDS would continue to be an ongoing social and medical problem.

One of the most effective elements in Night Kites is the parallel Kerr draws between the homosexuality that Pete felt he had to keep hidden for so many years, and Erick’s belief that he should keep his new relationship with Nicki a secret from his family. This parallel allows Erick to understand the isolation and loneliness that secrets and lack of acceptance can bring. As in other Kerr novels, Erick is also disappointed in many of the people around him: Pete for not revealing his homosexuality to Erick until his disease forces the issue, his parents for not accepting Pete’s homosexuality as well as Erick thinks they should, and Nicki for her fickleness in dropping Erick once the family’s secret is out.

While some aspects of Night Kites may seem slightly dated in terms of society’s understanding of AIDS, most of the book remains relevant in the light of the continuing social stigma surrounding the disease. Kerr’s portrayal of yet another young protagonist struggling to make sense out of rapid and confusing life changes also makes Night Kites a moving and effective novel for young adult readers.

Deliver Us from Evie

First published: 1994

Type of work: Novel

Parr Burrman watches his community turn against his sister Evie when she begins a controversial relationship with Patsy Duff, the daughter of the town’s wealthiest man.

In Deliver Us from Evie, fifteen-year-old Parr Burrman’s main concern in life is that his older siblings Doug and Evie will take over the family farm someday so that Parr does not have to. Although Doug has seemed to turn away from farming since going away to college, Evie seems perfectly fine with farming, a life to which she is well suited given her mechanical abilities and her lack of concern with material possessions and social status. Evie’s world is changed, however, when she strikes up a friendship with Patsy Duff, the daughter of the town’s wealthiest and most influential man. Since Patsy is more conventionally feminine and is regarded as the more attractive of the two, Patsy’s parents are quick to accuse Evie of corrupting their daughter, and a great deal of pressure is placed on Evie and her family to stay away from the Duffs. Evie eventually leaves home, going first to St. Louis and then to New York City, so that she and Patsy may pursue their relationship in relative peace.

While Evie’s life is changing so dramatically, Parr begins a relationship with a young woman named Angel, whose parents belong to a nearby conservative church. Angel’s father tells Parr that he is not to go “parking” with Angel and that it is the boy’s responsibility in a relationship to keep to such rules. When Parr allows Angel to talk him into staying too late at a dance and they become stranded because of flooding, he is dismayed to find that Angel also blames him and does not take responsibility for her own actions. In addition, although Angel had previously been sympathetic about Evie and Patsy’s difficulties, she changes her mind and concludes that the devastating flood may be God’s punishment to the community for Evie and Patsy’s actions.

In the end, the characters in Deliver Us from Evie achieve differing degrees of acceptance for the way events unfold, another trademark that marks Kerr’s young adult fiction as particularly realistic. Doug’s and Evie’s changes of heart about farming, as well as the flood that devastates their land, lead Parr’s parents to realize that it is unfair to expect Parr to stay on the farm if that is not what he wants. Although they have difficulty accepting Evie’s open acknowledgment of her relationship with Patsy, Parr’s father does his best to come to terms with it, and the book ends with Parr’s mother telling Evie and Patsy to not be strangers. This more hopeful ending marks a change from Kerr’s earlier young adult novel dealing with homosexuality, Night Kites (1986), since in that novel the narrator knows that his brother will die in the near future from AIDS.

Summary

The fact that many of M. E. Kerr’s young adult novels remained popular and in print for years after they were first published indicated that these novels were not tied to the events of a particular time period or generation but rather addressed universal feelings and emotions that most young adults experience at some time or another. In addition, Kerr’s most commonly used theme of an underdog either struggling to gain social acceptance or learning to live without it, was one that many young adult readers found appealing.

Bibliography

Genzlinger, Neil. “Marijane Meaker, 95, Who Took Lesbian Pulp Fiction Mainstream, Dies." The New York Times, 11 Dec. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/books/marijane-meaker-dead.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Kerr, M. E. Blood on the Forehead: What I Know About Writing. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.

Kerr, M. E. Me, Me, Me, Me, Me: Not a Novel. New York: Harper & Row, 1983.

Koh, Michelle. “Official M. E. Kerr and Mary James Site.” M. E. Kerr Official Website, 2024, www.mekerr.com/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Meaker, Marijane. Highsmith: A Romance of the Fifties. San Francisco: Cleis Press, 2003.

Meaker, Marijane. “Marijane Meaker.” In Something About the Author. Vol. 20, edited by Anne Commire. Detroit: Gale, 1980.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace. Presenting M. E. Kerr. Updated ed. New York: Twayne, 1997.

Sutton, Roger. “A Conversation with M. E. Kerr.” School Library Journal 39, no. 6 (June, 1993): 24-29.

Thomas, June. "Marijane Meaker: The Most Important Lesbian Writer You've Never Heard Of." Advocate, 10 Mar. 2016, www.advocate.com/current-issue/2016/3/10/most-important-lesbian-writer-never-heard. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.