Margaret Maron Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0258

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the collection is comprised of drafts of Margaret Maron's mystery novels, seven of which are set in North Carolina and eight in New York City, and related correspondence, clippings, notes, and other items. The amount and kind of material varies for each book. For some, there is only one draft; for others, there are several versions, which may range from rough draft through page proofs. For most of the books, there are correspondence and other materials as well as drafts--clippings and notes reflecting background research, timetables, sketches or diagrams are included for some books. There is also a draft of one of Maron's short stories.

In addition, the collection contains files on talks or readings Maron gave, book signings, publicity tours, and similar events. The diverse materials in these files may include the text of her talk, correspondence, pictures, notes, programs, or other items. Also included are VHS tapes, audio cassettes, and compact discs of interviews, talks, and readings by Maron between 1990 and 2010.

The novel originally titled Picture Them Dead was published as Corpus Christmas.

Send Me Word of All Our Neighbors... was a dramatic reading compiled and written by Margaret Maron in 1976 for the celebration of the Smithfield Bicentennial. Written under the auspices of the Johnston County Arts Council, Send Me Word of all Our Neighbors... was based on letters and other documents that revealed the lives of ordinary Johnston County, N.C., citizens.

Dates

1973 - 2010

Creator

Maron, Margaret (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

Margaret Maron has written 15 mystery novels and numerous short stories, which have been published in the United States and abroad. Her works have been nominated for every major award in the American mystery field. In 1993, her North Carolina-based novel, Bootlegger's Daughter, won the Edgar Allan Poe Award and the Anthony Award for Best Mystery Novel of the Year, the Agatha Award for Best Traditional Mystery Novel, and the Macavity for Best Novel.

Maron has written two series of mystery novels, as well as one mystery that does not belong to either series. Eight of Maron's novels feature Lt. Sigrid Harald of the New York Police Department. Maron's other series is set in fictional Colleton County, N.C., and features Deborah Knott, an attorney and a judge. Bloody Kin is set in North Carolina, but does not belong to the Deborah Knott series.

Sigrid Harald books include: One Coffee With (1982), Death of a Butterfly (1984), Death in Blue Folders (1985), The Right Jack (1987), Baby Doll Games (1988), Corpus Christmas (1989), Past Imperfect (1991), Fugitive Colors (1995). Deborah Knott books include: Bootlegger's Daughter (1992), Southern Discomfort (1993), Shooting at Loons (1994), Up Jumps the Devil (1996), Killer Market (1997), Home Fires (1998). Other books include: Bloody Kin (1985).

In addition to her novels, Maron has published short stories in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, McCall's, Redbook, Reader's Digest, and other magazines, as well as in several anthologies, including the 1989 and 1990 Mystery Writers of America anthologies and the second and fourth Sisters in Crime anthologies. In 1997, Maron published Shoveling Smoke, a collection of her short stories, which includes both Sigrid Harald stories and Deborah Knott stories.

Maron is a past president of Sisters in Crime, an international organization of more than 2200 members promoting the efforts of women in the mystery field. She has also been active in the Mystery Writers of America, the American Crime Writers League, and the Carolina Crime Writers Association.

Born Margaret E. Brown, in Greensoro, N.C., Margaret Maron grew up on her mother's family farm in Johnston County, N.C. She graduated from Cleveland High School in Johnston County and attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She married Joe Maron, a naval officer from New York. They lived in Italy for three years before they returned to Brooklyn, where Joe Maron got his master's degree and taught art at Brooklyn College. After ten years in New York, the Marons moved to North Carolina, where they now live on the family farm in Johnston County. They have one son.

Extent

15.00 Linear Feet (15 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Margaret Maron is an award-winning mystery writer who was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and attended Woman's College (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, or UNCG) from 1956 to 1958. She now lives on her family farm in Johnston County, North Carolina.

The Margaret Maron Papers date from 1973 to 2010 and include drafts of Maron's mystery novels, and related correspondence, clippings, notes, timetables, diagrams, and other items. There are also files on talks and readings given by Maron, book signings, publicity tours, and similar events, as well as videotapes and audio recordings of interviews, talks, and readings by Maron between 1990 and 2010.

Arrangement Note

Collection is organized into the following series: Writings; Events; Audio-Visual Interviews; Miscellaneous

Method of Acquisition

UNC-Chapel Hill received from Margaret Maron of Willow Spring, NC, in August 1998. Transferred to UNCG in September 2006. Additional material donated to UNCG in 2012 and 2017.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed and encoded by Linda Sellars, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, December 1998. Reprocessed by Nataly Blas in August, 2013.