Mary Ward Brown
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Brief Biography
Mary Ward Brown was a native of Hamburg, Alabama. Despite limited access to books during her upbringing on a farm, Brown's passion for writing blossomed through her involvement in high school journalism and her pursuit of English and journalism at Judson College. In 1939, Brown got married and moved to Auburn, Alabama, where she began to write short stories. She continued to write short stories after moving back to Hamburg to manage the family farm after the death of her father. Several of her short stories were published in the 1950s, but Brown stopped writing due to the pressure of running the farm while raising her son. She resumed writing after her husband died in the 1970s. Her notable accolades include the Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award/PEN American Center Award, Alabama Library Association Fiction Award, Lillian Smith Award, Harper Lee Award, and Hillsdale Fiction Prize. Brown died of pancreatic cancer in 2013.
Publications
Tongues of Flame. New York; Dutton, 1986.
It Wasn't All Dancing, and Other Stories. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2002.
Fanning the Spark: A Memoir. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2009.
It Wasn't All Dancing, and Other Stories. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2002.
Fanning the Spark: A Memoir. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2009.
Themes
Mary Ward Brown wrote short stories often set in the South. Her works explore themes like racism, religion, and social class.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Brown, Mary Ward, “Mary Ward Brown,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/546.