Marcia Biederman
I'm a biographer of overlooked 20th-century women, a journalist, and a recovering mystery writer. My first bio, Popovers and Candlelight: Patricia Murphy and the Rise and Fall of a Restaurant Empire, was released by SUNY Press in 2018. My second, Scan Artist: How Evelyn Wood Convinced the World that Speed-Reading Worked, is forthcoming from Chicago Review Press in September 2019. As a longtime freelancer for The New York Times I contributed more than 150 pieces on everything from ice dancing to automotive repair. In a past life I published three mystery novels and contributed a short story to Best of Sisters in Crime, edited by Marilyn Wallace. I live in Brooklyn, NY.
Works
Popovers and Candlelight: Patricia Murphy and the Rise and Fall of a Restaurant Empire
When the stock market crashed in 1929, young Patricia Murphy had sixty dollars in her pocket, just enough to return to her native Newfoundland. Instead, she spent it all on a rundown Brooklyn eatery, lit some candles, and turned into an overnight smash. It was the first of nine Patricia Murphy's Candlelight restaurants to flourish in Greater New York and Florida over the next four decades. Bucking Mad Man-era sexism and ethnic prejudice, Murphy served thousands of meals daily and made millions before it all came tumbling down in an operatic ending.
Website
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Author Contact
Category
Biography & History
agent Contact
James Fitzgerald Agency (representing Scan Artist)