Margaret Halsey (February 13, 1910 – February 4, 1997) was an American writer who lived in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

for a short time. Her first book ''With Malice Toward Some'' (1938) grew out of her experiences there. It was a witty and humorous bestseller, selling 600,000 copies. It won one of the early National Book Awards: the Most Original Book of 1938, voted by members of the American Booksellers Association. "Books and Authors", ''The New York Times'', 1936-04-12, page BR12. ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2007). "Book About Plants Receives Award: Dr. Fairchild's 'Garden' Work Cited by Booksellers", ''The New York Times'' 1939-02-15, page 20. ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2007). According to her obituary in ''The New York Times'', she was "a witty writer with an acute social concern, ndwas compared to

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

and

H. L. Mencken Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, ...

".''New York Times'' obituary
Several of her books were controversial or took on controversial subjects. She wrote two books inspired by her experiences volunteering as a hostess at the racially-integrated

Stage Door Canteen The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II. Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers we ...

in Times Square: a novel, ''Some of My Best Friends Are Soldiers'', and ''Color Blind: A White Woman Looks at the Negro''. The latter was banned in Georgia and favorably reviewed by

Margaret Mead Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist who featured frequently as an author and speaker in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard C ...

.''The Pseudo-Ethic: A Speculation on American Politics and Morals'' was a defense of Alger Hiss.

Life

Halsey was born in

Yonkers Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York (state), New York, after New York City and Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. The popul ...

, New York, and attended

Skidmore College Skidmore College is a Private school, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York. Approximately 2,650 students are enrolled at Skidmore pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Scien ...

. In 1933, editor and author

Max Eastman Max Forrester Eastman (January 4, 1883 – March 25, 1969) was an American writer on literature, philosophy and society, a poet and a prominent political activist. Moving to New York City for graduate school, Eastman became involved with radical ...

hired her as his secretary. With his help, she became an entry-level job, entry-level employee at Simon & Schuster. She and Henry Simon married in 1935 and soon moved to Devon, England. Her letters to American relatives and friends inspired her brother-in-law, the publisher Richard L. Simon, to ask that she write what would become ''With Malice Toward Some''. Halsey and Henry Simon divorced in 1944. A later marriage to Milton R. Stern ended in divorce in 1969. Their daughter, Deborah, survived both her parents despite brain cancer. Halsey's struggles with agoraphobia and alcoholism were the focus of her 1977 book, ''No Laughing Matter: The Autobiography of a WASP''. She died in a nursing home in White Plains, New York.

Works

*''With Malice Toward Some'' (1938) *''Some of My Best Friends Are Soldiers'' (1944) *''Color Blind: A White Woman Looks at the Negro'' (1946) *''The Folks at Home'' (1952) *''This demi-paradise : a Westchester diary'' (1960) *''The Pseudo-Ethic: A Speculation on American Politics and Morals'' (1963) *''No Laughing Matter: The Autobiography of a WASP'' (1977)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halsey, Margaret 1910 births 1997 deaths Skidmore College alumni National Book Award winners People from Yonkers, New York Writers from New York (state)