Clark McMeekin was the joint pseudonym of authors Dorothy (Park) Clark (September 14, 1899 – June 23, 1983) and Isabel (McLennan) McMeekin (November 19, 1895 – September 4, 1973). They are known for a series of popular historical novels set in the state of Kentucky during the 19th century.

Background on authors

Clark was born Dorothy Park in

Osceola, Iowa Osceola is a city and the county seat of Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,415 at the time of the 2020 census. Etymology Osceola was named after a Seminole Indian leader of the same name. Osceola is an anglicised form of ...

, the daughter of William Park and Eugenia (Dowden) Park. She was educated at Randolph-Macon Women's College and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. She married Edward Clark in 1923 and they had two daughters. She died in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. McMeekin was born Isabel McLennan in Louisville to Alexander McLennan and Rosa (Harbison) McLennan. She was educated at

Westover School Westover School, often referred to simply as "Westover", is an independent college-preparatory day and boarding school for girls. Located in Middlebury, Connecticut, United States, the school offers grades 9 through 12. Early history Mary Hill ...

and the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. In 1919, she worked at the

Pine Mountain Settlement School The Pine Mountain Settlement School is a historic cultural and educational institution in rural Harlan County, Kentucky, Harlan County, Kentucky. Founded in 1913 as a settlement school near Bledsoe, Kentucky, Bledsoe, it now focuses on classes ...

, an experience that produced later echoes in her novels. In 1921 she married Samuel H. McMeekin, who commanded an

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

post in Louisville, and they had three children. She died in Louisville.

Writing career

Clark and McMeekin produced an assortment of mysteries, children's books, short stories, and poetry under their own names. McMeekin's 1942 book ''Journey Cake'' received an award from the Julia Ellsworth Ford Foundation. They are best known, however, for the dozen historical novels that they co-wrote between 1940 and 1961. Set in 19th century Kentucky, these books cross

historical romance Historical romance is a broad category of mass-market fiction focusing on romantic relationships in historical periods, which Lord Byron, Byron helped popularize in the early 19th century. The genre often takes the form of the novel. Varieties ...

with

action fiction Action fiction is a literary genre, genre in literature that focuses on stories involving high-stakes, high-energy, and fast-paced events. This genre includes a wide range of subgenres, such as Spy fiction, spy novels, Adventure fiction, adventu ...

, and their casts of characters mingle fictional with real historical personages. Several are set during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. ''Old Kentucky Country'' (1957) was a nonfiction work commissioned by

Erskine Caldwell Erskine Preston Caldwell (December 17, 1903 – April 11, 1987) was an American novelist and short story writer. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native Southern United States, in novels such as '' Tobacco Road'' (19 ...

for the

American Folkways series The American Folkways is a 28-volume series of books, initiated and principally edited by Erskine Caldwell, and published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce from 1941 to 1955. Each book focused on a different region, or "folkway", of the United States, inc ...

Books

* ''Show Me a Land'' (1940) * ''Reckon with the River'' (1941) * ''Welcome Soldier!'' (1942) * ''Red Raskall'' (1943) * ''Show Me a Land'' (1940) * ''Black Moon'' (1945) * ''Gaudy's Ladies'' (1948) * ''City of the Flags'' (1950) * ''Room at the Inn'' (1953) * ''Tyrone of Kentucky'' (1954) * ''The October Fox'' (1956) * ''Old Kentucky Country'' (1957) * ''The Fairbrothers'' (1961)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McMeekin, Clark Writing duos American historical fiction writers Literary collaborations 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American novelists Pseudonymous women writers Collective pseudonyms 20th-century pseudonymous writers