House Crazy Sarah’s innocence was shattered when she found out that her beloved Nancy Drew was created by A MAN! Carolyn Keene (the supposed author) was not even a real person. The series was written by a long list of different men and women from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. This discovery has forever shattered House Crazy Sarah’s perception that writers are saints with the utmost integrity and authenticity.
Here are a few other shocking nuggets she has found out along the way…
1. Virginia Woolf was a slob
By all accounts from her friends and family, she was a trash hoarder and didn’t like to clean. Her writing office was a pigsty.
2. Jack Kerouac never knew how to drive
Although his defining book On the Road is based on the road-tripping adventures of Kerouac and his friends, he never actually drove. His friends did all the driving.
3. George Eliot was actually a she
House Crazy Sarah is embarrassed to admit that she did not discover the truth until she was well into her 30’s. George was actually Mary Ann Evans.
4. J.K. Rowling has vowed to never read 50 Shades of Grey
She promised her editor she would never read the racy book, and has so far kept her word – presumably so her writing would not be corrupted by such smut.
5. Edgar Allan Poe married his 13-year old cousin
They were happily married for a decade before she succumbed to tuberculosis. Scholars say Poe was never the same again. He went to the darkside.
6. Charles Dickens practiced hypnosis
He had fun doing so by hypnotizing his wife Catherine in front of large audiences, just for giggles.
7. James Patterson doesn’t write his own books
He has at least 6 co-authors who write his books for him, although he does plan and outline the stories. It makes sense, because the guy comes out with a book like every week. (Not humanly possible)
8. William Faulkner was a high school drop-out
Ironic, considering many of his books are now required reading in high school and college.
9. J.D. Salinger was into Scientology
Although he was raised Jewish, went on to pursue Zen Buddhism, Catholicism, and eventually Vedantic Hinduism.
10. Stephen King was declared unfit for military service
When he reported for the Vietnam era draft, Army doctors found that he had extremely poor vision, punctured ear drums, flat feet, and abnormally high blood pressure. The Army doctor who examined King apparently remarked, “You’re a mess, boy”.
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Sources:
listverse.com/2017/05/06/top-10-shocking-facts-about-famous-writers
mentalfloss.com/article/61436/10-surprising-facts-about-writing-lives-great-authors
http://www.rd.com/culture/fascinating-facts-about-famous-authors/
http://www.goliath.com/random/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-stephen-king/
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