Mary McGarry Morris is an American novelist, short story author and playwright. In 1991, Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times described Mary McGarry Morris as "one of the most skillful new writers at work in America today"; The Washington Post has described her as a "superb storyteller"; and The Miami Herald has called her "one of our finest American writers." She has been most often compared to John Steinbeck and Carson McCullers. Although her writing style is different, she also has been compared to William Faulkner for her character-driven storytelling. A finalist for the National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and best-selling author, Morris has published eight novels and numerous short stories and has written a play about the insanity trial of Mary Todd Lincoln. [More at Wikipedia]

February 10th, 1943 in Meriden (Age 81)