L.A. Meyer
L.A. Meyer | |
---|---|
Born | Louis A. Meyer January 1, 1942 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | July 29, 2014 Ellsworth, Maine, U.S. | (aged 72)
Pen name | L.A. Meyer |
Occupation | Author |
Nationality | American |
Education | University of Florida (BA) Columbia University Boston University (MFA) |
Genres |
|
Spouse |
Annetje Lawrence (m. 1966) |
Children | 2 |
Louis A. Meyer (January 1, 1942 – July 29, 2014)
Personal life
L.A. Meyer was born in
Later he enlisted in the U.S. Navy for 4 years. While in the Navy, he married his college sweetheart, Annetje Lawrence (in 1966).[1] They had two sons, Matthew and Nathaniel. Like their father, both men are painters[3] and teachers. Annetje was also a teacher before dedicating herself to the family's businesses and researching historical points for her husband's novels.[1]
Since 1984,[4] he and his wife owned an art gallery called Clair de Loon[3] in Bar Harbor, where they sold matted and framed prints of his artwork.[1] Clair de Loon closed in November 2013 due to Meyer's illness.
Biography
Meyer grew up on
During the
Meyer received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from the
Meyer died due to complications caused by
Jacky Faber books
Meyer invented the idea for the character of Jacky Faber while listening to British and Celtic folk music on a local community radio station in his workshop. Meyer describes the moment on his website:
...the host of the program plays a long string of early nineteenth century songs that feature young girls dressing up as boys and following their boyfriends out to sea, the most well known of these being Jackaroe[6] and Cana-di-i-o.[7] These songs generally end up with the girl being found out quickly and threatened with being thrown overboard, but all ends happily when she either marries the boy or the captain.
It occurred to me, however, to wonder what it would be like if the girl, instead of seeking to be with her lover, connives to get on board a British warship in order to just eat regularly and have a place to stay, her being a starving orphan on the streets of early 1800s London. What would she have to do to pull off this deception for a long period of time? What if she goes through the changes of adolescence while on board in the company of 408 rather rough men and boys, and her not having much of a clue as to what is happening to her? What if this ship goes into combat and she has to do her dangerous duty? And, finally, what if she falls in love with one of the boys and can never tell him of her female nature?
I started making notes and seven months later Bloody Jack was done.[1]
Meyer stated in several fan interviews that the final book in the series would be titled She Will Play the Wild Rover No More, a name adapted from a line in the
Bibliography
- two[1] or more[4] children's books published by Little, Brown prior to 1973
- The Gypsy Bears Illustrated Children's Book (1971)
Bloody Jack series
- Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy (2002)
- Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady (2004)
- Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber (2005)
- In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber (2006)
- Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman, Fine Lady, and the Lily of the West (2007)
- My Bonny Light Horseman: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War (2008)
- Rapture of the Deep: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Soldier, Sailor, Mermaid, Spy (2009)
- The Wake of the Lorelei Lee: Being an Account of the Adventures of Jacky Faber, on her Way to Botany Bay (2010)
- The Mark of the Golden Dragon: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Jewel of the East, Vexation of the West, and Pearl of the South China Sea (2011)
- Viva Jacquelina! Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber Over the Hills and Far Away (2012)
- Boston Jacky: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Taking Care of Business (2013)
- Wild Rover No More: Being the Last Recorded Account of the Life and Times of Jacky Faber (2014)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Meyer, L.A. L.A. Meyer Biography Archived 2008-11-06 at the Wayback Machine, brief autobiography on author's own webpage. Accessed February 25, 2009.
- ^ Maughan, Shannon. "Obituary: L A Meyer". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ a b Clair de Loon official website. Accessed February 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Meyer, L.A. Biography at Meyer Studio Gallery Archived 2007-05-27 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed February 25, 2009.
- ^ Burnham, Emily (5 August 2014). "L.A. Meyer, Corea resident and author of Bloody Jack book series, dies at 72 — Hancock — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine". Bangordailynews.com. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
- ^ Jackaroe Lyrics. Accessed February 25, 2009.
- ^ Canadee-I-O Lyrics. Accessed February 25, 2009.
- ^ www.facebook.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/LA-Meyer/128462140559986. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
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External links
- Photo portrait circa 2002 (Meyer Studio Gallery homepage, archived 2007)