User:Dzitya/Marcia Martin

Marcia Martin is the pseudonym of Marcia Lauter Obrasky Levin (October 29, 1918 - April 18, 2006), the author of the Donna Parker series, and other childrens' books.

Biography
Born in Philadelphia in 1918 to Russian immigrant, Abraham Nathaniel Obrasky, and the former Elizabeth Lauter, Marcia Lauter Obrasky grew up in a Yiddish speaking household. They lived at 820 Moore, where her father also maintained his dental office. Her mother was a teacher. A younger sister, Louise, was born in 1924. Her grandmother on the mother's side, Julia L Lauter, who resided with them for a time, had also been born in Russia.

She met her future husband, Martin Paul Levin at the age of 18. He was from the "wrong side of the tracks," but submitted to a "makeover," that, according to Martin, was a lifelong endeavor. At Marcia's death in 2006, he was still considered a "work in progress."

In 1940, Martin worked with the war department in South Bend, Indiana, and during their residence there, children Jeremy and Wendy were born. During the war years, they also lived in Yuba City, California, and Olympia, Washington. Marcia worked as an elementary school teacher in Philadelphia after the war, and Martin for the Veteran's Administration. A major in 1950, he was offered an entry level position at Grosset and Dunlap in New York. With two children, no assets, and no experience in the field, it took Marcia's urging for him to accept the offered. They borrowed money, rented a house in Rye, New York, and Martin embarked on a 33 year publishing career. They would live in Rye for 56 years.

A third child, Hugh, was born. Martin and Marcia lived in India for two months while he created their first paperback distribution program. In 1966, he took a position with Times Mirror Book Publishing (he was its president for 17 years). At age 65, again with Marsha's support and encouragement, he recieved a law degree, spending the next 20 years working as a lawyer at Cowan, Liebowitz and Latman.

Marsha wrote on a yellow pad while lying in bed, sneaking secret cigarettes. She would produce, as Marcia Martin, 22 children's picture books, as well as the Donna Parker books, and some early "new math" texts which were published under her own name.

Her first picture books were published by Wonder, and appeared from 1951. The first three Donna Parkers were published in 1957. As was common with series books, publishers initiated a breeder set of three. If those three sold well, they commissioned more in the series. The rest of the Donna Parkers were published in 1960, 1961, and 1961, and 1964.

She was an avid supporter of Planned Parenthood, a staunch Democrat, a student of fine arts. She loved jokes and shopping via catalogs, which she pursued with great abandon. She had a passion for Broadway shows. In later years, when she could no longer walk and reading became too difficult, the family purchased more than 150 Broadway shows on dvd, which she would watch, "eyes glistening with delight." She died on April 18, 2006.

Marcia's son Jeremy Leven is an author, screenwriter, and film director. Daughter Dr Wendy Newby is a psychologist and Associate Dean of Emory College. Son Hugh Levin was the President of Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc, a publisher of fine art and illustrated books, which has since been acquired by Rizzoli.

Donna Parker Series

 * Donna Parker, Special Agent (Whitman Books, 1957 - ISBN 978-9877765229)
 * Donna Parker on Her Own (Whitman Books, 1957)
 * Donna Parker: A Spring to Remember (Whitman Books, 1960)
 * Donna Parker at Cherrydale (World Distributors, 1961)
 * Donna Parker in Hollywood (Whitman Books, 1961)
 * Donna Parker Mystery at Arawak (Whitman Books, 1962)
 * Donna Parker Takes a Giant Step (Whitman Books, 1964)

Tom Corbett Series

 * Tom Corbett's A Trip to the Moon (Wonder Books, 1953)
 * Tom Corbett's Wonder Book of Space (Wonder Books, 1953)

Classics Retold

 * Anna Sewell's Black Beauty Retold For Little Children (Wonder Books, 1952)
 * Peter Pan (Wonder Books, 1952) (illustrated by Beatrice Derwinski)
 * Adventures From the Original Alice in Wonderland (Wonder Books, 1978)

The Merry Mailman Series

 * The Merry Mailman (Treasure Books, 1953)
 * The Merry Mailman Around the World (Treasure Books, 1955)

Other Books

 * A Little Cowboy's Christmas (Wonder Books, 1951)
 * How the Clown Got His Smile (Wonder Books, 1951)
 * Sonny the Lucky Bunny (World Distributors, 1952) (illustrated by Art Seiden)
 * Waiting for Santa Claus: Christmas is coming (Wonder Books, 1952)
 * Let's Take a Ride (Treasure Books, 1953)
 * Johnny Grows Up (Wonder Books, 1954)