Miriam Allen deFord
Encyclopedia
Miriam Allen DeFord was an American
writer.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, she worked as a newspaper reporter for a time and, in the early 1900s, was also a campaigner and disseminator of birth control
information to women. She spent perhaps the most energy in mystery fiction
and science fiction
. Hence she did several anthologies in the mystery world.
She also had interest in historical crime or criminals. In 1968 she wrote The Real Bonnie and Clyde
. She also wrote The Overbury Affair, which involves events during the reign of James I
of Britain surrounding the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury
. For the latter work she received a 1961 Edgar Award
from the Mystery Writers of America
for Best Fact Crime book. She also worked for Humanist magazine.
However, in 1949 The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
began with Anthony Boucher
as editor. Anthony Boucher wrote science fiction
and fantasy but also garnered attention in the mystery field as well. This gave his magazine some cross-over appeal to mystery writers like Ms. deFord. Hence much of her science fiction first appeared in Boucher's magazine. Her stories there dealt with themes like nuclear devastation, alienation, and sexual roles. Her two collections are Elsewhere, Elsewhen, Elsehow and Xenogenesis. She also edited an anthology of stories mixing science fiction with mystery called Space, Time, and Crime.
DeFord was also a passionate Fortean, a follower of Charles Fort
, and did fieldwork for him. DeFord is mentioned in Fort's book Lo! Shortly before her death in 1975, Fortean writer Loren Coleman
visited Ms. deFord frequently and interviewed her about her earlier interactions with Fort and her trips to Chico, California
, to investigate the case of a poltergeist
rock-thrower on Fort's behalf.
DeFord died February 22, 1975, at her longtime home, the Ambassador Hotel at 55 Mason Street in San Francisco.
In 2008, The Library of America selected deFord’s story of the Leopold and Loeb
trial for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American True Crime.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, she worked as a newspaper reporter for a time and, in the early 1900s, was also a campaigner and disseminator of birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
information to women. She spent perhaps the most energy in mystery fiction
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. Hence she did several anthologies in the mystery world.
She also had interest in historical crime or criminals. In 1968 she wrote The Real Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
. She also wrote The Overbury Affair, which involves events during the reign of James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
of Britain surrounding the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury
Thomas Overbury
Sir Thomas Overbury was an English poet and essayist, and the victim of one of the most sensational crimes in English history...
. For the latter work she received a 1961 Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
from the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
for Best Fact Crime book. She also worked for Humanist magazine.
However, in 1949 The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
began with Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
as editor. Anthony Boucher wrote science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy but also garnered attention in the mystery field as well. This gave his magazine some cross-over appeal to mystery writers like Ms. deFord. Hence much of her science fiction first appeared in Boucher's magazine. Her stories there dealt with themes like nuclear devastation, alienation, and sexual roles. Her two collections are Elsewhere, Elsewhen, Elsehow and Xenogenesis. She also edited an anthology of stories mixing science fiction with mystery called Space, Time, and Crime.
DeFord was also a passionate Fortean, a follower of Charles Fort
Charles Fort
Charles Hoy Fort was an American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena. Today, the terms Fortean and Forteana are used to characterize various such phenomena. Fort's books sold well and are still in print today.-Biography:Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York, of Dutch...
, and did fieldwork for him. DeFord is mentioned in Fort's book Lo! Shortly before her death in 1975, Fortean writer Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is an author of books on a number of topics, including cryptozoology, who was born in 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia and grew up in Decatur, Illinois.-Education:...
visited Ms. deFord frequently and interviewed her about her earlier interactions with Fort and her trips to Chico, California
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, to investigate the case of a poltergeist
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
rock-thrower on Fort's behalf.
DeFord died February 22, 1975, at her longtime home, the Ambassador Hotel at 55 Mason Street in San Francisco.
In 2008, The Library of America selected deFord’s story of the Leopold and Loeb
Leopold and Loeb
Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr. and Richard Albert Loeb , more commonly known as "Leopold and Loeb", were two wealthy University of Michigan alumni and University of Chicago students who murdered 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks in 1924 and were sentenced to life imprisonment.The duo were...
trial for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American True Crime.