Flack, Marjorie, 1897-1958

Marjorie Flack (1897-1958) was born in Greenport, Long Island, N.Y. At 18 she went to New York city to study at the Art Students League, where she met Karl Larsson. They were married in 1919 and their daughter Hilma was born the next year. Flack's first book, Taktuk, an Arctic boy (1928), was written with her friend Helen Lomen. She went on to write and/or illustrate a number of other children's books, including the "Angus" series and What to do about Molly. In 1941 she married the poet William Rose Benét.

Marjorie Flack, beloved author-illustrator of books for young children, was born in Greenport, Long Island in 1897. She began drawing as a child and pursued her formal art education at the Art Students League in New York City. While in New York, she met and married the artist Karl Larsson in 1919, and had a daughter, Hilma, by him. Both Karl and Hilma Larsson have collaborated with Ms. Flack on illustrations for some of her books. Later, in 1941, Ms. Flack Married William Rose Benet, the poet, whose name appears frequently in the Flack collection materials.

Ms. Flack's first book, Taktuk, an Arctic Boy, was written with her friend Helen Lomen and published in 1928. Some of the original illustrations for this book are included in the Flack collection.

In 1930, the first of the well-known "Angus" stories was published. (Angus was a Scotch terrier, who involved himself in a number of scrapes and/or experiences with other animals and people.) Ms. Flack has stated that she drew heavily on personal experience for many of her stories. The "Angus" stories are all based on real events and real animals. Ask Mr. Bear is the written version of a story Ms. Flack told her daughter when she was growing up. Wait for William and What to do about Molly are based in Rockport, Massachusetts, which was Ms. Flack's summer home for many years.