Authors often are seen as figures that are inhuman, bringing us life-changing pieces of literature and making a global impact with their words. However, they often have quirks about them that make them a little more human. Here are 7 weird facts about authors you may not know about.
7. George Eliot Was Actually a Woman
George Eliot, one of the leading writers of the Victorian era, was actually a woman. Her real name was Mary Ann Evans.
Evans used the pen name George Eliot as women were not very highly regarded as writers at the time. Eliot is known for her novels such as Middlemarch and Mill on the Floss.
6. Cormac McCarthy used the same typewriter for 50 Years
Cormac McCarthy, known for his books such as The Road and Blood Meridian, used the same typewriter to write his books for 50 years.
When his typewriter went on sale in 2009, it was sold for $250,000.
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5. Jane Austen Almost Died at the Age of 7
One of the many weird facts about authors is that when Jane Austen was 7, both she and her sister caught diphtheria while living in Oxford and almost died. However, they were both cured with herbal remedies. Can you imagine a world with Pride and Prejudice? Thank goodness for herbal remedies!
4. Percy Shelley was a Vegan
Percy Shelley, widely considered as one of the major English romantic poets, was a vegan.
Shelley was persuaded to become a vegan after reading John Frank Newton. He then wrote brochures, promoting veganism.
3. Stephen King Has Triskaidekaphobia
Another one of the weird facts about authors you may not know is that Stephen King has triskaidekaphobia. What is that you ask? Well, it’s the irrational fear of the number 13.
The famous horror author is so afraid of the number 13 that when he is reading or writing, he can’t stop on page 13 or any of its multiples. He has to keep going until he is past them. It’s ironic that he has such a debilitating irrational fear when he writes horror for a living.
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2. Toni Morrison Didn’t Start Writing Until Her 30s
Toni Morrison, one of the most well-known and highly respected authors to ever live, did not start writing until she was in her 30s.
Morrison was happily pursuing a career as a professor at Howard University, but in her spare time, she joined a writing group and she wrote a story about a little black girl who wished she had blue eyes. This story became her novel The Bluest Eye which was published when Morrison was 39 years old.
1. Maya Angelou was the first black woman to work as a cable car conductor in San Francisco.
Lastly, another one of the weird facts about authors you may not have known is that Maya Angelou, an American memoirist, poet and civil rights activist, was the first black woman to work as a cable car conductor in San Francisco.
As a teenager, Maya Angelour won a scholarship to study both drama and dance but then she dropped out at age 16 to become a cable car conductor because she loved their uniforms. Angelou was the first black woman to ever hold the position.
