[bksvol-discuss] On Betsy Allen/Betty Cavanna
- From: Valerie Maples <vlmaples@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 20:38:26 -0700 (PDT)
More reason to have interest in adding books penned under Betsy Allen,
Betty Cavanna
Was born Elizabeth Allen Cavanna June 24, 1909 in Camden, N.J., but was raised
in Haddonfield, N.J. As a child she suffered from infantile paralysis. She
overcame her illness with treatment and exercise. While recuperating, she
discovered reading which in turn propelled her into her writing career.
Ms. Cavanna graduated from the New Jersey College for Women where she majored
in journalism. Like her heiroine, Connie Blair, she also took art classes in
New York and Philadelphia. Her first reporting job was for the Bayonne Times
from 1929 to 1931. She joined the staff of the Westminster Press in
Philadelphia in 1931, and over the next ten years worked as advertising manager
and art director. Ms. Cavanna married Edward Headley in 1940, they had one son
together and moved to the suburbs; both commuted to Philadelphia for their
work. They remained married until her husband's death in 1952.
In 1941 she became a full-time writer after spending her nights writing short
stories. Her first published book was Puppy Stakes, Westminster, 1943. Since
that date, she has written more than eighty books. Some of them were written
under the name Betty Cavanna as well as two pseudonyms: Betsy Allen and
Elizabeth Headly. She wrote the "Connie Blair Mystery" series under the name
Betsy Allen. Under the name Elizabeth Headly, she wrote several books,
including the Diane stories. Ms. Cavanna also wrote a nonfiction series under
the name Betty Cavanna called "Around the World Today" about young people
living in various countries.
The settings of several of her fiction and nonfiction books are exotic locales.
These foriegn environments reflect her her travels to the Caribbean, Mexico,
Europe, South America, Australia, Japan, the South Seas, the Middle and Far
East, eastern Africa, and other areas. In 1957 she married George Russell
Harrison, who accompanied her on many of her travels. Mr. Harrison also worked
as a writer, he co-wrote a nonfiction book with Ms. Cavanna, and took
photographs for his wife's "Around the World Today" series before his passing
in 1979. At the age of 92, Ms. Cavanna died August 13, 2001 at her home in
Vezelay, France. Only eleven of the twelve "Connie Blair" books were written by
Betty Cavanna. The twelfth book was written by a ghost writer and published
under the name Betsy Allen.
Valerie
Check out my kids at:
http://www.caringbridge.org/ms/nicholemaples
http://www.caringbridge.org/ms/cindymaples
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jorgemaples
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