Megan Abbott
Encyclopedia
Megan Abbott is an American author of crime fiction
and of a non-fiction analysis of hardboiled
crime fiction and a graduate of the University of Michigan
. Her novels and short stories have drawn from and re-worked classic subgenres of crime writing, with a female twist. She has stated that she was influenced by film noir
as well as by classic noir fiction. Two of her novels reference notorious crimes. The Song is You (2007) is based around the disappearance of Jean Spangler
in 1949 and Bury Me Deep (2009) on the 1931 case of Winnie Ruth Judd
, dubbed 'the Trunk Murderess'.
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
and of a non-fiction analysis of hardboiled
Hardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
crime fiction and a graduate of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Her novels and short stories have drawn from and re-worked classic subgenres of crime writing, with a female twist. She has stated that she was influenced by film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
as well as by classic noir fiction. Two of her novels reference notorious crimes. The Song is You (2007) is based around the disappearance of Jean Spangler
Jean Spangler
Jean Elizabeth Spangler was an American dancer, model and bit-part actress in Hollywood films and in early television.-Life and career:...
in 1949 and Bury Me Deep (2009) on the 1931 case of Winnie Ruth Judd
Winnie Ruth Judd
Winnie Ruth McKinnell Judd was a Phoenix, Arizona medical secretary found guilty of murdering one of her two former roommates and later sentenced to death...
, dubbed 'the Trunk Murderess'.
Novels
- Die a Little (2005)
- The Song is You (2007)
- Queenpin (2007) winner of the Barry AwardBarry AwardThe Barry Award is an annual prize presented to the most outstanding comedy act at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It has been awarded since 1998, when it was introduced as the Stella Award, and was renamed in 2000 in honour of Barry Humphries, one of the festival's founding patrons...
for best paperback novel and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allen Poe AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for best paperback original. - Bury Me Deep (2009)
- The End of Everything (2011)
Non-fiction
- The Street Was Mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled fiction and Film Noir (2002)