Mary Volmer's Biography

I am an unfaithful book lover, but often feel closest to early 20th century American authors such as Willa Cather and Wallace Stegner whose stories and characters are intimately affected by the landscape, and who were willing to embrace a kind of raw idealism rare in today's cynical age. Their language, expansive and bold, reflected a hopeful view of a world, which, though chaotic and often terrifying, could be ordered and understood through story. I'm also growing into a big fan of Dickens and, though she humbly denies the connection between them, of Sarah Waters. Dickens wrote contemporary stories about the nineteenth century, Waters writes fiction set in the nineteenth century, but both have an intimate and instinctual grasp of character and story, which combined with an open and generous insight, makes for some great reading.