author
Marvin Dana
1867–1926
A journalist, editor, novelist, and one-time Episcopal clergyman, this versatile American writer moved easily between literary fiction, popular mysteries, and practical self-improvement books. His career took him from Vermont and New York to London and back again, giving his work an unusually wide range.
3 Audiobooks
Within the Law: From the Play of Bayard Veiller
by Marvin Dana, Bayard Veiller
The Shooting of Dan McGrew, A Novel. Based on the Famous Poem of Robert Service
by Marvin Dana, Robert W. (Robert William) Service
The Lake Mystery
by Marvin Dana
About the author
Born in Cornwall, Vermont, in 1867, Marvin Hill Dana studied at Beeman Academy, Middlebury College, and Albany Law School before practicing law and then entering the Episcopal ministry. He was ordained in 1893 and served churches in Stillwater and Rensselaer, New York, before leaving the ministry for journalism and magazine work.
Dana went on to build a varied literary career. He worked for the New York Herald, edited The Hungarian-American, and later moved to London, where he edited the satirical magazine Judy and wrote for The Pall Mall Gazette. Back in New York, he served as assistant editor and then editor of The Smart Set in the early 1900s.
His books ranged from poetry and novels to mysteries and practical guides. Among the best known are The Woman of Orchids, A Puritan Witch, The Lake Mystery, and adaptations such as Within the Law and The Shooting of Dan McGrew. He also wrote popular instructional titles including A Perfect Memory, How to Train Your Mind, and several "Made Easy" books on spelling, grammar, shorthand, and arithmetic. He died in New York City in 1926.