author
Marvin R. Clark
b. 1840
A late-19th-century New York journalist and author, he wrote with unusual warmth about everyday enthusiasms—from roller skating to the inner lives of cats. His surviving books feel curious, humane, and pleasantly offbeat.
1 Audiobook
Pussy and Her Language
by Marvin R. Clark, Alphonse Leon Grimaldi
About the author
Born in 1840, Marvin R. Clark was an American writer and newspaperman associated with New York. Library of Congress records identify him as the author of Pussy and Her Language (1895), and other surviving editions connect him with The Skaters' Companion (1885), a practical guide to roller skating.
Accounts about his life are sparse, but a detailed family-history profile describes him as Marvin Richardson Clark and says he became known as a journalist, including for writing about skating, and later as a "blind journalist" after losing his sight. That picture fits the lively, observant tone of his books, which mix instruction, anecdote, and strong personal opinion.
Today, Clark is mostly remembered through these unusual surviving works. Pussy and Her Language in particular stands out for treating cats as intelligent, expressive companions—a surprisingly affectionate and attentive approach for its time.