Growing Up Female in America: Ten Lives

Eve Merriam (July 19, 1916 - April 11, 1992) was an American poet and writer. Her first book was entitled, Family Circle. She was born as Eva Moskovitz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating with an A.B. from the Cornell University in 1937, Merriam moved to New York to pursue graduate studies at Columbia University. Her book, The Inner City Mother Goose, was described as one of the most banned books of the time. It inspired a 1971 Broadway musical called Inner City and a 1982 musical production called Street Dreams. Merriam won an Obie Award from the Village Voice in 1976 for her play, The Club. In 1981 she won the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Merriam died on April 11, 1992, in Manhattan, NY from liver cancer.