Virginia Kidd
| Virginia Kidd | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Mildred Virginia Kidd June 2, 1921 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | January 11, 2003 (aged 81) Milford, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Literary Agency |
Virginia Kidd (June 2, 1921 – January 11, 2003) was an American literary agent, writer and editor, who worked in particular in science fiction and related fields. She represented science fiction American authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin, R.A. Lafferty, Anne McCaffrey, Judith Merril, and Gene Wolfe. Wolfe modeled Ann Schindler, a character in his 1990 novel Castleview, in large part on Kidd.
Kidd was born Mildred Virginia Kidd in the Germantown district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest daughter of Charles Kidd, a printer, and Zetta Daisy Whorley. She had polio at the age of 2, and was paralyzed for a year from the chest down. Growing up she attended the Berlitz School of Languages where she developed fluency in Spanish, Latin, Italian, French, and German. Kidd discovered science fiction at the age of nine, and became an active science fiction fan. She was a Futurian and, in 1941, became one of the founding members of the Vanguard Amateur Press Association. She did not attend college, saying "because I couldn't go to the University of Chicago, and I wouldn't go to any other." She married opera singer Jack Emden in 1943 (the marriage lasted until 1947), and then fellow writer James Blish; the latter marriage lasted until 1963. She had four children: Karen Anne Emden (born 1944), Asa Benjamin Blish (Born and died 1947), Dorothea Elisabeth Blish (Born 1954), and Charles Benjamin Blish (born 1956).
Kidd successfully worked as a freelance writer, ghost writer, and proofreader. She is well known for her contributions to the feminist science fiction literary movement, by supporting and representing marginalized authors. Her success overcoming structural barriers in her field makes her a prominent example of a successful businesswoman that was able to work alongside companies such as Ace Publishing and Parnassus Books. She was an active poet, and published Kinesis, a little magazine devoted to poetry which helped to launch the careers of writers including Sonya Dorman.
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