Snail Mail No More (Paperback)

Paula Danziger became an author as the result of two car accidents. The first accident was relatively mild, but several days later, while driving to a doctor's appointment, she was hit head-on by a drunk driver. This accident resulted in temporary brain damage that left her unable to read for some time. In an effort to overcome the powerlessness she felt as a patient working to overcome her injuries, Danziger turned to writing a novel about a teenage girl who suffers from low self-esteem and family troubles--THE CAT ATE MY GYMSUIT, which is still one of her most popular works. Danziger was also encouraged to become a writer by her mentor, the poet John Ciardi, for whom she worked as a babysitter while attending Montclair State College. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Danziger worked for the New Jersey school system both as a substitute and full-time teacher. Danziger died of post-heart attack complications in 2004; at the time of her death, none of her 30 books had ever gone out of print.