Marilyn Sharp’s Followers (3)

Marilyn Sharp

Born

in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana, The United States

September 05, 1941

Died

May 11, 2012

Genre

Thriller

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Marilyn “KK” Augburn Sharp

A native of Muncie, Indiana, Ms. Sharp graduated from Burris School (Muncie) in 1959. She earned an A.B. in English from DePauw University (Greencastle,IN) in 1963 and an M.A. in journalism from Ball State University (Muncie) in 1974. In addition, she received an honorary doctorate from DePauw University in 1986.

After graduating from DePauw, she moved to New York City, where her first job out of college was on the editorial staff of The New Yorker magazine. Later she was senior editor of Sponsor magazine and worked for public relations legend Lee Solters as a theatrical publicist for clients such as Barbara Streisand and Ringling Bros. She was also Director of Publicity and Advertising for WMCA Radio and the Straus Marilyn “KK” Augburn Sharp

A native of Muncie, Indiana, Ms. Sharp graduated from Burris School (Muncie) in 1959. She earned an A.B. in English from DePauw University (Greencastle,IN) in 1963 and an M.A. in journalism from Ball State University (Muncie) in 1974. In addition, she received an honorary doctorate from DePauw University in 1986.

After graduating from DePauw, she moved to New York City, where her first job out of college was on the editorial staff of The New Yorker magazine. Later she was senior editor of Sponsor magazine and worked for public relations legend Lee Solters as a theatrical publicist for clients such as Barbara Streisand and Ringling Bros. She was also Director of Publicity and Advertising for WMCA Radio and the Straus Communications Network. She did volunteer work with a little league team in Harlen.

During her last year in New York, she began work on her first novel, a bestseller, Sunflower. Her three novels, Sunflower (1979), Masterstroke (1981), and Falseface (1984) were translated into ten languages for separate publication in 13 foreign countries.

She returned to Indiana and married Phil Sharp in 1972. In 1974, when her husband was elected to Congress, with her considerable help, she moved to Washington D.C. She returned to New York City in 1995. Despite her professional success, she always felt her greatest accomplishments and creations were her two sons, Jeremy and Justin, born in 1975 and 1981.

A person of many interests, Ms. Sharp was an amateur painter, a lover of opera, an unrivaled genealogical researcher, an avid reader, and a poet. In her final weeks she spent many hours writing poetry about her life, her impending death, and her family and friends.

She was an ardent advocate for individuality and social justice, particularly railing against those in society who sought to force others to conform to narrow definitions of self and identity. As a part of this, she was a strong supporter of women's rights and was ever-grateful for her education at Burris School, where thinking for one's self was greatly encouraged, no matter one's gender. During her commencement address upon receiving her honorary doctorate she said the following, "To you women I want to say, don't ever let anyone make you less than what you want to be, whatever that is."

In Washington she was never cowed by authority, willing to challenge the views of those in power. She championed citizen involvement. In a Capitol Hill elevator she overheard a woman express to her husband her anxiety that she was not properly dressed to meet her Congressman. KK quickly told the stranger that she looked fine: "Remember they work for you; and never let them forget it."

When a feminist leader, whom KK admired, urged a group of congressional wives to use their marital relationships to advance legislation, she let her friends know that she felt no guilt about not following that path. "I didn't get out from under the thumb of men just to fall under the thumb of women."

She was appalled by the current state of affairs in Congress, but retained her faith that correction would come as the people demanded better.

Ms. Sharp passed away at home, surrounded by family, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her two sons, husband Phil Sharp, and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Pika Sharp. ...more

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Average rating: 3.68 · 155 ratings · 20 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Sunflower 3.79 avg rating — 112 ratings — published 1979 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Masterstroke 3.28 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 1981 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	False-Face 3.50 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 1984 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reader's Digest Condensed Books 1979: Sunflower, The Passing Bells, The Education of Little Tree, The Mountain Farm by Marilyn Sharp, Forrest Carter 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1979	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reader's Digest Condensed Books; 1979 #3, Volume 124: Sunflower / Running Proud / Error of Judgment / A Walk Across America by Marilyn Sharp, Nicholas Monsarrat, Henry Denker really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Det Bästas Bokval by Marilyn Sharp, R.D. Lawrence, Dallas Miller liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Marilyn Sharp’s Followers (3)

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Combine Editions
Marilyn Sharp’s books