5 Amusing Facts About Popular Authors
Many authors choose to keep a distance from the prying eyes and are happy being in their private spaces. This is the reason why they are a source of great fascination. Generally, the books and characters that they create become windows to their own world. It is only when you try to know more about them that you come across their unknown facts.
Some of these facts are truly very amusing. Often, the most creative minds do the craziest things that you could’ve never imagined. Besides, the wildest events happen in the lives of some of these individuals. Now, let’s know the amusing facts about some of the famous authors.
1. F. Scott Fitzgerald got a massive sum for one short story
There was a time when author F. Scott Fitzgerald received $55,000 in 2014 money for his single short story. When his career was at its peak, he commanded $4,000 for each story from some of the major publications. He recorded all of the money earned from his writing in a ledger.
It is through his records that the fact came to light. Some of the stories for which he received such a massive sum include Babylon Revisited and The Bridal Party.
2. Ayn Rand dedicated Atlas Shrugged to her lover as well as her husband
Ayn Rand had always wanted certain values of character in a man. In her author bio for Atlas Shrugged, she mentioned that her husband, Frank O’ Connor, had such values. She also mentioned that her lover, Nathaniel Branden, was her intellectual heir. According to her, he was an ideal reader who had a mind that was rational and independent. She had met Branden through a fan letter that he had sent her.
3. Ernest Hemingway took part in bullfighting competitions
There are many weird things that Ernest Hemingway did during his lifetime. He is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest American authors and wrote about things that he loved. Among them was bullfighting. Once he and his wife were on vacation in the Spanish city of Pamplona. While they were exploring the city, they watched some bullfighting.
The legendary author was so mesmerized that he began spending more time in this part of the world. During this period, he socialized with bullfighters and even participated in amateur bullfighting competitions. He has also produced literary works centered on bullfighting. One of them worth mentioning here is The Sun Also Rises.
4. Agatha Christie had disappeared for some time
In the year 1926, Agatha Christie’s car was found abandoned and she was nowhere to be found. More than ten thousand volunteers went on a manhunt to find her. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle even went to the extent of consulting a psychic. In fact, her first husband had told her that he wanted a divorce.
This is believed to have been a reason behind this incident. She was later found in a hotel, staying under the name of her husband’s mistress. What’s even strange is that she didn’t offer an explanation for this, ever.
5. Toni Morrison’s real name
This author had adopted the name ‘Toni’ after being inspired by Saint Anthony, whom she admired. She had converted to Catholicism when she was 12 years of age. Later, she came to regret using this pen name. The reason was that she didn’t want the readers to think that she was a teenager.
Her real name was Chloe Ardelia Wofford. She was always known by this name among her near and dear ones. However, using a pen name also brought certain benefits for her. One of them was that she was able to keep her personal and professional lives separate.