Robert C. O'Brien

Robert C. O'Brien(1918-1973) was the pen name of Robert Leslie Conly, a journalist for National Geographic. He was the third of five children from a well-educated Irish-Catholic family. He was listed as pp4-F]] during the war largely on physical grounds as he tended to be ill as a child. Although there was some psychological grounds too as he had a breakdown in his early adulthood. He had an interest in both music and literature so studied for a time at Juilliard, but went on to receive his BA in English at the University of Rochester. He then went on to journalism, writing, and marriage to Sarah McCaslin in 1943. This marriage lasted to his death thirty years later.

Related Topics:
1918 - 1973 - National Geographic - Irish-Catholic - Juilliard - BA - University of Rochester - 1943

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The pseudonym, and himself, is best known for writing children's books. In all there were four of these: The Silver Crown (1968), Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1971), A Report from Group 17 (1972) and Z for Zachariah (1974), which was published posthumously after his untimely death at the age of 55.

Related Topics:
The Silver Crown - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - A Report from Group 17 - Z for Zachariah

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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH won the 1972 Newbery Medal;

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In 1982, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was made into an animated film, The Secret of NIMH. His daughter, Jane Leslie Conly, later published two sequels to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Racso and the Rats of NIMH (1986) and R.T., Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH (1990).

Related Topics:
The Secret of NIMH - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Racso and the Rats of NIMH - R.T., Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH

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