Olive Ann Burns (1924–1990)
Author of Cold Sassy Tree
About the Author
Olive Ann Burns was born July 17, 1924, on a farm in Banks County, Georgia, and attended school in Commerce, Georgia. She received a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1946. Between 1947 and 1957, Burns wrote for the Sunday magazine of the Atlanta Journal show more and Constitution. In 1956 she married the magazine's editor, Andrew H. Sparks. From 1960 to 1967 Burns wrote under the pseudonym Amy Larkin for the advice column "Ask Amy." In 1975, after being diagnosed with cancer, Burns began her best-known work, Cold Sassy Tree (1984). An entertaining story about a family living in rural Georgia around the turn of the century, it is loosely based on stories told to Burns by her own family members. Burns explained that her previous experience as a journalist was helpful to her in writing the novel, but that she never intended for it to be published. Three years into her writing Burns had recovered from the cancer but was determined to finish the novel. It would take several more years to complete. Cold Sassy Tree was so successful that Burns began a sequel when her cancer returned. In the final days of her life, she left instructions for the completion of the book. Leaving Cold Sassy was published according to her wishes. Burns died in July 1990. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Works by Olive Ann Burns
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Burns, Olive Ann
- Legal name
- Sparks, Olive Ann Burns
- Birthdate
- 1924-07-17
- Date of death
- 1990-07-04
- Burial location
- Grey Hill Cemetery, Commerce, Jackson County, Georgia, USA
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Banks County, Georgia
- Place of death
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Cause of death
- heart failure
- Places of residence
- Banks County, Georgia, USA
Commerce, Georgia, USA
Atlanta, Georgia, USA - Education
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Mercer University - Occupations
- journalist
novelist - Relationships
- Burns, William (brother)
Sparks, John A. (son)
Sparks, Becky (daughter)
Turn, Margaret (sister)
LeGrand, Jean (sister) - Organizations
- Atlanta Journal
- Short biography
- Olive Ann Burns was a professional writer, journalist, and columnist for most of her life. For many years, she was a staff writer for Atlanta newspapers and the Atlanta Journal Magazine. She
was motivated to write her first novel, ''Cold Sassy Tree'' (1984), when she became ill with lymphoma. The book was an instant success and in 1985 it was added to the list of books recommended for teenagers by the American Library Association and the New York Public Library.
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Female Author (1)
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Statistics
- Works
- 5
- Members
- 4,975
- Popularity
- #5,038
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 101
- ISBNs
- 52
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 9