Mary Vigliante Szydlowski

Mary Vigliante Szydlowski
Was born September 8, 1946 in Albany, New York. The daughter of Frank and Nataly Vigliante. Grew up in East Greenbush, NY where she dreamed of being both an actress and a writer. Began writing short stories, poetry, and plays in junior high school. Won her first writing competition at the age of 12. Appeared on the stage in school plays and in summer theater workshops. Graduated from Columbia High School in 1964.

GROWING UP!

Attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Graduated from the State University of New York at Albany in 1971, majoring in Anthropology.

Married Frank Szydlowski in 1971 and later became an adminstrator with the New York State Dept. of Mental Hygiene.

Afraid of flying and looking for something constructive to do to calm her nerves, she began her first novel THE COLONY on a plane bound for Jamaica. She wrote all during her vacation there and by the time she returned she had completed more than four chapters of the story. With her husband's encouragement, she continued to write every night after work, setting up her typewriter on the dining room table.

WRITING MY 1st BOOK-THE COLONY

Her daughter, Carrie, was born in September 1978. Two months later her book, THE ARK, was published. Since it was science fiction, her publisher decided she needed a "spacey" male pen name. They decided on Jarl Szydlow.

In June 1979, THE COLONY, was published. This time she was allowed to use the pseudonym, Mary Vigliante, her maiden name. It's sequel, THE LAND, was published in August 1979. In April 1980, SOURCE OF EVIL, another science fiction novel was published. In July of that year her first hardback book appeared. Called SILENT SONG, the novel was about a young women wrongly committed to a state institution. She based the story on the residents she met and the conditions she saw while working as part of a team that inspected institutions for the mentally ill and the developmentally disabled. The book was reprinted in 2000. WORSHIP THE NIGHT, a horror novel, followed in March 1982. It was reprinted in 1985 and again in 2000.

MY FAMILY!

In addition to writing novels and short stories for adults, she began creating stories for children. Frequently using her daughter Carrie as a model for her characters. Even the antics of their family pets found their way into her stories.

Her first children's story was published in 1988. Titled "NOT SO VERY DIFFERENT", the story about a developmentally disabled child who becomes a hero appeared in Young Crusader Magazine. About that same time, she started working as a reporter for THE RECORD, the Troy, NY daily newspaper. Mary was also the paper's HOTLINE consumer complaint columnist, working as an advocate for readers who'd gotten gipped, fleeced, or scammed.

Her first children's book I CAN'T TALK, I'VE GOT FARBLES IN MY MOUTH was published in December 1995. Illustrated by Ray Dirgo, the book tells the story of a little boy who reluctantly assumes the responsibility of caring for a family of homeless farbles who've taken up residence in his mouth.

Her children's stories and articles appeared in Surprises Magazine, Hopscotch, the Magazine for Girls, and Appleseeds.

The Duck in the Hole, her second children's book, was published in 2007. It is illustrated by Lori Kiplinger Pandy.

MARY, RAY DIRGO, & TOM GREENE, PRES. of GREENE BARK PRESS

Mary has taught writing programs at libraries, schools, and writers groups. Her short stories, articles, children's stories, and poems appear in newspapers, literary magazines, children's magazines, and other publications. She frequently writes for educational testing companies.

Mary joined the Board of Directors of Operation Outreach-USA in 2008. OO-USA is a nonprofit classroom based children's literacy program that provides free books to disadvantaged children.

She is a longtime member of the Authors' Guild, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Science Fiction Fantasy Writers of America.