Vicki Myron (born 1947) is an American author and librarian. Director of the Spencer Public Library for more than 20 years, Myron is best known for her book ''
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World'', written with Bret Witter. It sold more than one million copies internationally and was on bestseller lists for more than six months. It is about a cat which she found and cared for at the library, and his engaging effects on the townspeople. The library cat's story became internationally known before his death.
The book's great success led to a publishing phenomenon, with Myron and Witter also writing two related children's books, and with publication of audio books. Their sequel, ''Dewey's Nine Lives'', was published in 2010 as was a second children's picture book about the cat.
A proposed film adaptation has not been completed; as of May 2012 the script had not been approved and the first option was due to expire in June 2012.
Early life
Vicki Myron was born in
Spencer, Iowa
Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa, United States, and the county seat of Clay County. It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers. The population was 11,325 in the 2020 census, an increase from 11,317 in 2000. ...
and grew up on a farm near
Moneta
In Roman mythology, Moneta (Latin Monēta) was a title given to two separate goddesses: It was the name of the goddess of memory (identified with the Greek goddess Mnemosyne), and it was an epithet of Juno, called Juno Moneta (Latin Iūno Monē ...
,
[DEWEY – The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World]
Retrieved November 27, 2014. fifteen miles from the town of
Spencer. Myron attended local schools and graduated from high school in
Hartley. She earned her bachelor's degree at
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU, MSU, or Minnesota State) is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university and has over 123,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is ...
, then called Mankato State University in Minnesota. There she also married and had a daughter. Later she moved to
Emporia, Kansas, where she completed a master's degree at
Emporia State University
Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. E ...
.
[
Myron had health problems to deal with while doing graduate study. She and her husband divorced because of his alcoholism (as she discussed in her 2008 book). She raised their daughter as a single mother.
]
Career
Myron returned to Spencer and started working in its public library in 1982. She served as the head librarian of the Spencer library for 25 years. She retired in 2007 and lives in Spencer, Iowa as of December 2008 with her cat Page who was given to Myron by her friend who found the cat on a snow-covered road.
In 1988, Myron found an 8-week-old kitten left in the library drop box on a bitterly cold night. She took care of him, naming him Dewey. (His full name was Dewey Readmore Books
Dewey Readmore Books (November 18, 1987 – November 29, 2006) was the library cat of the Spencer, Iowa, Public Library. Having been abandoned in the library's drop box in January 1988, he was adopted by the library and gained local attention fo ...
.) The staff made him the library cat. He lived until 2006, making friends with many library patrons and becoming internationally famous after his story was reported in various outlets. He was so popular that he was featured on postcards for sale by Friends of the Library, and raised funds of some by May 2005.[Tim Gallagher, "The book on Dewey: He's one cool cat"](_blank)
''Sioux City Journal'', May 8, 2005; accessed October 12, 2017 His obituary was carried by 250 newspapers, including the ''New York Times.''[Jeff Ayers, "LJ Talks to Dewey Author Vicki Myron"](_blank)
''Library Journal'', September 16, 2008; accessed October 12, 2017
Myron retired from the library the next year, and began work on a book about Dewey, with co-author Bret Witter. They were delighted to receive $1.2 million from Grand Central Publishing
Grand Central Publishing is a book publishing imprint of Hachette Book Group, originally established in 1970 as Warner Books when Warner Communications acquired the Paperback Library. When Time Warner sold their book publishing business to Hache ...
for the rights to Dewey's life story. The pair wrote '' Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World '', which was published in 2008. The book recounted the story of the cat, which had reached an international audience, and reflected on her own and the town's challenges during this period. It became a great success. It sold more than a million copies internationally, was translated into numerous languages, and was on bestseller lists for six months.[Louise Fabiani, "'Dewey's Nine Lives', by Vicki Myron](_blank)
''Globe and Mail'', January 14, 2011; accessed October 9, 2017
In November 2008, Myron was excited to learn that a film company was interested in an adaptation, with Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
proposed to play her. The first option was due to expire in June 2012; as of May a final script had not been approved. In 2012, Myron said that she had been unhappy with the script and was not sorry that version would not be filmed.
Myron and Witter published a children's picture book, ''Dewey: The Library Cat'', in 2009, and also a book adaptation for middle-grade readers later that year.
In 2010, Myron and Witter published a sequel, ''Dewey's Nine Lives'', recounting additional stories about Dewey. In addition, she discussed material from letters she received about people and their cats. That same year, she and Witter published a children's picture book, the second about the cat, called ''Dewey's Christmas at the Library'' and intended for 3–6-year olds.
Selected works
Honors
In 2012 Myron won the Iowa Association of School Librarians' Goldfinch Award for ''Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library,''. This book was ranked first by Florida's children in 2011, and it was "in the running for a similar award in Nebraska."[Gabe Licht, "Dewey wins Goldfinch Award"](_blank)
''Spencer Daily Reporter'', May 1, 2012; accessed October 11, 2017 It is one of two picture books devoted to the cat.
See also
* Dewey Readmore Books
Dewey Readmore Books (November 18, 1987 – November 29, 2006) was the library cat of the Spencer, Iowa, Public Library. Having been abandoned in the library's drop box in January 1988, he was adopted by the library and gained local attention fo ...
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myron, Vicki
American women writers
Writers from Iowa
Living people
1947 births
People from Spencer, Iowa
People from O'Brien County, Iowa
People from Mankato, Minnesota
Emporia State University alumni
American librarians
American women librarians
21st-century American women
Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni