Mary McFadden's articles, essays and reviews have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Noe Valley Voice, The San Francisco Reader and other literary journals as well as bookselling and industry publications such as Book Sense and Publishers Weekly. Her sports writing and humorous articles on local politics and personal experience have been published in Bay Area newspapers and magazines. In addition, Ms. McFadden won an award from Random House for her essay "The Book That Changed My Life" and from Beacon Press as well, explaining how she was "Ruined By Reading."
Ms. McFadden started writing to explain her very bad behavior. Her first piece, "I will not laugh in church," was written over and over again on her second grade classroom blackboard after school. Her first play, based on her third grade reader, opened in her family living room to mixed reviews and funny noises from the audience. Later, her satiric pieces were presented at speech contests and perhaps intentionally misunderstood when published in high school and college newspapers, again earning her after hours "composition" time.
In addition to writing, Mary's professional background includes many years spent in professional theater as production coordinator, stage manager and lighting designer. Her lighting designs won several awards and have been archived as teaching tools for drama departments. Mary remains a consultant for performing arts groups including the highly regarded Ensemble Calisto. As a volunteer, she tutors and teaches composition and literature to high school students. Mary takes her nephews and nieces to baseball games where she attempts to impart the joys of scorekeeping to them, again to mixed reviews and funny noises.