Marge Simon: Artist of Antithesis

When I attended the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in the '60s, an instructor singled me out. He told me I wasn't a commercial artist. He said I was an artist, and should pursue that route instead. My high school art teacher had advised me to marry a nice upstanding man. I didn't follow their advice. I didn't marry a nice upstanding man until 2001 (Bruce Boston). I didn't like being a part of the art scene. I didn't get around to submitting my work for illustrations until the mid '80s. Since then I've illustrated hundreds of stories and poems, including two Bram Stoker Award collections.

I work spontaneously. It's a personal thing, like writing poetry or short stories. As fodder for a column I edited, I once posed this question: "Do we need illustrations for poetry or fiction?" Poet/writer Charlee Jacob responded: "What use have I for artists? I wish I had that sumptuous talent. To render into concrete but psychic images with the ectoplasm of ink or paint. Alas, I'm forced to putting only into words what I see in my head and dreams. Of course, these images often come in words -- but I wish I could do as Marge does and be able to do both." I'm not worried about a use for art in literature. I never was. But I appreciate how Charlee sums me up.

Contact Marge Simon by email.