Kellogg, Marjorie 1922–2005

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born July 17, 1922, in Santa Barbara, CA; died of complications from Alzheimer's disease, December 19, 2005, in Santa Barbara, CA. Social worker and author. Kellogg, best known for her 1968 novel, Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, wrote books and stage plays often featuring people with physical or mental handicaps. Born to the Kellogg dynasty that founded the cereal company of that name, she grew up on a large ranch in California. After attending the University of California at Berkeley without obtaining a degree, she found work with the San Francisco Chronicle. In the late 1940s, she was a correspondent in Europe for Salute magazine. She then returned home to study social work at Smith College. There, she completed a B.A. in 1952 and an M.A. the next year. Kellogg then became a social worker for hospitals in New York City. It was at this time that she became interested in people who had to overcome great obstacles in their lives. From this experience emerged Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1968), for which she also wrote a screenplay for the 1970 movie of the same title. This was followed by Like the Lion's Tooth (1972) and another screenplay, an adaptation of the Sylvia Plath novel The Bell Jar that premiered in 1979. Kellogg spent the 1970s and 1980s writing more plays that were produced off-Broadway and featured her usual handicapped characters. When she inherited the family ranch in 1989, Kellogg moved back to Santa Barbara and retired.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Los Angeles Times, January 5, 2006, p. B10.

New York Times, December 31, 2005, p. B13.

Washington Post, January 9, 2006, p. B5.