Linda Dahl

Linda Dahl began writing in earnest when she moved to the Yucatan Peninsula after college in 1973, where she produced her first novel, After Leaving America. Moving to New York City with a suitcase and several hundred dollars, she re-connected with jazz. Supporting herself with a variety of jobs including driving an ice-cream truck, working as a translator and teaching, she continued to write novels, liner notes for CD’s, freelance travel articles and biographies.

Linda Dahl has authored a number of books.

Stormy Weather: A History of Women in Jazz, was called “a brilliant work” by Publishers Weekly and “inspiring” by The New York Times. “For anyone who loves jazz, this is their book,” declared The Los Angeles Times.

Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams, wrote Gene Santoro in the New York Times Book Review, “is a stunning character in search of a soul mate. Williams has found her writing soul mate in Linda Dahl, and the engrossing result is Morning Glory.” And, “every great artist deserves a biography of this caliber,” wrote Scott Yanow in Jazz Improv. Morning Glory was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 2000.

About Come Back, Carmen Miranda: Stories about Latin America, a reviewer in the Danbury News-Times praised, “Dahl writes deft and deep portraits of not only American middle-class young people disaffectedly roaming ‘the other America,’ but also of the people who live there. A wonderful group of stories.”

Besides writing fiction and non-fiction, Linda Dahl loves her kids, friends, pets, garden, music, food, movies, doing local community service and a project to support education and orphan care in Malawi. She is always glad to participate in interviews, workshops and book-signings.