Background
Marks, Percy was born on September 9, 1891 in Covelo, California, United States. Son of Henry and Sarah (Lando) Marks.
Marks, Percy was born on September 9, 1891 in Covelo, California, United States. Son of Henry and Sarah (Lando) Marks.
Marks graduated from the University of California in 1912 and obtained a master's degree from Harvard University in 1914.
The family moved to Ukiah in 1900, the county seat, because it had better schools. He was a second lieutenant in the United States Army during World War I.
Marks had been teaching English for ten years (at a number of institutions, including Dartmouth College and Brown University) when his first novel was published in 1924, The Plastic Age. The book was the second most popular best-seller for that year, and its portrayal of college life caused a ruckus at the time and was even banned in Boston.
Marks left teaching the following year to focus full-time on writing. A movie version of the Plastic Age (though, to be more accurate, the plot of the movie varies greatly from the book) was released the next year starring Clara Bow, and a second version titled Red Lips released in 1928. Marks wrote 19 additional books, primarily novels.
Late in his career, he took a post teaching English and literature at the University of Connecticut at Waterbury. Marks married Margaret Ellen Gates in California on December 17, 1927. In 1962, Marks' widow (then remarried to Bernard Barton), donated his papers to Yale University where they are held at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Sally Marks became a scholar of international relations at Rhode Island College.
Served as Second lieutenant Infantry, World War I. Club: High Lane.
Married Margaret Ellen Gates, December 17, 1927.