Ann Nolan Clark, daughter of Patrick Frances and Mary Dunne Nolan, was born December 5, 1898, in Las Vegas, New Mexico. As a child she attended a convent day school where, in addition to her academic subjects, she received instruction in religion and social manners. Grandfather Nolan, a graduate of Dublin University, visited the family twice a year. His animated tales were grand entertainment for Clark, her two older brothers, and a younger sister.

From the convent school, Clark went to public high school in Las Vegas. There she took some college courses and, with the advent of the First World War, was pressed into teaching at a one-room school, a situation she detested and resigned from at the first opportunity. A visit to Tacoma, Washington, yielded a succession of jobs, including elevator operator, defense plant worker, and society editor. Journalism appealed to Clark, but letters...