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Life Today
Margie, a retired teacher and author, lives in South Florida with her husband and French bulldog Milo. After moving to the Sunshine State several years ago, she became close friends with Hall of Fame Highwaymen landscape artists Al Black and Willie Reagan. She also knew R.A. "Roy" McLendon, Sr., (1932-2024), and she loves conversing with Curtis Arnett at Highwaymen functions. Over the last few years, she has spent much of her time in the Second Generation and Legacy Highwaymen art circles, and is good friends with Ray McLendon (son of R.A., Sr.), Kelvin Hair, Michael Love, Richard Edwards, and Michael Sears. She also knows other Second Generation Highwaymen and Legacy artists.
Her goal is to promote the story of the amazing original 26 Florida artists who defied all odds during segregation by creating breathtaking landscape paintings and by taking to the roads to sell them. In the process, these brave African American men and one woman, Mary Ann Carroll, unknowingly created what is now known as "The Last Great Art Movement of the 20th Century." Their artistic legacy, beyond their thousands of vibrant oil paintings of Florida's spectacular sunrises, sunsets, oceans, rivers, and backcountry, includes all of the relatives and friends who follow in their footsteps with brush and palette knife in hand.
Margie spent over two years creating and publishing Paint It, Black: The Biography of Legendary Highwaymen Artist and Salesman Al Black. Al (1946-2025), known as "Blood" to family and close friends, played a central role in the Florida Highwaymen Art Movement - first as the best salesman that the original Highwaymen ever had and, then, as a prolific artist himself. Leading an often colorful and controversial lifestyle, Al started painting after original Highwayman Alfred Hair's passing in 1970. In recent years, he painted weekly, often daily, right up until four days before his death.
Paint it Black is available on Margie's website and at special author events. If you call ahead 772-217-2909, you can pick up the book at Manor Auctions in Vero Beach, Florida. The biography is not yet on Amazon.
Prior to Paint it Black, Margie worked with Second Generation Highwaymen Artist Ray McLendon to create his autobiography, Fame Without Fortune. The book is told from Ray's unique perspective as a son of early Highwayman R.A. McLendon. It is available on Amazon.
Background
Margie has been a writer from early childhood, inspired by her imaginative, story-telling dad and loving mom, who both encouraged her creativity and told her to believe in her dreams. Margie wrote her first letters and even books in crayon and was rarely seen without a crayon, marker, or pencil in her hand.
Margie earned a BA from St. Lawrence University, double majoring in writing and psychology, and a MS in English education from Eastern CT State University. She also earned a postgraduate administrator certification in English education from Fairfield University.
She interned at a Manhattan magazine and then taught and advised high school and middle school students for nearly 25 years. After raising her daughter, she again taught elementary and middle school students. She always enjoyed helping children of all ages and ability levels, including those with learning difficulties.
Her first special sidekick and writing assistant for the children books was her rescue dog Pappy. A Papillon-Jack Russell mix, he was an eight-pound force of nature in full charge of the keyboard. Her current assistant for the Florida Highwaymen books is Milo, a much heftier 28-pound French bulldog who always knows exactly what he wants. His favorite things are: food, helping with the laptop, and taking walking and play breaks.