Mary Jean (aka Tangerine) Bell

Author Profile

Mary Jean Bell, born in 1923 in Hillsboro, Ohio, publishes her poetry under the nom de plume of Tangerine Bell, and Tangerine Tell. She is a longtime lover of books and reading, who, with her husband Jim (now deceased) led Great Books groups in Cincinnati and Baltimore, in addition to working part-time as an editor and writer.
Three of her children—Constance Bell Lindgreen, Sarah Bell Kitchin (deceased), and Samuel Allerton Bell—attended St. John's in Annapolis, spurring her interest in the SJC Graduate Institute, which she attended accompanied by her youngest daughter, composer Alice Bell Dearden.
After her husband's retirement to Florida, she co-founded Tomoka Poets, and published regularly in the group's anthologies and journals.
Tangerine was profiled in the October 3, 2017 edition of "The College."
In 2017, with the assistance of her daughter, Connie and the editorial staff of Korongo Books, she published "Tangerine: Poems at 94." A copy can be found in the SJC library in Annapolis.

List of Publications

1. Tangerine: Poems at 94 (2017)

Tangerine: Poems at 94 (Book)

Year of publication: 2017

Publisher: Self-published, with assistance from Korongo Books

Genre: Poetry

Description: Not your grandmother's poetry! Witty observations on the human condition, tender meditations on the nature of love, imaginary excursions into other creature' minds - Tangerine Bell's poems provoke chuckles, recognition, and reflection. Thoughtful, soaring, sensual, unsparing, and downright funny – her poems reflect and refract the richness of her imagination, loves and experience over more than 90 years. A joy to read aloud, a pleasure to read privately, and a treasure to share with friends — she hopes that you, Dear Reader, will enjoy this first collection.

Publication Links

Tangerine: Poems at 94. Click here to buy on Amazon
Publishing a Life's Work - from The College, October 2017
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