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'The Unmarked Graveyard' digs into the mysteries surrounding author Dawn Powell

Dawn Powell moved to New York from Ohio in 1918 to become a writer. Settling in Greenwich Village, Powell published nine novels in her lifetime, exploring fame, relationships and money.

This story is the third in a series called The Unmarked Graveyard: Stories from Hart Island. You can find a longer version of the story, and other stories about Hart Island, on the Radio Diaries Podcast.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Corrected: October 30, 2023 at 12:00 AM EDT
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that today, Dawn Powell's son would be diagnosed as having cerebral palsy and schizophrenia. Per Powell's biographer, Tim Page, today Dawn Powell's son would actually be diagnosed with autism.

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