A possible answer (and if not the sought writer, one of similar interest) comes from Dean Titus on another list (looks a bit as if Dean consulted ChatGPT or one of its colleagues, as well):

A. R. Gurney?

The specific book you mentioned, where a woman lives her life on stage and people come to view her as a form of entertainment, is likely "The Fourth Wall," which is a play written by A.R. Gurney. In this play, a woman creates an imaginary fourth wall in her living room, pretending that an audience is watching her everyday life unfold. The play explores themes of illusion, perception, and the boundaries between reality and fantasy.

It's worth noting that A.R. Gurney passed away in June 2017

fwd TM

https://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2023/07/ssw-early-stories-by-theodore-sturgeon.html

https://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2023/07/ssw-mike-shaynes-torrid-twelve-edited.html

On Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 9:41 PM Traci Joy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Male author who wrote fiction in the ~1990's about his fictional(?) childhood in the 1950's NY/NJ or MA coast. A lot of clam eating mentioned. All of his books have an element of fantasy - whether about women or his fictionalized, somewhat idealistic world as a child growing up in the 1950's. I think some of these books might have been part of a series. The covers were 1950's inspired font and imagery.

Also, he wrote one specific book about a woman who lived her life on a stage. People could come view her play on stage, which was really just her living a solitary life in a small town theatre.

I am totally BLANKING on this author's name. His books would have been in bookstores in the 1990s (Barnes and Noble and Borders), but I think he fell out of popularity at one point, or stopped writing. (If he ever was very popular??) Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
Traci
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Traci Joy, MLIS