Short answers, pulled from the story.
Abraham Grace Merritt was born on the 20th of January 1884 in Beverly, New Jersey. He grew up in a quiet town just outside Philadelphia before establishing his career as a newspaper editor and novelist.
A. Merritt served as assistant editor of The American Weekly from 1912 to 1937 under Morrill Goddard. He eventually took over as editor and held the position until his death on the 21st of August 1943.
A. Merritt earned $100,000 a year by the time of his death, which was an astronomical sum for the 1940s. This income funded a life of eccentricity and world travel that included collecting weapons and primitive masks from Jamaica and Ecuador.
A. Merritt was a major influence on H. P. Lovecraft and participated in round robin stories alongside Robert E. Howard and C. L. Moore. He also collaborated closely with Hannes Bok, who illustrated many of his works and completed unfinished novels like The Fox Woman and the Blue Pagoda after Merritt died.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted A. Merritt in 1999 as part of its fourth class of two deceased and two living writers. This recognition solidified his status as a foundational figure in the genre alongside Karl Edward Wagner and Gary Gygax.
Hannes Bok completed The Fox Woman and the Blue Pagoda published in 1946 and The Black Wheel published in 1948 using previously unpublished material from A. Merritt. These books were illustrated by Bok and published by The New Collectors Group in hardcover to preserve Merritt's creative legacy.