Penelope Niven

Apart from education, she processed Carl Sandburg's material at Connemara during the 1970s and became an archivist there in 1979. Between the 1990s to 2010s, Niven wrote biographies about Sandburg, Edward Steichen and Thornton Wilder. She also co-wrote a 1993 memoir by James Earl Jones and her own memoir in 2004. Niven was given a North Carolina Award in 2004 and posthumously joined the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2018.

Penelope Niven studied at Greensboro College and Wake Forest University. The recorded working language is English. Employment is recorded with Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, University of North Carolina at Asheville and St. Distinctions recorded are North Carolina Award for Literature.

Niven's birth occurred at Waxhaw, North Carolina on April 11, 1939. Niven was interested in writing at the age of five. She also went to Charlotte, North Carolina with her parents for part of her childhood. Niven worked for multiple school publications while attending Greensboro College in the late 1950s. Niven had completed her studies at Greensboro and Wake Forest College before her 1963 marriage.

By 1982, Penelope McJunkin had worked as a consultant for Carl Sandburg — Echoes and Silences. That year, the documentary appeared as an episode of American Playhouse. After Niven began to use dental braces, she and her husband co-wrote the 1984 book The I Hate To Chew Cookbook: A Gourmet Guide for Adults Who Wear Orthodontic Braces. She helped her daughter create the 1988 book Teen Cuisine: A Cookbook for Young People Who Wear Orthodontic Braces. In 1991, Niven released Carl Sandburg: A Biography. As a co-writer with James Earl Jones, they published the 1993 memoir titled James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences. In 1996, Niven's daughter created Velva Jean Learns to Drive. The short film was based on a short story by Niven that was not released. With Steichen: A Biography, her book about Edward Steichen was released the following year. She was a co-writer on the 2000 book Old Salem: The Official Guidebook. Her book with Jones had the epilogue changed in 2002 and was released as Voices and Silences. As a children's book author, Niven wrote Carl Sandburg: Adventures of a Poet in 2003 while the pictures were provided by Marc Nadel. Her memoir, Swimming Lessons: Life Lessons from the Pool, from Diving In to Treading Water, was published the next year. For R. Philips Hayes, she edited his 2006 book titled How to Get Anyone to Do Anything. She continued her biographical career with a 2012 book on Thornton Wilder titled Thornton Wilder: A Life. Apart from writing, Niven was interviewed for The Day Carl Sandburg Died in 2011. The documentary appeared as an episode of American Masters the following year.

In 1987, Niven had a divorce. Her death occurred at Winston-Salem, North Carolina on August 28, 2014.

Penelope Niven is recorded with the occupation secondary school teacher. Recorded with the occupation writer in residence. Recorded as secondary school teacher, biographer, photographer and writer.