▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁where ▁she ▁kept ▁a ▁marg ay , ▁a ▁South ▁American ▁t iger - cat ▁similar ▁to ▁an ▁o cel ot , ▁for ▁company . ▁ ▁A ▁popular ▁story ▁about ▁her ▁goes ▁that ▁one ▁night , ▁after ▁The od ora ▁had ▁dr unk ▁too ▁much ▁and ▁was ▁as leep , ▁the ▁marg ay ▁bit ▁the ▁tip ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁ears , ▁which ▁she ▁changed ▁her ▁ha irst yle ▁to ▁conce al . ▁ ▁Writing ▁career ▁Ke og h ▁wrote ▁nine ▁nov els ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁after ▁which ▁time ▁she ▁gave ▁up ▁writing ▁completely . ▁ ▁Her ▁nov els ▁t ended ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁characters ▁with ▁psych ological ▁conflicts ▁and ▁often ▁dark ▁sides ▁to ▁their ▁personal ities . ▁In ▁this ▁regard , ▁her ▁them es ▁are ▁similar ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁novel ist ▁Pat ric ia ▁High sm ith , ▁most ▁noted ▁for ▁Str angers ▁on ▁a ▁Train ▁and ▁The ▁Tal ented ▁Mr . ▁Ri ple y . ▁Like ▁High sm ith , ▁she ▁created ▁characters ▁who ▁seemed ▁quite ▁normal ▁on ▁the ▁surface ▁and ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁the ▁social ▁convent ions ▁of ▁their ▁day , ▁but ▁who ▁had ▁another ▁side ▁to ▁their ▁lives ▁and ▁their ▁ident ities . ▁ ▁The od ora ' s ▁works ▁expl ored ▁such ▁dark ▁areas ▁and ▁them es ▁as ▁ra pe , ▁inc est , ▁double ▁lives , ▁and ▁a ▁doctor ' s ▁psych ological ▁and ▁emot ional ▁fasc ination ▁with ▁a ▁child