Nationality: British. Born: Johannesburg, South Africa, 1929. Education: The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 1946-49, B.A. 1949. Career: Public relations assistant, South African Jewish Board of Deputies, Johannesburg, 1951-52; correspondence secretary, Mills and Feeds Ltd., Kimberley, South Africa, 1952-54. Fellow in Creative Writing, Stanford University, California, 1956-57; visit…
Nationality: British. Born: Manchester, 1942. Education: Stand Grammar School, 1953-60; Downing College, Cambridge, 1961-64, B.A. in English 1964. Career: Lecturer, University of Sydney, New South Wales, 1965-68; supervisor, Selwyn College, Cambridge, 1969-72; senior lecturer, Wolverhampton Polytechnic, West Midlands, 1974-80. Presenter, Traveller's Tales television series, 1991; currently …
1922(?)-2004 Jazz saxophonist Jacquet, Illinois, photograph. Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images. When 19-year-old Illinois Jacquet stepped to a Decca Records microphone in May of 1942 to take his solo on the Lionel Hampton Band's "Flying Home," he was a young saxophonist with tremendous ability but no clear identity. It was the first or second time he had made a recor…
Born 1967, in Wakefield, RI; Education: Hampshire College, B.A., 1988; Emerson College, M.F.A., 1993. Lisa Jahn-Clough Agent—c/o Author Mail, Houghton Mifflin, 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116-3764. Writer, illustrator, and teacher. Emerson College, Boston, MA, teacher of writing and children's literature, 1994—. Teacher of writing at conferences and workshops, inclu…
1981— Singer First-name-only diva Jamelia has scored some impressive chart hits in Britain, where the Birmingham native is one of her country's biggest pop stars. Often referred to as "the British Beyoncé"—a nod to her similarly glamorous American soul-diva counterpart—the young singer burst onto the charts in early 2000 with the song "Money,&#…
1938— Singer Etta James may have surprised herself by living long enough to become a big star. Her singing career, more than 50 years long, has included more highs and lows than her vocal range. For decades she subverted her own success by maintaining a reckless lifestyle that included serious drug abuse and a number of questionable love-life decisions. At various career stages she has been…
Born 1949, in Los Angeles, CA. Education: Attended Los Angeles Valley College, Dutchess Community College (Poughkeepsie, NY), and Inner City Cultural Center (Los Angeles, CA). Artist, 1969—; Former certified tax practitioner; Atelier Saint James (print publisher), Los Angeles, CA, owner. Has worked as an actress, freelance writer, publicist, and accountant. Exhibitions: Works exhibited at s…
Nationality: Australian. Born: White Hills, Victoria, 1918. Education: Swan Hill High School; London School of Economics. Career: Writer, Melbourne Herald and Sun, 1937-38, and London Daily Sketch and Sunday Dispatch, 1939; European and Middle East war correspondent, Australian Newspaper Service and North American Newspaper Alliance, 1939-44; Tehran correspondent, Time and Life, 1944. Awards: Rhy…
Born 1952, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; companion of Ann Haddon. Education: Melbourne Teachers College, Higher Diploma in Teaching, 1973. Office—Books Illustrated, 15 Graham St., Albert Park, Victoria 3206, Australia. Illustrator and author. Art teacher at Doveton High School and Ringwood High School, 1974–77; Ministry of Education's Publication Branch, Victoria, Austral…
Nationality: Trinidadian (immigrated to United States, U.S. citizenship pending). Born: Port of Spain, Trinidad. Education: University of West Indies (St. Augustine), B.S. (honors) in zoology and chemistry 1967; Columbia University, New York, M.A. in 1975, M.Sc. in education 1976, and doctorate in science education, 1978. Career: Science researcher, Department of Agriculture, Trinidad, 1961-64; hi…
Nationality: British. Born: Oxford, 1920. Education: Cambridge Girls' High School, 1931-37. During World War II worked as a Red Cross nurse and at the Ministry of Food. Career: Prior to World War II, assistant stage manager, Festival Theatre, Cambridge; principal administrative assistant, North West Regional Hospital Board, London, 1949-68; principal, Home Office, in police department, 1968…
(P. Wolny) Born 1945, in Passaic, NJ; Education: St. Francis College (Biddeford, ME), A. B., 1967; John Carroll University, M.A., 1970. Hobbies and other interests: Swimming, cooking vegetarian meals, biking, working with wood. Poet and anthologist. High school English teacher in Parma, OH, 1968-72, and Topsfield, MA, 1972-77; Gray-New Gloucester High School, Gray, ME, teacher of language arts, 19…
Born 1935, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Education: University of Toronto, B.A.Sc., 1958, M.Sc., 1967; further graduate studies in geology at McMaster University, Queen's University, and Brock University. International Crime Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, Crime Writers of America, Crime Writers Association (U.K.), Historical Novel Society (U.K.). Grants from J. P. Bickell Foundation, Cana…
Nationality: American. Born: San Francisco, California, 1957. Education: Barnard College, New York, B.A. 1977; Hollins College, Virginia, M.A. 1979; Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1980-81. Career: Model, Vidal Sassoon, London and New York, 1975-77; assistant art director, Kenyon and Eckhardt, Boston, Massachusetts, 1977-78; writer-in-residence, Fine Arts Works Center, Provincetown, Massa…
1955(?)– Pastor, denominational leader The Rev. Major Lewis Jemison, Senior Pastor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma's St. John Missionary Baptist Church, has emerged as one of the key religious leaders of recent years. A political activist, an innovative church leader, and a bridge-builder between African-American denominations, he has addressed a great variety of issues that are central t…
Nationality: American. Born: Lillian Jen, c. 1956. Education: Harvard University, B.A. 1977; attended Stanford University, 1979-80; University of Iowa, M.F.A. 1983. Career: Lecturer in fiction writing, 1986, Tufts University; visiting writer, University of Massachusetts, 1990-91. Awards: Transatlantic Review award (Henfield Foundation), 1983; resident, MacDowell Colony, 1987; fellow, Radcliffe Bun…
Born 1952, in North Carolina; three Education: School of Design, North Carolina State University, received B.A. and M.A. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Houghton Mifflin, 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116-3764. Graphic designer; illustrator and author. Booklist Editor's Choice citation, 1995, for Biggest, Strongest, Fastest, and 2001, for Slap, Squeak, and Scatter: How Animals Communicate; S…
Office—P.O. Box 88288, Black Forest, CO 80908. Evangelical Press Association, Christian Booksellers Association, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, U.S. Table Tennis Association. Novel of the Year nomination, Campus Life magazine, for Margo; Religion in Media Angel Award, for Meaghan and Margo's Reunion; Biography of the Year award, Campus Life magazine, 1980, for Home Wh…
Nationality: British. Born: Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1912. Education: Hamilton Academy; Glasgow University, 1931-35, B.A. (honors) in English 1935, M.A. 1936. Career: Teacher at Dunoon Grammar School; Ghazi College, Kabul, Afghanistan, 1957-59; British Institute, Barcelona, 1959-61; and Gaya School, Sabah, Malaysia, 1963-68. Awards: Frederick Niven award, 1956. Scotland, Spain, Afghanis…
Born 1943, in Middlesex, England; immigrated to Australia, 1949; Hobbies and other interests: Racing historic cars, parties, Irish music, reading, walking. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Penguin Group Australia, 250 Camberwell Rd., Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia. Writer. Teacher, 1963–68; Ministry of Education, Australia, speech pathologist, 1972–75; Burwood State College, lectu…
Born 1962, in IN; Education: Arizona State University, B.F.A., 1985; attended San Francisco State University, 1987-91. Agent—Ruth Cohen, P.O. Box 7626, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Educator in San Francisco, CA, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, and Bisbee, AZ, 1991-96; writer, 1991—; Copper Queen Library, AZ, library technician, beginning 1994. Booklist Editors' Choice se…
Born 1965, in Portsmouth, England; Education: Attended Portsmouth College of Art, 1983; Manchester Polytechnic, B.A. (with honors), 1990. Hobbies and other interests: Pet-keeping, all art and craft work, natural history. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Walker Books Ltd., 87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ, England. Factory worker, Portsmouth, England, 1983-85; kennel assistant, Hampshire, England, 19…
Nationality: American. Born: Ruth Prawer in Cologne, Germany, of Polish parents, 1927; sister of the writer S.S. Prawer; moved to England as a refugee, 1939; became British citizen, 1948; now U.S. citizen. Education: Hendon County School, London; Queen Mary College, University of London, 1945-51, M.A. in English literature 1951. Awards: Booker prize, 1975; Guggenheim Fellowship, 1976; Neil Gunn In…
Born 1963, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Education: University of Sydney, B.A. (medieval history; with honors), 1986. Politics: "Left." Agent— Margaret Connolly, 16 Winton St., Warrawee, Sydney, NSW 2074, Australia. Author and illustrator. Westpac Banking Corp., Sydney, Australia, journalist, 1986-93; full-time writer. Lecturer, workshop presenter, and writer-in-residenc…
Born 1956, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; children: Hannah, Nell. Writer. Jesse Design (toy and clothing design firm), owner for fifteen years; worked variously as a cookie seller, waitress, sailor, and photo stylist. Canadian Governor General's Award finalist, for Hannah's Collections; Book of the Year for Children shortlist, Canadian Library Association, 2005, for Mable Riley; Norma …
Male. Education: University of Vermont, B.S. (wildlife and fisheries biology); University of California, Berkeley, M.A. (zoology). Office—Earthwatch Institute, P.O. Box 75, Maynard, MA 01754-0075. Biologist and nature writer. Earthwatch Institute, managing editor of EarthWatch Journal. National Association of Science Writers. Science Books and Films Best Books for Children selection, 2004,…
1924–2005 Musician Considered by Rolling Stone to be "the greatest sideman in rock & roll," pianist Johnnie Johnson spent most of his career in the shadow of his musical partner, Chuck Berry. Johnson played on most of Berry's hit records and co-wrote the music for several of Berry's songs, but did not begin to achieve particular recognition until he pursued a sol…
Born 1961, in Tuskegee, AL; Education: Attended Kent State University. Politics: Democrat. Agent—c/o Author Correspondence, Orchard Books, 387 Park Ave. S., New York, NY 10016. Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Ravenna, OH, child development worker, 1981-82; freelance writer of children's books, 1989—. Authors Guild, Authors League of America. Best Books, School Librar…
1961— Children's writer With over 40 books to her name Ohio-based Angela Johnson is one of the most prolific and celebrated children's writers. She began working full-time as a writer in 1989 and her work includes award-winning picture books, board books, poetry, stories, and novels for young adults. She has become well known for her realistic characters, many of whom carry ov…
1922-2004 Baseball pitcher Right-hander Connie Johnson was part of the pitching staff that made the fabled Kansas City Monarchs the most feared team in baseball's Negro Leagues in the 1940s. Later in his career he played for the major-league Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles, having lost the fastball of his youth and learned a repertoire of pinpoint-control pitches in its place. Like …
Born in Indianapolis, IN. Education: Marian College (IN), graduate; University of Illinois, M.A. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Lerner Publishing Group, 1251 Washington Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Writer and freelance children's book editor. New York Academy of Sciences special award, 1983, for Apple Trees, Beetles, Crabs, Frogs and Toads, Inside an Egg, Ladybugs, Mosses, Mushrooms, Pengu…
1918-2005 Publisher, entrepreneur, writer John H. Johnson was without question the most important force in African-American publishing in the twentieth century and has been credited with almost single-handedly opening the commercial magazine marketplace to people of color. Beginning with a five-hundred-dollar loan, he created a multi-million dollar business empire and became one of the richest men…
1973— Army specialist Johnson, Shoshana, photograph. Mike Theiler/Getty Images. U.S. Army Specialist Shoshana Johnson was captured by Iraqi forces during the first week of the 2003 U.S.-led war against Iraq, and became the first African-American female prisoner of war (P.O.W.) in U.S. history. Images of a frightened and injured Johnson were televised around the world shortly after he…
1950— Professional football player A key member of the powerful Detroit Lions squads of the 1970s, Levi Johnson delighted National Football League (NFL) fans with his agile feats at the defensive positions of cornerback and safety. Johnson's career was prematurely ended by injury in the late 1970s. Since he had been named the Lions' most valuable player in 1974 and had followe…
1949(?)— Executive, philanthropist, musician, horse farmer Those who never took the trouble to find out more might have heard of Sheila Crump Johnson as the former wife of longtime Black Entertainment Television (BET) chief executive Robert L. Johnson. That designation, however, ignores Sheila Crump Johnson's long and varied record of accomplishments of her own, before, during, and a…
Nationality: American. Born: Evanston, Illinois, 1948. Education: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, B.A. in journalism 1971, M.A. in philosophy 1973; State University of New York, Stony Brook, 1973-76. Career: Reporter and cartoonist, Chicago Tribune, 1969-70; member of art staff, St. Louis Proud, Missouri, 1971-72; assistant professor, 1976-79, associate professor, 1979-82, and since 1982…
Nationality: American. Born: Munich, Germany, in 1949. Awards: American Academy Kaufman prize, 1984; Whiting Foundation award, 1986; literature award, American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1993. Denis Johnson's first two novels, Angels and Fiskadoro, delineate the lives of outcasts on the fringes of their societies. The first is a contemporary urban novel whose characters drift into traged…
Nationality: American. Born: Diane Lain in Moline, Illinois, 1934. Education: Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri, 1951-53, A.A. 1953; University of Utah, Salt Lake City, B.A. 1957; University of California, Los Angeles (Woodrow Wilson fellow), M.A. 1966, Ph.D. 1968. Career: Member of the Department of English, University of California, Davis, 1968-87. Awards: American Association of University W…
Nationality: New Zealander. Born: Auckland, New Zealand, 1961. Career: Actress, temporary secretary, 1980s; writer and homemaker, 1990s—. Lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Awards: Bruce Mason Memorial Play-wright's Award. For a young writer, Stephanie Johnson is surprisingly well published in the genres of the novel, short fiction, and poetry, and her dramatic works have been extensive…
Nationality: Irish. Born: Ireland, 1930; daughter of the dramatist Denis Johnston. Education: Park House School, Dublin; Trinity College, Dublin. Awards: Pitman award, 1972; Yorkshire Post award, 1973, 1980; Whitbread award, 1979. Fellow, Royal Society of Literature, 1979; member, Aosdana. D. Litt.: University of Ulster, Coleraine, 1984. Jennifer Johnston is often described as a Big House novelis…
Female. Education: Southern Illinois University, B.S. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Dial Press, Dell Publishing, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Writer. Formerly worked as administration supervisor, Lansing, MI; freelance writer. Military service: U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, attained rank of second lieutenant; food service and operations officer with 44th Services Squadron. …
Nationality: Australian. Born: Monica Elizabeth Knight in Birmingham, England, 1923; moved to Australia, 1959; became citizen, 1978. Education: Friends' School, Sibford, Oxfordshire, 1934-40; St. Thomas' Hospital, London (orthopaedic nursing training), 1940-43; Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (general training), 1943-46. Career: Salesperson, nurse, and domestic, 1960s. Part-time…
Nationality: Citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. Born: Trinidad. Career: Librarian and social anthropologist. A founder of Campaign Against Racial Discrimination, London. The relatively limited contributions of women writers to Caribbean literature has been one of the long-standing curiosities about the region. In the area of prose fiction there has been a small handful of women novelists, and from t…
Nationality: British. Born: London, 1922. Education: Abbotsholme School, Derbyshire; New York University, 1939-41. Military Service: Served in the British Army, 1942-47: Captain. Career: Assistant editor, 1955-60, and dramatic critic, 1958-66, Tribune, London; assistant editor, New Statesman, London, 1966-68. Awards: Society of Authors traveling scholarship, 1982. Agent: Scott Ferris Associates, 1…
1931— Actor Some people know him as one of the nation's finest stage actors, an artist who tackles the works of such playwrights as William Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill. Others know his sonorous bass voice as the most menacing aspect of the evil Darth Vader in the blockbuster film Star Wars. Still others recognize him as a television star who brings depths of humanity to cli…
1746-1818 Minister The transformation of Absalom Jones from slave into one of the founders of the black Episcopal church in America and a leading figure among Philadelphia's African-American community shows the great strides made by blacks during this eventful period of early American history. Jones bought his own freedom as well as that of his wife's through years of hard work, and …
Born 1958 in SC; Education: East Carolina University, B.A., 1981, M.A. (literature), 1996; attended Appalachian State University. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Pleasant Company Publishing, 8400 Fairway Place, Middleton, WI 53562. Social worker and author of children's books. Pitt Community College, instructor. Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel, Mystery Writers of America, 2000,…
Jones, Wayne, photograph. Courtesy of Wayne Jones. 1952- Engineer National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 2004 Golden Torch for Lifetime Achievement in Government recipient Wayne Jones attended college during a period of enormous growth and development in the computer sciences. Deeply interested and excited by the possibilities of this new technology, he specialized in computer systems engineer…
(Ann Halam) Born 1952, in Manchester, England; Education: University of Sussex, B.A. (with honors), 1973. Politics: "Green." Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Mountain climbing, gardening, Web site upkeep. Office—Agent—c/o Author Mail, Anthony Goff, David Higham Associates Ltd., 5-8 Lower John St., Golden Square, London W1R 4HA, England. Manpower S…
Agent—Margaret Connoly, 37 Ormond St., Paddington 2021, New South Wales, Australia. Illustrator and author. Australian Society of Authors, Society of Book Illustrators. Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1988. This Old Man, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1990. Hickory Dickory Dock and Other Nursery Songs, Angus & Robertson (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1991, published as Hicko…
1913— Library administrator, educator, civic leader Jones, Clara Stanton, photograph. Courtesy Clara Stanton Jones. Clara Stanton Jones' contributions as the first African-American president of the American Library Association (ALA) have advanced the education of blacks and helped all throughout the country who value and use libraries. She helped develop branch libraries in De…
See index for SATA sketch: Born June 25, 1910, in Highland Park, IL; died May 10, 2005, in Peterborough, NH. Illustrator and author. Jones was a Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator of children's books. Interested in writing and art from an early age, she won the Silver Cup for English composition at the House in the Pines school in Norton, Massachussets, before enrolling at the U…
Born 1934, in London, England; Education: St. Anne's College, Oxford, B.A., 1956. Agent—Laura Cecil, 17 Alwyne Villas, London N1 2HG, England. Writer, beginning 1965. Society of Authors, British Science Fiction Association. Carnegie commendation, 1975, for Dogsbody; Guardian commendation, 1977, for Power of Three; Carnegie commendation, 1977, and Guardian Award, 1978, both for Charme…
Nationality: American. Born: Lexington, Kentucky, 1949. Education: Connecticut College, New London, B.A. in English 1971; Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, M.A. 1973, D.A. 1975. Career: Member of the Department of English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1975-83. Awards: Howard Foundation award, 1975; National Endowment for the Arts grant, 1976. Gayl Jones's first novel, Corre…
Nationality: British. Born: Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, 1905. Education: Castle Grammar School, Merthyr Tydfil; St. Paul's College, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Married Phyllis Doreen Jones in 1935. Career: Formerly a schoolmaster in Glamorgan; now retired. First chair, Yr Academi Gymreig (English Section). Awards: Welsh Arts Council prize, for non-fiction, 1969, and Premier award, 1972. D. …
Also writes as Ann Halam. Nationality: English. Born: Manchester, England, 1952. Education: University of Sussex, B.A. 1973. Career: Executive officer, Manpower Services Commission, Hove, England, 1975-77; author of books for young people and adults, 1977—. Awards: First prize, children's story competition (Manchester Evening News), 1967; James Tiptree, Jr., award, 1991; Children of …
Nationality: American. Born: Nashville, Tennessee, 1925. Education: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, A.B. 1949; University of Florida, Gainesville, 1950-53, A.M. 1951. Military Service: Served in the United States Army in the Corps of Military Police, Korea, 1945-46. Career: Farmer in Cheatham County, Tennessee, 1940s; instructor in English, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 1953-54, and University…
Nationality: American. Born: Erica Mann in New York City, 1942. Education: The High School of Music and Art, New York; Barnard College, New York (George Weldwood Murray fellow, 1963), 1959-63, B.A. 1963 (Phi Beta Kappa); Columbia University, New York (Woodrow Wilson fellow, 1964), M.A. 1965; Columbia School of Fine Arts, 1969-70. Career: Lecturer in English, City College, New York, 1964-66, 1969-7…
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born 1911 in Arnhem, the Netherlands; died November 19, 2003, in Laguna Woods, CA. Author. De Jong wrote for both adult and juvenile audiences and is best remembered for her young adult mysteries and adult novels set during World War II. She began her career as a journalist and, interestingly, was also a ballet dancer for the Royal Dutch Ballet bef…
Born 1951, in Liverpool, England; Education: Liverpool University, bachelor's and master's degrees (English). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Allen & Unwin, 9 Atchinson St., Sydney, New South Wales 2065, Australia. Writer; lecturer at English colleges until 1999; high-school teacher in Australia. Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year shortlist, 2005, for The Whol…
(Barbara Monnot Joosse) Born 1949, in Grafton, WI; Education: Attended University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1966; University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A., 1970; Attended University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1977–80. Hobbies and other interests: International travel, dogs, cooking, reading. Agent—Scott Treimel, STNY, 434 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10003. Writer. Associated with Stepha…
Nationality: Irish. Born: Sligo in 1950. Education: University College, Dublin. Career: Co-founder, Irish Writers Co-operative, 1974. Lives in Bray, County Wicklow. Awards: Arts Council bursary, 1976; Guardian Fiction prize, 1979; Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or, 1986; Sorrento Film Festival De Sica award, 1986; New York Film Critics Circle award, Best Screenplay, 1992; Alexander Korda awar…
Born 1930, in Poughkeepsie, NY; Ethnicity: "Anglo." Education: University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1951; California State University, Fullerton, M.S., 1977. Politics: Independent. Religion: Lutheran. Shirley Jordan Educator and author. Has worked as a teacher, project manager, vice principal, and principal. World War II, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1999. The Amer…
Born 1954, in Broome, Western Australia; partner's name Jan (a school librarian). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simply Read Books, 74 Pease Ave., Verona NJ 07044. Author and bookseller. Western Australia Premier's Book Award shortlist, 2002, and Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year award and Notable Book for Young Readers designation, and Henry Berg Ch…
Born 1929, in Leicester, Leicestershire, England; Education: London University, B.A. Dip.Ed.; Syracuse University, Ph.D. Politics: "Part of one's effort to be thoughtful, compassionate, and constructive." Agent—c/o Author Mail, Publicity Director, Boyds Mills Press, 815 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431. Educator, editor, and writer. Worked as a teacher at elementary, sec…
Nationality: Filipino. Born: Rosales, Pangasinan, 1924. Education: The University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Litt.B. 1949. Career: Staff member, Commonweal, Manila, 1947-48; assistant editor, United States Information Agency, U.S. Embassy, Manila, 1948-49; associate editor, 1949-57, and managing editor, 1957-60, Manila Times Sunday magazine, and editor of Manila Times annual Progress, 1958-60; editor…
1970(?)– Physician The first African-American woman to be appointed to the faculty of the Department of Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center (NYPH/Columbia), Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph has made significant contributions to breast cancer research and treatment. Particularly interested in public health and the sociology of medicine, Dr. Joseph has studied ho…
Nationality: Indian. Born: 1939. Education: Attended schools in India and the United States. Career: Director, Shri Ram Centre for Industrial Relations. Arun Joshi is a novelist who, more strongly than most, has brought to his work that detachment from the everyday, while still acknowledging its existence, which is perhaps India's particular gift to the literature of the world. The rising u…
Nationality: British. Born: Nice, France, 1940. Education: Victoria College, Cairo, 1950-56; Cheltenham College, Gloucesteshire, 1956-57; St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, 1958-61, B.A. in English 1961. Career: Lecturer, 1963-74, reader, 1974-80, part-time reader, 1981-84, and since 1984 professor of English, University of Sussex, Brighton. Northcliffe Lecturer, University College, London, 1981. Awards: Su…
Born 1969; Education: Attended University of Toronto; University of British Columbia, B.A. (English literature). Agent—c/o author Mail, HarperCollins, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10019-4703. Editor at publishing company in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, c. 1992; writer, beginning 1995. Alice, I Think, Thistledown Press (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), 2000, revised e…
Raúl Juliá: 1940-1994: Actor, humanitarian. Versatile stage and screen actor Raúl Juliá produced a huge body of critically successful work before his untimely death in 1994. The handsome Puerto Rican actor earned four Tony Award nominations on the New York stage, and played roles in such films as Kiss of the Spider Woman, Romero, Presumed Innocent, The Addams Famil…
Born in London, England; Education: Studied law at Exeter University; earned teaching credential. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, walking, cooking, the arts. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Frances Lincoln, 4 Torriano Mews, Torriano Ave., London NW5 2RZ, England. Educator and author. Barn Owl Books (publisher), London, England, founder and owner, 1999–. Former researcher for television.…
(Suzanne Tripp Jurmain) Born 1945, in New York, NY; Education: University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. (with honors), 1966. Agent—Dorothy Markinko, McIntosh &Otis, Inc., 353 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. Actress, beginning in 1949; TV Guide, Los Angeles, CA, assistant editor, 1966; Legal Directories Publishing Co., Los Angeles, editor, 1967; University of California Museum …
Nationality: American. Born: Michigan City, Indiana, 1935. Education: Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, 1953-57. Career: Reporter, Newsweek, Chicago and Washington, 1959-62; The Reporter Magazine, Washington, 1962-63; Newsweek, London and Washington, 1963-65; The Washington Post, Washington and Saigon. Awards: Overseas Press Club award, 1968; National Magazine award, 1970, for non-fiction, a…
(Lene Kaaberbol) Born 1960, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Education: Århus University, degree (English, drama). Hobbies and other interests: Playing pentanque. Office—Phabel & Plott ApS, Laksegade 12, St.th, DK-1063 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Novelist. Formerly worked as a high school teacher, copy writer, publishing company editor, cleaning assistant, and riding teacher. Phabel &…
Male. Education: Massachusetts College of Art, B.F.A.; coursework at Rhose Island School of Design and School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Agent—Gerald & Cullen Rapp, Inc., 108 East 35th St., New York, NY 10016. Artist, illustrator, and author. Commercial artist, with clients including Cisco, AT&T, Kodak, Microsoft, and Bloomberg. (Illustrator) Rhonda Gowler Green, When A …
Born 1956 (some sources say 1957), in Chicago, IL. Education: Attended Los Angeles City College; degree from University of Southern California; graduate programs at University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University. Agent—Andrew Wylie, Wylie, Aitken & Stone, Inc., 250 West 57th St., Suite 2106, New York, NY 10107. Writer. Worked variously as a department store clerk and waitress. Whit…
1957— President, military commander Paul Kagame emerged as an internationally renowned figure during his leadership of the military resistance that cut short the Rwandan genocide in July 1994. The genocide had marked the horrifying culmination of decades of ethnically framed massacres in post-independence Rwanda between the majority ethnic group of Hutu, who totalled roughly 85 percent of t…
OBITUARY NOTICE— See index for SATA sketch: Born February 18, 1919, in Milwaukee, WI; died November 4, 2004, in Alexandria, VA. Librarian, illustrator, and author. Kahl was an artist and librarian who was best known for her fun-filled picture books such as 1955's The Duchess Bakes a Cake. She studied art at Milwaukee-Downer College (now Lawrence University), earning a B.A. in 1940. H…
Frida Kahlo: 1907—1954: Artist. One primary impetus behind modernist movements in art is masculine and impersonal: many artists of the 20th century sought to smash rules and stylistic barriers and to break through to new principles of composition and subject matter. In the work of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, however, modernist breakthroughs were placed at the service of artistic aut…
Born 1942, in Washington, DC; Education: University of Chicago, A.B., 1964; attended Bezalel School of Art, 1967–68; attended Corcoran School of Art, 1968; University of Iowa, M.A., 1970; attended Montgomery College, 1985–90. Religion: Jewish. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Kar-Ben Publishing, 11430 Strand Dr., No. 2, Rockville, MD 20852-4371. Painter, sculptor, illustrator, and educ…
Born 1955, in Grand Forks, ND; Education: University of Kansas, B.A., 1978; graduate study at University of Georgia, 1980. Hobbies and other interests: Origami, gardening, hiking. Office—Storytime Ink International, P.O. Box 470505, Cleveland, OH 44147. Music therapist in Atlanta, GA, 1978–84; special-education teacher in Thomasville, GA, 1981–84; public speaker and professio…
Born 1943, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada; daughter of Frank (an engineer) and Myriel (Bowman) Rabel; Education: Ontario College of Art and Design, diploma (with honors), 1966; studied at Gerritt Rietveld Akademie (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1966-67. Illustrator and author. McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, staff artist, 1968-70; freelance graphic artist, beginning 1970; Nation…
Nicolás Kanellos: 1945—: Publisher, editor. Nicolás Kanellos has devoted his distinguished academic career to publishing works of Hispanic literature and scholarship in the United States. Through Arte Público Press, which he founded in 1979, he has published a wealth of material that has introduced Hispanic writing to mainstream readers. As he once commented in Cont…
Nationality: American. Born: New York City, 1942. Education: The High School of Music and Art, New York; University of Wisconsin, Madison; New York University, B.A. 1964; Columbia University Teachers College, M.A. in special education 1965. Career: Since 1966 teacher of emotionally disturbed children in New York public schools at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. Awards: Creative Artists Public Serv…
Nationality: American. Born: New York City, 1935. Education: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1952-56, A.B. (honors) 1956; University of Oregon, Eugene, M.A. in English 1959. Career: Staff member, English Language Institute, 1960, and faculty member, University of Maryland Overseas, 1961-62, both Lecce, Italy; Assistant Professor of English, Cornell University, 1962-67; Lecturer in Fiction, U…
Born 1945, in Reading, PA; Education: Drexel University, B.S. (English), 1966; University of Michigan, M.A. (English language and literature), 1967; Goddard College, M.F.A. (poetry), 1978. Hobbies and other interests: Powwows, walking, botanizing, animals. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Greenwillow Books, 13500 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, adjunc…
Born 1947, in Newark, NJ; Education: Graduated from Tyler School of Art, 1969; Yale School of Art and Architecture, M.F.A., 1971. Karen Katz Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Author and illustrator of children's books. Has also worked as a costume designer, quilt maker, fabric artist, and graphic designer. Exhibit…
Nationality: Scottish. Born: Jacqueline Margaret Kay in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1961. Education: University of Stirling, B.A. 1983. Career: Writer-in-residence, Hammersmith, London, 1989-91. Awards: Eric Gregory award, 1991; Scottish Arts Council Book award, 1991; Saltire First Book of the Year award, 1991; Forward prize, 1992; Signal Poetry award, 1993; Somerset Maugham award. Agent: Pat Kavanagh, P…
Born 1949, in London, England; Education: Nottingham Art School (now part of Nottingham Trent University), degree (fine art); Bath Spa, M.A. (creative writing). Hobbies and other interests: Traveling, watching wildlife. Agent—c/o Author Mail, The Chicken House, 2 Palmer St., Frome, Somerset BA11 1DS, England. Writer and illustrator. Formerly worked as an art and creative-writing teacher. C…
(Jackie Kay) Born 1961, in Edinburgh, Scotland; partner of Carol Ann Duffy (a poet), since 1999; Education: University of Stirling, B.A. (honors, English), 1983. Office—School of English Literature, Language, and Linguistics, Percy Building, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, England. Agent—Pat Kavanagh, Peters, Fraser & Dunlop, 503/4 The Chambers, Chelse…
Born 1954, in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada; Education: University of Manitoba, B.A., 1975; University of Toronto, LL.B., 1978. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Roc Books, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. Practicing attorney, 1981–82; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Toronto, Ontario, writer and producer in drama department, 1982–89; writer. Association of Canadian Television…
OBITUARY NOTICE—Born August 21, 1908, in Simla, India; died January 29, 2004, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. Author. Kaye was best known for her epic novel set in India during the British Raj, The Far Pavilions (1978). The daughter of a British intelligence officer who at one time was also head of the Indian state of Rajputana, Kaye was initially raised largely by Indian servants and once s…
1953— Journalist, lecturer The 14th of 19 children born into a sharecropping family in the delta region of southeastern Arkansas, Janis F. Kearney and her siblings were taught by their parents to dream and to work toward fulfilling their dreams. Kearney published the historic Arkansas State Press for a number of years before joining President Bill Clinton's administration as his pers…
Born 1947, in London, England; Education: Hood College, B.A., 1969; Drexel University, M.L.S., 1972. Religion: Lutheran. Agent—c/o Philomel Publicity, 345 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. Anne Arundel County Public Library, Annapolis, MD, young-adult librarian, 1972–75, part-time reference librarian, 1975–79; freelance writer, 1981–. Part-time and volunteer reference li…
Born 1953 in Grenada, West Indies; Education: Attended Presentation Brothers College, Grenada, and Dawson College School of Theatre; studied at Alvin Ailey School. Hobbies and other interests: Personal fitness. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Annick Press, 15 Patricia Ave., Toronto, Ontario M2M 1H9, Canada. Actor, writer, and storyteller. Actor on stage with Stratford Shakespearean Company, Stratfo…
(Richard Cleminson Keep) Born 1949, in Fort Atkinson, WI; Education: University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, B.A. (art education). Office—220 N. Zapata Hwy., No. 11A PMB 69B, Laredo, TX 78043. Writer and illustrator. Lake Geneva Northwestern Military and Naval Academy, teacher of graphic and studio arts for seventeen years. Graphic designer; workshop presenter, with wife, Linda Lowery. Childre…
See index for SATA sketch: Born June 27, 1927, in Lynbrook, Long Island, NY; died January 23, 2004, in Windsor, VT. Entertainer and author. Keeshan was famous as the star of the children's program Captain Kangaroo, which was broadcast on television for nearly forty years. Beginning in 1943 as a page for the National Broadcasting Corp. in New York City, Keeshan had been involved in the world…
1975— Distance runner Keflezighi, Meb, photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission. The silver medal earned by Meb Keflezighi at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, represented a renaissance for distance running in the United States: Keflezghi's was the first American Olympic medal in the marathon since the silver medal earned by Frank Shorter in 1976. Kef…
Surname is pronounced "carrot"; born 1936, in LaCrosse WI; Education: Attended University of Minnesota, 1954-55. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, antiques, watching baseball, animals. Agent—Emilie Jacobson, Curtis Brown Ltd., 10 Astor Place, New York, NY 10003. Writer, 1973—. Volunteer for the Humane Society and Pasado's Safe Haven. Authors Guild, Society o…
Pseudonym: Veronica Hart. Nationality: British (also a citizen of Australia). Born: Victor Michael Kitchener Kelleher in London, 1939. Education: The University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, B.A. in English 1962; University of St. Andrews, Fife, Dip. Ed. 1963; University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, B.A. (honors) 1969; University of South Africa, Pretoria, M.A. 1970, D. Litt. et…
Born 1942, in New York, NY; Education: Sarah Lawrence College, A.B., 1963; Columbia University, M.A., 1964; studied printmaking at Manhattanville College; studied illustration at Parsons School of Design. Hobbies and other interests: Tennis, travel. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Greenwillow Press/William Morrow, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Holly Keller Writer. Redding B…
Nationality: American. Born: Bronx, New York, 1937. Education: Fieldston School, New York; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Read prize, 1960), 1957-61. Career: Writer-in-residence, State University College, Geneseo, New York, Spring 1965; teacher, New School for Social Research, New York, 1965-67, and University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, 1969-70. Awards: Dana Reed Literary pr…
Nationality: Irish. Born: Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, 1930. Education: Studied nursing at St. Andrew's Hospital, London. Career: Founder and administrator of Adapt, shelter for victims of domestic violence, 1978—. Awards: Hennessey Award, 1972. Agent: Mic Cheetham, Sheil Land Associates, 43 Doughty Street, London, England. Maeve Kelly writes in several genres, and all of her work …
Born 1955; children: Emily, Marguerite. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Delacorte Press, Bantam Dell, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Journalist. People magazine, reporter; USA Today, feature writer for Life section; U.S. News &World Report, currently senior editor. Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing about Me, illustrated by Adam Rex, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2004. Lucy Rose: Big on…
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland; Education: Attended York University and Stirling University. Agent—c/o PFD, Drury House, 34-43 Russell St., London WC2B 5HA, England. Writer, editor, and journalist. Kathleen Fidler Award, 1993, for 48 Hours with Franklin; White Ravens selection, International Youth Library, 2002, for William and the Night Train. 48 Hours with Franklin (novel), Blackie (London,…
Nationality: Scottish. Born: Glasgow, 1946. Education: Greenfield School, Stonedyke School, and Hyndland School, all Glasgow, 1951-61. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 1975-78, 1981-82. Career: Has worked at a variety of semi-skilled and labouring jobs. Scottish Arts Council Writing fellowship, 1978-80, 1982-85. Awards: Scottish Arts Council bursary, 1973, 1980, and book award, 1983, 1987, 1989…
two Education: University of Guelph, B.A. (zoology; with honors), 1983; University of British Columbia, M.A. (science learning), 1995; King's College, London, Ph.D. (education and international environmental policy), 2001. Hobbies and other interests: Distance running, reading, camping, hiking, traveling. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Maple Tree Press Inc., 51 Front St. East, Suite 200, Tor…
196?— R&B vocalist, songwriter Kem, photograph. Quantrell Colbert/Getty Images. Kem has carved a niche for himself in the music world. His jazz-influenced contemporary R&B vocal styles are claiming a loyal following in an African-American musical environment dominated by hip-hop sounds. When he signed to the venerable Motown music label and his debut release, Kemistry, …
Born 1984, in New York, NY; Hobbies and other interests: Track, football. Writer. (As Tom Kemnitz, Jr.) Space: The Race to the Moon, Royal Fireworks Publishing (Unionville, NY), 2002. Also author of a book on problem-solving skills. What to Do? Book D, Automobiles Cross the Frontiers, a child's history of computers in America, and research for a history of film in America, all for Royal Fir…
Nationality: American. Born: Brooklyn, New York, 1963. Education: University of North Carolina, B.A. 1985. Career: Editor, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1985-89; lecturer, Sarah Lawrence College, 1989—, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, 1989—, and Columbia University, New York, New York, 1990—. Awards: MacDowell Colony fellowship, 1990. James Baldwin, about whom Randall Ke…
Nationality: Australian. Born: Sydney, New South Wales, 1935. Education: St. Patrick's College, Strathfield, New South Wales; studied for the priesthood 1953-60, and studied law. Military Service: Australian Citizens Military Forces. Family: Married Judith Mary Martin in 1965; two daughters. Career: High school teacher in Sydney, 1960-64; lecturer in drama, University of New England, Armid…
Nationality: Scottish. Throughout her work, Scottish writer A.L. Kennedy has explored the potentially infinite spaces within "ordinary" people's minds. Kennedy's novels and short stories focus on the mental and emotional confinement that is caused by isolation, psychic and physical violence in personal relationships, and enclosure within the ritualized routines of �…
Nationality: American. Born: Albany, New York, 1928. Education: Siena College, Loudonville, New York, B.A. 1949. Military Service: Served in the United States Army, 1950-52: sports editor and columnist for Army newspapers. Career: Assistant sports editor and columnist, Glens Falls Post Star, New York, 1949-50; reporter, Albany Times-Union, 1952-56; assistant managing editor and columnist, Puerto R…
1914-2003 Dermatologist John A. "Jack" Kenney Jr. was a distinguished dermatologist and pioneer in the study of skin diseases afflicting non-white populations. One of the first black doctors trained in dermatology, he was a prominent member of the dermatology department at Howard University's medical school for more than 40 years. Kenney became an inspirational figure to sever…
Born 1948, in Little Falls, NJ; Education: Oberlin College, B.A., 1969; Smith College, M.S.W., 1971; Instituto Allende, M.F.A., 1976. Agent— Amy Berkower, Writer's House, Inc., 21 West 26th St., New York, NY 10010. Writer. University Settlement, New York, NY, social worker, 1971-75. Worked with Centro de Crecimiento, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 1977-80. Belonging: A Novel, Dial (N…
1932-2004 Playwright South African writer Gibson Kente single-handedly made the "township musical," a form of popular theater in black South African culture during the repressive apartheid era, into a dominant means of expression and exuberance. He died of acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 2004 after a career that spanned nearly 50 years, and his impact on South African c…
1942-2004 Musician In the 1960s and 1970s, Robin Kenyatta was one of the more original players in the new sound of jazz. Unafraid to put his alto sax through unexpected twists, Kenyatta became famous for his free jazz performances. During a career spanning four decades, he released 12 albums and appeared on dozens more. He held his own against the greatest jazz men of the twentieth century and, ac…
(P.B. Kerr) Born 1956, in Scotland; Education: Law school graduate. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Henry Holt & Co., 115 W. 18th St., New York, NY 10011. Writer. Previously worked in law, advertising, and journalism. March Violets (also see below), Viking (London, England), 1989. The Pale Criminal (also see below), Viking (London, England), 1990. A German Requiem (also see below), Viking (London, …
Nationality: American. Born: La Junta, Colorado, 1935. Education: A high school in Springfield, Oregon; University of Oregon, Eugene, B.A. 1957; Stanford University, California (Woodrow Wilson fellow), 1958-59. Career: Ward attendant in mental hospital, Menlo Park, California; president, Intrepid Trips film company, 1964. Since 1974 publisher, Spit in the Ocean magazine, Pleasant Hill, Oregon. Ser…
Born 1967, in Hershey, PA; Education: Attended Pennsylvania School of the Arts; York College of Pennsylvania, B.A. (fine arts), 2003. Politics: Democrat. Religion: "Atheist." Hobbies and other interests: Landscaping, stained glass, sculpture, woodworking. Agent—Mela Bolinao, HK Portfolio, 10 E. 29th St., 40-G, New York, NY 10016. Illustrator and fine artist, 1992–. York…
Born 1945, in Augusta, GA; Education: Young Harris College, A.A., 1965; attended Georgia Southern College, 1965–66; Georgia State University, B.A., 1968. Agent—Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown Ltd., 10 Astor Pl., New York, NY 10003. Writer. Best Books of the Year listee, Boston Globe, 1995, for Luck with Potatoes; Pick of the Lists designation, American Booksellers Association, 1998, fo…
First name is pronounced "ruk-SA-na"; born 1962, in Lahore, Pakistan; immigrated to Canada, 1965; Education: Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, earned degree as a biological-chemical technician; currently attends University of Toronto. Religion: Islam. Agent—Charlotte Sheedy, Sterling Lord Literistic, 65 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012. Rukhsana Khan Writer and s…
1953— Singer Chaka Khan has enjoyed a long and fruitful recording career that spans over two decades, but her soaring voice has failed to put her in the same superstar strata as other African American divas of her generation like Patti LaBelle or Tina Turner. Khan's career came of age as disco dawned in the early 1970s, and with her first hit as a member of Rufus the singer became a …
1970— Actress Khumalo, Leleti, photograph. Matthew Simmons/Getty Images. A few times every generation, an actor or actress emerges whose performances can change the way the public thinks about an issue. Leleti Khumalo is such an artist. Her powerful star turn in both the stage and screen versions of Sarafina! changed the way people viewed apartheid at a time when it was still officia…
Born 1933, in Melbourne, Australia; died 2000, in London, England; Education: Trained as a primary school teacher in Australia. Taught English to migrant workers' children in Australia; writer. Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Children's Literature and shortlist citation for Australian Children's Book of the Year award, both 1990, both for Onion Tears; shortlist c…
Born 1952, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England; Education: Attended Newcastle University, 1970-74. Agent—Caroline Walsh, David Higham Associates, 5-8 Lower John St., Golden Square, London W1F 9HA, England. Artist and author. Exhibitions: Exhibited regularly with the Rowan Gallery, London, England, 1977-93, in San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY, 1981-87, and in Europe. Prize winner, John Moores…
1960— Vocalist, songwriter Kidjo, Angelique, photograph. AP/Wide world Photos, Reproduced by permission. A powerful singer and tireless performer, Angelique Kidjo has been one of the most successful performers to emerge on world music stages in the 1990s and 2000s. Her music not only draws from African traditions but also interprets the ways those traditions developed after Africans …
Nationality: New Zealander. Born: Fiona Judith Eakin, Hawera, 1940. Career: Librarian, Rotorua Boys High 1961-62; wrote and produced radio plays in the 1970s, has taught creative writing, and has been a weekly columnist for The Listener; President of the New Zealand Book Council, since 1992. Awards: New Zealand Scholarship in Letters, 1981, 1985, 1995; Mobil Short Story award, 1987; Arts Council a…
Nationality: Irish. Born: Dromore, County Tyrone, 1919. Education: Christian Brothers' schools, Omagh; National University of Ireland, Dublin, B.A. (honours) 1943. Career: Journalist in Dublin, 1939-64. Writer-in-residence, Hollins College, Virginia, 1964-65; visiting professor, University of Oregon, Eugene, 1965-66; writer-in-residence, Emory University, Atlanta, 1966-68. Since 1970 visiti…
Born 1971, in Keene, NH; Education: Rhode Island School of Design, B.F.A., 1993. Hobbies and other interests: Hiking, rock climbing, gardening. Illustrator. Studio assistant to illustrator Barry Moser, North Hatfield, MA, 1993-94. Kate Kiesler (Collector) Fishing for a Dream: Ocean Lullabies and Night Verses, Clarion (New York, NY), 1999. (Collector) Wings on the Wind: Bird Poems, Clarion (…
1967-1987 Writer The social-protest novels of John O. Killens were widely reviewed in mainstream American publications at a time when few black writers achieved such recognition outside of African-American-oriented publications. Two of Killens' novels earned Pulitzer Prize nominations in 1962 and 1971, and the college writing teacher and workshop leader was a mentor to an entire generation …
1952— Health care administrator The rising cost of health care just might have met its match in Cleve Killingsworth Jr. As chief executive of the Detroit health maintenance organization Health Alliance Plan (HAP) and later as president and chief operating officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Killingsworth became noted for his innovative emphasis on containing costs throug…
Born New York, NY; Education: Attended Kenyon College. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, hiking, singing, rock climbing. Agent—c/o Author Mail, HarperCollins, 10 E. 53rd St., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10022. Children's book writer. In the Stone Circle, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1998. Balto and the Great Race, illustrated by Nora Koerber, Random House (New York, NY), 1999. Visiting …
Born 1958, in Philadelphia, PA; Education: Middlebury College, B.A. (magna cum laude), 1980. Religion: Jewish. Agent—c/o Author Mail, HarperCollins Children's, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. William Morrow Publishers, New York, NY, editorial assistant for children's books, 1980-82; Taft Corp., Washington, DC, marketing associate, 1982-83; Harper & Row…
Nationality: American. Born: Elaine Potter Richardson in St. John's, Antigua, 1949. Education: Princess Margaret girls' school, Antigua; New School for Social Research, New York; Franconia College, New Hampshire, Career: Since 1974 contributor, and currently staff writer, The New Yorker. Awards: American Academy Morton Dauwen Zabel award, 1984. Honorary doctorate: Williams College, 1…
Born 1947, in Portland, ME; Education: University of Maine at Orono, B.Sc., 1970. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and other interests: Reading (mostly fiction), jigsaw puzzles, playing the guitar ("I'm terrible and so try to bore no one but myself"), movies, bowling. Agent—Arthur Greene, 101 Park Ave., New York, NY 10178. Writer. Has worked as a janitor, a laborer in an ind…
Pseudonym: Frank Cauldwell. Nationality: British. Born: Adelboden, Switzerland, 1923. Education: Shrewsbury School; Balliol College, Oxford, B.A. in English, 1949, M.A. 1951. Career: Poetry reviewer, the Listener, London, 1945-50; worked for the British Council, 1949-63: lecturer in Florence, 1949-50, Salonika, 1950-52, and Athens 1953-57; assistant representative, Helsinki, 1957-58; regional dire…
Also writes as Richard Bachman. Nationality: American. Born: Portland, Maine, 1947. Education: University of Maine at Orono, B.Sc. 1970. Career: Worked as a janitor, a laborer in an industrial laundry, and in a knitting mill; English teacher, Hampden Academy (high school), Hampden, Maine, 1971-73; University of Maine, Orono, writer-in-residence, 1978-79; owner, Philtrum Press (publishing house), a…
Nationality: Canadian citizen. Born: Sacramento, California, 1943. Career: Currently Chair of American Indian Studies, University of Minnesota. In Canada, Thomas King is well known as an author of fiction; as the straightman side kick in a weekly radio show he also writes called "The Dead Dog Café Comedy Hour" on national public radio; and as an associate professor of English li…
Born in Sydney, Australia; two children. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Scholastic Australia, P.O. Box 579, Gosford, New South Wales 2250, Australia. Author, illustrator, and book designer. Worked as a children's library assistant; Walt Disney Studios, Surry Hill, Australia, illustrator, beginning 1990; Scholastic Australia, book designer. A Special Kind of Love, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1…
Nationality: American. Born: Annapolis, Maryland, 1955. Education: DePauw University, B.A. 1977; University of Arizona, M.S. 1981; additional graduate study. Career: Research assistant in department of physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, 1977-79, technical writer in office of arid lands studies, 1981-85; freelance journalist, 1985-87; full-time writer, 1987—; book reviewer, 1988 …
Nationality: American. Born: Maxine Ting Ting Hong, Stockton, California, 1940. Education: University of California, Berkeley, A.B. 1962, teaching certificate, 1965. Career: Teacher of English and mathmatics, Sunset High School, Hayward, California, 1965-67; teacher of English, Kahuku High School, Hawaii, 1967; teacher, Kahaluu Drop-In School, 1968; teacher of English as a second language, Honolul…
Nationality: Canadian. Born: Edmonton, Alberta, 1935. Education: Eastwood High School, Edmonton, graduated 1953; University of Victoria, British Columbia, B.A. in creative writing 1974; University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1976-78, M.F.A. 1978. Career: Clerk, Government of Alberta, 1954-56, and manager, Retail Credit Co., 1956-61, both Edmonton; account executive, City of Edmonton, 1961-67; owner, Caesa…
Born 1956, in Newport, VT; Education: Johnson State College, B.A. (art and athletic training), 1978. Religion: Presbyterian. Hobbies and other interests: Running, cross-country skiing, windsurfing, roller-blading, kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, bird watching, painting, playing bagpipes and fiddle, rescuing abused animals, traveling with family in Scotland. Agent—Gina Maccoby Agency, P.O. …
Born 1955, in Columbus, OH; Education: Graduated from Cleveland Institute of Art, 1977. Agent—c/o Author's Mail, Scholastic, Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Author and illustrator. Toy store owner and founder of Ovicular Toys and Hoobert Toys, 1979; cofounder of Callaway & Kirk Company; developer of "Sunny Patch" line of apparel for Target; executive producer of…
Born 1949, in London, Ontario, Canada; Education: Dalhousie University, B.A., 1973; University of Toronto, M.A., 1975; York University, M.A., 1989. Hobbies and other interests: Long-distance swimming, dog walking. Writer, teacher, and editor. Freelance writer and editor; University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, lecturer, 1975–77; University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, instructor, 19…
Born 1957, in Wellsville, NY; Ethnicity: "Irish American and Native American (Seneca)." Education: Binghamton University, B.A., 1985, M.A. (English and creative writing), 1988, Ph.D. (English), 2004. Office—P.O. Box 337, Painted Post, NY 14870. Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA, adjunct professor of English, 1988–. Modern Language Association, American Literature Ass…
Born 1952, in Elyria, OH; Education: Ohio State University, B.A. (summa cum laude), 1974. Politics: Left Democrat. Religion: "Nature worship." Author and illustrator. Exhibitions: Work has been shown at Storyopolis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Received various awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Society of Illustrators. Skateboard Monsters, Rizzoli (New York, NY),…
Born 1967, in Walton Beach, FL; Education: Geneva College, B.A., 1989; Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1992; University of Pittsburgh, M.L.S., 1995. Religion: Presbyterian. Collection development librarian in Beaver Falls, PA, 1997-98; Community College of Beaver County, Monaca, PA, library director, 1998-99; West Virginia State College, Institute, collections development libra…
Born 1955, in Miami, FL; Education: University of Montevallo, B.F.A., 1977. Politics: Conservative. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Pottery, photography. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Children's Press, 90 Sherman Turnpike, Danbury, CT 06816. Wood & the Works (fine crafts gallery), Alabaster, AL, co-owner and resident potter, 1977-80; freelance crafts designer, 1978…
1976 (?)— Geneticist, educator Geneticist Rick Kittles, a professor at Ohio State University, became one of the hottest young scientific researchers in the country in the early 2000s. When he was hired by Ohio State in 2004, the Columbus Dispatch reported that he would bring to the university more than $1 million in research grants in addition to his teaching expertise. He was a nationally …
Born 1938, in Chicago, IL; Education: University of Illinois, B.A., 1959; University of Michigan, M.A., 1962. Religion: Jewish. Journalist and author. Wall Street Journal, Pittsburgh, PA, New York, NY, and Chicago, IL, reporter, editor, and author of column "On Sports," 1963-2001; Sports Business Journal, Charlotte, NC, columnist, 2001-03. (Coauthor) Sam Lewin, The Education of a Hor…
(Robin McMaugh Klein) Born 1936, in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia; Education: Attended schools in New South Wales, Australia. Agent—Curtis Brown, P.O. Box 19, Paddington, Sydney, New South Wales 2021, Australia. Writer, beginning 1981. Formerly worked as a "tea lady" at a warehouse, as a bookshop assistant, nurse, copper enamelist, and program aide at a school for disadv…
Born 1943, in Berkeley, CA; Education: Attended Columbia University; University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1966; California State College (now University), Hayward, Standard Elementary Credential, 1967. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Presbyterian. Hobbies and other interests: Writing, walking, dancing, sports, reading, movies and plays, playing and reading with her four grandchildren, traveling…
(Richard Allen Knaak) Surname pronounced "Nack"; born 1961, in Chicago, IL; Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A. (rhetoric), 1984. Agent—Peekner Literary Agency, 3418 Shelton Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18017. Writer. Science Fiction Writers of America. King of the Grey, Warner/Questar, 1993. Frostwing, Warner/Questar (New York, NY), 1995. The Janus Mask, Warne…
Born 1964. Hobbies and other interests: Painting, traveling. Children's book author, editor, and translator. World Publishing Co., New York, NY, editorial assistant for children's books, 1964-68; William Collins, New York, NY, editor of children's books, 1978-80; Philomel Books, New York, NY, editor of children's books, 1980-83. Also translator (English to French and Fr…
Nationality: American. Born: Fairmont, West Virginia, 1926. Education: Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire, graduated 1945; Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, B.A. 1949. Career: Reporter, Hartford Courant, Connecticut, 1950-52; freelance writer, 1952-56; associate editor, Holiday magazine, Philadelphia, 1956-60. Writer-in-residence, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1963-…
1935— Portrait artist Knox, Simmie, photograph. © Ron Sachs/Corbis. When Simmie Knox's portrait of President Bill Clinton was unveiled at the White House in June of 2004, it marked the first time an African-American artist had painted an official presidential portrait. A great deal of prestige accrued to Knox after he was selected to create the Clinton portrait, as well a…
Nationality: New Zealander. Born: Wellington, 1959. Education: Tawa College, 1972-76; Victoria University, Wellington, 1983-86, B.A. in English 1986. Career: Clerk, Department of Inland Revenue, 1977-78; printer, Butterworths, and PPTA, 1980-81; insurance underwriter, 1981; publicity officer, National Museum, 1983-84; assistant editor of Sport, 1988-93; tutor in film studies, Victoria University, …
Born 1959, in South Africa; immigrated to United States, 1971; died of an autoimmune deficiency, May 7, 2005; Education: St. Olaf College, University of Minnesota, B.A. (art education and French). Hobbies and other interests: Travel. Author and illustrator. Teacher in Nigeria for two years. Minnesota Book Award, 1991, for How the Guinea Fowl Got Its Spots, and 1994, for Sungura and Leopard; Best o…