Born 1957; Hobbies and other interests: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 19 Union Square W., New York, NY 10003. Writer. Attica Public Library, Lafayette, IN, part-time librarian. When Ratboy Lived Next Door, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY), 2005. Georgie's Moon, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY), 2006. It took Indiana writer Chris Woodworth nea…
1971– Poet, musician Scott Woods, a prolific author and editor of more then ten volumes of poetry and prose and the producer of numerous spoken-word and music CDs, is especially well known for slam poetry. He first discovered slam poetry in 1998, and by 2002 he was on the Executive Council of Poetry Slam, Inc. (PSI), a non-profit organization that oversees the National Poetry Slam—No…
Born 1963, in Newhaven, England; Education: University of Brighton, B.A. (honors), 1986. Children's book writer and illustrator. Commercial artist; conducts "Art of Seeing" workshop. Greenpeace. When the World Sleeps, Hutchinson (London, England), 1989. Crumbs!, Hutchinson (London, England), 1990. The Tangleweed Troll, Gollancz (London, England), 1993. (With Miriam Moss) Henry…
Born 1953, in Greenwich, CT; Education: Washington University, B.A.; University of Iowa, M.A. Carolyn P. Yoder Educational Press Association of America (secretary, 1993-95); Friends of the H. Raymond Danforth Library, New England College (board of trustees, 1996-99; chair of the Annual Children's Essay and Art Contest and Conference, 1996-99; vice president, 1998-99). Another vol…
Born 1959, in Ithaca, NY; Education: Syracuse University, B.S. (education), 1981. Politics: Democrat. Agent—Faye Bender, Faye Bender Literary Agency, 337 W. 76th St., No. E1, New York, NY 10023. Scholastic News, New York, NY, writer and assistant then associate editor, 1981–83; freelance writer and editor, 1983–. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Auth…
(Kaethe Zemach-Bersin) Born 1958, in Boston, MA; marriage ended); Education: Attended schools in England, Denmark, and the United States. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Little, Brown and Co., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Artist and writer. Children's Book of the Year award, Child Study Association, 1975, and Children's Book Showcase citation, 1976, both for The Pri…
Born 1975, in Sydney, Australia; married. Agent—c/o Publicity Department, Pan Macmillan Australia, Level 18, St Martin's Tower, 31 Market St., Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia. Writer; formerly a janitor and a high school English teacher. Older Readers Honor Book of the Year, Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA), 2001, for Fighting Ruben Wolfe; Older Readers Hono…
1932— Politician, civil rights activist Young, Andrew, photograph. © 1989 Landov LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission. As a civil rights activist in the turbulent 1960s and one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s most trusted lieutenants, Andrew Young earned a reputation for tact and diplomacy. As an outspoken ambassador to the United Nations (UN) under the admini…
Born 1959, in Tokyo, Japan. Education: Tokyo University of Music, degree in composition. Agent—Japan Foregin Rights Centre, 2-27-18 Nakaochiai 2-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-0032, Japan. Writer. Batchelder award and Boston Globe-Horn Book award for fiction, both 1997, both for The Friends. The Friends, translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY)…
Born 1946, in San Diego, CA; Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: San Diego State University, M.A. (English; with distinction), 1985. Hobbies and other interests: Sports, biking, reading, family activities. Office—Department of English, Palomar College, 1140 West Mission Rd., San Marcos, CA 92069. West Coast director of a foreign-student study program, 1981-87; Palomar College,…
Born 1947, in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia (now Zlín, Czech Republic); immigrated to Canada, 1984; became Canadian citizen, 1988; daughter of Karel Ludmila Zeman Zeman (a filmmaker); Education: Attended art school in Czechoslovakia, and Palacky University. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Tundra Books of Northern New York, P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. Filmmaker, illustrator, animat…
Born 1970, in New York, NY; Education: Attended Colby College and University of Arizona. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Warner Books, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Novelist. 17th Street Productions, New York, NY, former editor. Gossip Girl, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002. You Know You Love Me, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002. Cecily von Ziegesar All I Want Is Everything, Littl…
1971— Actor Yarbrough, Cedric, photograph. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images. A talented comic actor with a flair for improvisation, Cedric Yarbrough is best known for his role as Deputy S. Jones in the reality cop show parody Reno 911! Debuting in 2003 the improvised show became an instant hit for cable network Comedy Central and has been compared favorably with the hit BBC offering The …
Born 1931, in Brooklyn, NY; Education: Attended Texas A & M University, 1949–52; University of Houston, B.S.M.E., 1956. Religion: Roman Catholic. Agent—Virginia Kidd Agency, Box 278, Milford, PA 18337. Writer. Project engineer with Procter & Gamble, 1956–72; Plant Engineering magazine, Barrington, IL, senior editor, 1972–84. Military service: U.S. Army, 1952…
1923–2005 Minister, scholar, civil rights activist, writer An Episcopalian minister, a scholar, a poet, and the author of 18 books, Dr. Nathan Wright Jr. was a leading advocate of the black power movement. Although Wright claimed to be ideologically close to Stokely Carmichael and H. Rap Brown, leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and even Malcolm X, he was a pac…
1924– Labor leader, civil rights pioneer, pastor The first female board member of the United Packinghouse Food and Alliance Workers Union, Addie L. Wyatt was elected vice president of Local 56 in 1953. During her 30-year career as a labor leader Wyatt fought for equality as a campaigner for women's rights in the workplace and as an active protester alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr…
1961— Basketball player Worthy, James, photograph. Mark Mainz/Getty Images. In 12 years with the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, "Big Game" James Worthy was known for his ability to maneuver around opposing players at a dizzying pace. "I just decide I'm going to go around [a defensive opponent] when I'm setting up and when I get the ball, I go,&…
Sociologist Maxine Baca Zinn has been pivotal in incorporating the experiences of Hispanics into mainstream sociological thought. She has become a leading expert in the fields of family, gender, and ethnicity. Part of an elite group of female sociologists, Baca Zinn has changed the face of feminism by introducing the experiences of women of color to conventional perspectives on gender. She has ded…
Born 1976, in Warwickshire, England. Education: Cambridge University, graduated; postgraduate study in journalism. Hobbies and other interests: Music, theatre. Agent—c/o Rod Hall Agency Limited, 6th Fl., Fairgate House, 78 New Oxford St., London WC1A 1HB, England. Journalist and author. Vogue magazine, London, England, member of staff; freelance writer. Avril Crump and Her Amazing Clones, E…
Born 0027;s name Randy; Education: Ohio State University, degree (special education); Miami University of Ohio, M.A. (reading). Hobbies and other interests: Reading, gardening, managing her Web site. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Clarion Books, 215 Park Ave. S, New York, NY 10003. Educator and writer. Teacher in Ohio public schools for ten years; instructor at community colleges; speaker at schoo…
Born 1955, in Gainsborough, England; Education: Attended state school; studied painting and linoleum cutting with father, John Wormell. Agent—The Artworks, 70 Rosaline Rd., London SW6 7QT, England. Freelance illustrator in advertising, design, editorial, and children's books, London, England, 1984—. Exhibitions: Solo exhibitions include Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Engl…
See index for SATA sketch: Born May 17, 1912, in Northwich, Cheshire, England; died May 9, 2004, in York, England. Educator, composer, musician, and author. Young was a scholar of music history who served as director of music at the Wolverhampton College of Technology and was also an authority on Edward Elgar and an accomplished composer in his own right. A graduate of Selwyn College, Cambridge, w…
Born 1953, in Evanston, IL; Education: Yale University, B.A., 1974; Tyler School of Art, M.F.A., 1976. Hobbies and other interests: Cooking, eating. Office—54 Orange St., Brooklyn, NY 11201. Artist, author, and illustrator of books for children, 1977—. Graphic Artists Guild, Children's Illustrators and Authors, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Best B…
Born 1955, in East Orange, NJ; Education: University of Tulsa, B.F.A., 1978, M.A., 1980. Hobbies and other interests: Hunting, fishing, training bird dogs, skeet shooting, hiking, travel, and camping. Artist and illustrator, 1980—. Exhibitions: Pittsfield Art Museum, Pittsfield, MA, 1983; Southeast Arkansas Arts and Science Museum, Pine Bluff, AR, 1985; Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Waus…
Born 1941, in New Jersey. Education: Smith College, B.A.; New York University, M.A. (education). Office—Blue Apple Books, 515 South Valley St., Maple-wood, NJ 07040. Writer and book packager, 1983—. Elementary school teacher; Scholastic publishers, New York, NY, school materials developer. New Jersey Institute of Technology Award, 1987, for Sarah's Questions and The Small Pota…
Born 1962, in Los Angeles, CA; Education: University of California—Los Angeles, B.A. (summa cum laude), 1983; Yale University, J.D., 1987. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Attorney in Los Angeles, CA, 1987-91; writer in Los Angeles and Medina, WA, 1991—. Writer-in-residence, University of Southern California Writ…
Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem, PA, writer, 1997-2000; Community Living, Houston, TX, writer, 2001-03; Style and Living, editor in chief, 2002—. Women's Literary Group, leader, 1995-98. Medieval Knights and Warriors, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2003. Colonial Craftsmen, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2004. Historical/personal memoir cookbook. …
1962— Corporate executive Woods, Jacqueline, photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. As vice president for global marketing and pricing at software giant Oracle, Jacqueline Woods has been responsible for guiding the company through a rapidly changing market for database sales and licensing. Database licensing is considered by IT industry executives to be one of the most complex and challen…
1918-2005 New York State Supreme Court justice, writer "Black judges in this country are a very lonely caucus," New York State Supreme Court justice Bruce McMarion Wright told Les Payne in a 1991 interview for Essence. A highly controversial figure dubbed "Turn-Em-Loose Bruce" during his career on the bench of New York City's criminal court, Wright devoted his li…
Jane Yolen St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9LN, Scotland. Agent—Elizabeth Harding Curtis Brown Ltd., 10 Astor Place, New York, NY 10003. The Witch Who Wasn't, illustrated by Arnold Roth, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1964. Gwinellen, the Princess Who Could Not Sleep, illustrated by Ed Renfro, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1965. The Emperor and the Kite, illustrated by Ed Young, World Publish…
Born 1951, in Somerville, NJ; Education: Attended Adelphi University, 1970–71, and Boston University, 1971–72. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Holiday House, 425 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017. Writer. Worked variously as a janitor, gardener, baker, window decorator, ice-cream truck driver, storyteller, and library aide; owner of toy, clothing, and miscellany store in Clinton, NJ. De…
Nationality: American. Born: Thomas Kennerly Wolfe, Jr. in Richmond, Virginia, 1930. Education: Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, A.B. (cum laude) 1951; Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, Ph.D. 1957. Career: Reporter, Springfield Union, Massachusetts, 1956-59, Washington Post, 1959-62, and New York, Herald Tribune, 1962-66; writer, New York World Journal Tribune, 1966-67. A…
Nationality: American. Born: Birmingham, Alabama, 1945. Education: Hill School, 1964; Oxford University, B.A. 1972, M.A. 1975; Stanford University, California, M.A. 1977. Military Service: Served in the United States Army, 1964-68: Lieutenant. Career: Jones Lecturer in creative writing, Stanford University, (Stegner fellow), 1975-78; since 1980 Peck Professor of English, Syracuse University, New Y…
Nationality: American. Born: New Franklin, Missouri, 1932. Educated in public schools in New Franklin and Sedalia, Missouri. Military Service: Served in the United States Army, in Korea, 1952-54. Career: Stockboy in St. Louis, late 1950s; then freelance writer: columnist ("Wright's World"), Village Voice, New York. Lives in New York City. (1972) Numbers. One number has always…
Nationality: American. Born: 1937. Awards: Atlantic Firsts award, 1966. Rudolph Wurlitzer's novels represent a determined attempt to escape the materials of narrative. Unwilling to suspend disbelief and create a representative world of people, places, and ideals, he discards the conventions of mimetic storytelling in favor of a flat-out style of direct address which in his later novels slo…
Nationality: American. Born: Chicago, Illinois, 1927. Education: Fieldston School, graduated 1944; Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1944-48, B.A. (summa cum laude) 1948 (Phi Beta Kappa). Military Service: Served in the United States Navy, 1945-46. Career: Since 1968 member of the Department of English, currently professor of English, and since 1981 Director of General Studies, Colorado Col…
Nationality: American. Born: Ho'olchua, Molokai, Hawaii, 1961. Education: University of Hawaii at Manoa, B.Ed. 1983, M.Ed. 1987. Career: Language arts resource teacher and English teacher, Hawaii Department of Education; writer. Lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. Awards: Pushcart prize, 1993; Elliot Cades award for literature, 1993; Asian American Studies National Book award, 1994 (prize revoked); …
Nationality: American. Born: Helen Bassine in New York City, 1915. Career: Literary editor, the Nation, New York, 1965-69; Visiting Professor, Columbia University School of the Arts, New York, 1973, and University of Iowa Writers Workshop, Iowa City, 1980. Awards: Houghton Mifflin Literary fellowship, 1972. LHD: University of Maine, 1996. The novels of Helen Yglesias were written from her 54th ye…
Nationality: American. Born: Ocean Springs, Mississippi, 1939. Education: The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (co-editor, Generation magazine), 1957-61; Stanford University, California (Stegner Creative Writing fellow), 1966-67; University of California, Berkeley, A.B. in Spanish 1969. Career: Freelance musician, 1958-64; disc jockey, KJAZ-FM, Alameda, California, 1961-65; instructor and linguis…
Nationality: American. Born: New York City, 1925. Education: New York University, A.B. 1950; Brooklyn College, New York, M.A. 1961. Military Service: Served in the United States Army, 1944-45. Career: Librarian, New York University, 1945-53; social investigator, New York City Department of Welfare, 1954-59. Since 1959 fulltime writer. Lives in Brooklyn, New York. Awards: Guggenheim fellowship, 197…
Born 1977, in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. Education: Attended University of Sheffield. Hobbies and other interests: Watching movies, backpacking in foreign countries, touring with his band. Agent—Carolyn Whitaker, London Independent Books, 26 Chalcot Crescent, London NW1 8YD, England. Full-time writer. Smarties Book Prize, 2001, Horn Book Notable Book designation, School Library Jou…
(Jane Thayer) OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born August 11, 1904, in Chicago, IL; died July 23, 2005, in Truro, MA. Author. Woolley was a prolific author of children's books written under her name and the pseudonym Jane Thayer. A 1927 graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles, she worked as an advertising copywriter and freelance writer in New York City dur…
Born 1961, in Ho'olchua, Moloka'i, HI; Education: University of Hawaii at Manoa, B.Ed., 1983, M.Ed., 1987. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 19 Union Square W., New York, NY 10001. Writer. Hawaii Department of Education, language arts resource teacher and English teacher. National Endowment for the Humanities grant, 1990; Pushcart Prize for Poetry, 1993, f…
1950- Singer, songwriter In the course of following Stevie Wonder on his relentless travels, journalists come to realize just how beloved an entertainer he is. "It dawned on me," wrote Giles Smith in the New Yorker, "that a substantial part of Stevie Wonder's public life consists of the voices of complete strangers telling him they love him." Rolling Stone'…
1977- Athlete, activist Saddled with a useless right leg, abandoned by his father, orphaned by his mother's death, and living in a country where physical deformities have traditionally been considered a curse, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah faced odds that would intimidate any Westerner. The best a disabled Ghanaian could hope for in a country with an annual income of less than $500 was to eek out a…
Born 1960, in Taiwan; immigrated to United States, 1967. Education: Attended Stirling University (Scotland); University of California, Santa Cruz, B.S. (biology; with honors); attended Pasadena Art Center College of Design; attended Beijing Institute of Traditional Chinese Painting, 1986–89. Agent—Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, 1155 Camino Del Mar, PMB 515, Del Mar, CA 92014. Chil…
Born 1956, in Boston, MA; Education: Rhode Island School of Design, B.F.A., 1979. office—c/o Author Mail, E. P. Dutton, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. Author and illustrator. Valley Voice, Middlebury, VT, staff artist, 1979-80; Pacific Sun, Mill Valley, CA, staff artist, 1980-82; writer and illustrator of children's books, 1983—. Painter of trompe l'oeil murals in…
Born 1950, in New York, NY; Education: Queens College of the City University of New York, B.A., 1971; Pratt Institute Graphic Center, graduate study in lithography, 1971–72. Religion: Jewish. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, gardening, gourmet cooking, pets. Agent—Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown Ltd., 10 Astor Pl., New York, NY 10003. Dial Press, New York, NY, assistant to art d…
Born 1961, in California; Education: Stanford University, B.S. (electrical engineering), 1983, M.S. (engineering science), 1985; graduate study at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. office—Norbert Wu Photography, 1065 Sinex Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Diver, photographer, cinematographer, and writer. Cousteau Society, chief still photographer on Jacques Cousteau's Calypso; Smit…
Surname is pronounced "Jung"; born 1942, in Shanghai, China; immigrated to Canada, 1989; nationalized Canadian citizen, 1995; Education: Central Institute of Fine Arts (Beijing, China), undergraduate degree, 1964, graduate degree, 1980; attended École Superieure National des Beaux-Arts (Paris, France), 1984–85. Hobbies and other interests: Cooking, reading, traveling. A…
Born 1943, in Los Angeles, CA; Education: University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1965, teaching credential, 1967. Politics: "Confused liberal." Religion: "Even more confused." Hobbies and other interests: Animals, sports, daydreaming. Agent—Susan Cohen, Writers House, 21 West 26th St., New York, NY, 10010. Writer. Teacher of English, creative writing, and …
Born 1956, in Springfield, MO; Education: University of Tulsa, B.S., 1978, M.A., 1980. Hobbies and other interests: Hiking, camping, traveling, reading, fishing. Speech and language pathologist, 1980—; writer, 1996—. Workshop presenter in schools and for professional organizations. National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Missouri Writers Guild, Missouri State Poetry Society (y…
Born near Chicago, IL; three children. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 255 Jefferson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Writer and educator. Worked previously as a middle-school teacher. Erika's Story was listed among the Year's Best books in the Miami Herald, and received best books citations in Germany. 6,000,000 Stars, illustrated by Roberto Innocenti, Cr…
Born 1969, in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; died April 30, 2004, in Australia; Education: University of South Australia, B. A. (graphic design), 1990. Illustrator. ERA Publications, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, production staff member, 1990-2004. Picture Book of the Year citation, 1995, for The Watertower, and Notable Book selections, 1995, for Peter and the Polar Bear, 1996, for …
Born 1961, in Melbourne, Western Australia, Australia; Education: Melbourne State College, Diploma of Teaching; Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University), Certificate of Fluency in Japanese; University of Western Australia, M.A. (creative writing). Hobbies and other interests: Traveling, reading, swimming, bush-walking, photography, yoga, scuba diving. Teacher, Western Aus…
1966— Actor Wright, Jeffrey, photograph. Brad Barket/Getty Images. Jeffrey Wright has established himself as one of the most respected and versatile character actors of his generation. Equally at home on the stage or on screen, he has performed in roles ranging from mobster to artist to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Born in Washington, D.C., on December 7, 1965, Wright was raised t…
1948-2005 Boxer Young, Jimmy, photograph. © Corbis. The 1970s have gone down in boxing history as the golden age of the heavyweights. Muhammad Ali was in the midst of his lock on the heavyweight championship title. George Foreman was a force to be feared. Boxing matches were glamorous, primetime events grabbing the adoration of fans, celebrities, and the general public. Smack in the mi…
1977— Activist Though Princess Kasune Zulu is not technically a member of Zambian royalty, she has emerged as one of Africa's most prominent activists in combating the scourge of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Both of Zulu's parents and two of her siblings were felled by the deadly pandemic, which has swept swiftly through sub-Saharan Africa since it was first d…
Born 1978, in Mendham, NJ; daughter of James (a doctor of internal medicine) and Kathleen (a dog groomer) Wolf; Education: Rhode Island School of Design, B.F.A. (illustration), 2000. Author and illustrator of children's books. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. (And illustrator) I Love You Just the Same, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2003. Brave Little Raccoon, Henry …
(Avi, Avi Wortis) Born 1937, in New York, NY; stepEducation: Attended Antioch University; University of Wisconsin—Madison, B.A., 1959, M.A., 1962; Columbia University, M.S.L.S., 1964. Hobbies and other interests: Photography. Edward Wortis Agent—Dorothy Markinko, McIntosh & Otis, Inc., 475 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017. Writer, 1960—. New York Public Library, Ne…
Born 1951, in Chicago, IL; Education: Michigan State University, B.A., 1973; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M.A., 1975, further graduate study, 1975-80. Hobbies and other interests: Classical music (particularly nineteenth-century Romantic era), crossword puzzles, martial arts. Agent—Russell Galen, Scovil, Chichak, Galen Literary Agency, 381 Park Ave. S., Suite 1020, New York, …
See index for SATA sketch: Born August 2, 1914, in St. Louis, MO; died of heart failure October 21, 2004, in Chicago, IL. Social worker, therapist, and author. Zimmerman was a leading family therapist who also published several children's books. A graduate of the University of Chicago, where she earned a B.A. in 1935 and an M.A. in social service in 1940, her first job as a social worker wa…
Born 1959, in Los Angeles, CA; Ethnicity: "Chinese" Education: University of Southern California, B.A. (English and humanities). Hobbies and other interests: "Making strange things out of junk" Agent—c/o Jodi Reamer, Writers House, 21 W. 26th St., New York, NY 10010. Writer and entrepreneur. Workshop West (creative think tank), Beverly Hills, CA, former associat…
Born 1946, in Brooklyn, NY; Education: Queens College of the City University of New York, B.A., 1967, M.S., 1970; Rosemont College, certificate in holistic studies, 1992. Freelance author and lecturer. Yoga teacher and elementary-school teacher; Philadelphia Writer's Conference, panelist, 1990, judge of juvenile fiction, 1992, leader of workshop on juvenile writing, 1993, 2003. Philadelphi…
Born 1958, in Darby, PA; son of Edward J. (a former director of American Bandstand) and Teresa Philip Yates Yates; Education: Widener University, B.A. (with honors), 1989; Villanova University, M.A., 1994. Widener University, instructional media specialist, 1990-96; stand-up comedian and performer with comedy troupe, the Laugh-A-Roni Institute, 1991-93; teacher of elementary and middle sch…
