196(?)– Choir director, songwriter, and music producer When secular artists achieve commercial success, it is often followed by a big spike in popularity, accompanied by instant name recognition. Though this does not typically happen to Christian singers, songwriter and choir director Kurt Carr managed to achieve global success with his breakthrough 2001 album, Awesome Wonder. The song �…
1905-1935 Blues singer and pianist In the late 1920s and early 1930s, among the African-American audiences that nurtured the blues, there was hardly a better-known performer than Leroy Carr. He made over a hundred recordings, the first of which, 1928's "How Long, How Long Blues," made him a star who could fill large theaters around the Midwest and South. After Carr's de…
1927-1997 Poet One of the most important poets to come out of the Caribbean, Martin Carter has been compared to literary lions such as W.B. Yeats and Pablo Neruda. His most famous work was fueled by the political turmoil that gripped his native Guyana in the 1950s and 1960s. He told fellow Guyanese writer Bill Carr in an interview for the Guyanese magazine Release that politics and poetry were ins…
Born 1928, in St. Louis, MO; Education: Princeton University, A.B., 1950; Stanford University, M.B.A., 1956. Computer analyst, consultant, and manager, 1956-68; manager of private trade and technical schools, 1969-95; executive vice president, Bell & Howell schools. American Technical Institute, president; board member, Chicago Community Renewal Society, 1969-87; board member and president,…
Born 1964, in Everett, WA; Education: University of Kansas, B.S., 1987; attended Science and Environmental Reporting Program, New York University, 1990. Mary Kay Carson Freelance writer of books, articles and teaching materials for Newbridge, Science World, Scholastic, Inc., National Audubon Society, KidsBooks, Chicago Review Press, and other educational companies, 1994—. Super-Scien…
Born 1975; University of Minnesota, M.A., 1984. Office—Department of Communication and Writing, Metropolitan State University, Suite 205, Energy Park Place, 1380 Energy Lane, St. Paul, MN 55108. Adult Options in Education, Hopkins and St. Louis Park, MN, adult literacy instructor, 1983-2002; Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN, community faculty instructor in creative writing, 1998…
Born 1963, in Los Angeles, CA; Education: DePauw University, B.A., 1985. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, watching films, cooking, playing games, drawing and graphic design, travel. Mayfield Publishing, Mountain View, CA, editorial assistant, 1985-87; Windsor Publications, Northridge, CA, photography editor, 1987-88; Dushkin Publishing, Guilford, CT, annual editions editor, 1988-89; freelance…
Born 0027;s name Deborah; Education: Attended Kent State University. Hobbies and other interests: Bicycling, birdwatching, painting. Office—Springfield News-Sun, 202 North Limestone St., Springfield, 45503. Cartoonist, painter, and commercial illustrator. Springfield News-Sun, Springfield, OH, editorial cartoonist, 1984—; Copley News Service, syndicated cartoonist, 1988—. Wor…
Born 1924, in Jerusalem; immigrated to United States, 1925; Education: Attended high school Miriam Chaikin in Brooklyn, NY. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Jewish. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, study, walking, looking, listening, good company, good food, pottery. Agent—Regina Ryan, 1 West 85th Street, New York, NY 10024. Worked for U.S. arm of Irgun (Jewish underground), New Y…
Pseudonym for David John Moore Cornwell. Nationality: British. Born: Poole, Dorset, 1931. Education: Sherborne School, Dorset; St. Andrew's Preparatory School; Bern University, Switzerland, 1948-49; Lincoln College, Oxford, B.A. (honours) in modern languages 1956. Career: Tutor, Eton College, Berkshire, 1956-58; member of the British Foreign Service, 1959-64: second secretary, Bonn Embassy,…
1954-2004 Prime Minister of Dominica Charles, Pierre, photograph. UN photo by Michelle Poire. Reproduced by permission. On October 1, 2000, Roosevelt "Rosie" Douglas, prime minister of the Caribbean island-nation of Dominica, died of a heart attack after less than a year in office. Two days later Pierre Charles—popularly known as Pierro and deputy leader of the Dominica…
Born 1937, in Sainte-Justine-de-Dorchester, Quebec, Canada; Education: Attended College Saint-Louis; University of Montreal, B.A., M.A., 1961; further study at Sorbonne, University of Paris, 1961–64. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Tundra Books/Livres Toundra, 75 Sherbourne St., 5th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5A 2P9, Canada. Novelist, poet, dramatist, screenwriter, and author of short fiction. …
Born 1952, in London, England; children: one son. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Scholastic, Ltd., 1-19 New Oxford St., London WC1A 1NU, England. Writer. Worked as a teacher in London, England for nineteen years; also worked in a bank. British Book Trust Teenage Book of the Year designation, and Whitbread Children's Book of the Year shortlist, both 2004, and Carnegie Children's Book A…
1988— Musician Canada's Keshia Chanté is a teen pop star—but her background does not fit the typical pattern of other young performers who have emerged in recent years in either Canada or the United States. "She was not a contestant on either American Idol or Canadian Idol," noted the Edmonton Sun. "She is not a former star of a popular children…
1973— Actor, writer, comic From a very early age, Dave Chappelle could make people laugh. Chappelle realized the power of his natural talent and made some very serious goals for his art. As a teenager, he crafted his standup comedy act out of the realties of his life growing up black in the capital city of the United States. Racism and racial division became his main targets, and he approac…
Born 1951, in Norfolk, VA; Ethnicity: "Euro-American." Education: University of Virginia, B.A. (English), 1973; Virginia Tech, M.A. (history), 1995. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Canoeing, kayaking, miniature wargaming. Freelance writer, 1996–. Adjunct history instructor at colleges, including Central Virginia Community College, 199…
Born 1949; Education: Olivet Nazarene University, B.A.; Valparaiso University, M.A. Author of inspirational and devotional works and editor. Guideposts for Kids, editor; public speaker. There's an Angel in My Locker: Devotionals for Junior Highers, Zondervan Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 1986, 2nd edition published as Angel in My Locker: Devotions for Junior Highers, 1992. Angel in My Backpack,…
Born 1957, in Salt Lake City, UT; Education: Attended Utah State University. Hobbies and other interests: Skiing, travel, gardening, tennis. Graphic designer and advertising illustrator, c. late 1970s; Intervisual Communications, Inc., California, artist, paper engineer, and book designer until 1987; freelance author and illustrator of children's books, 1987–. What's in My Poc…
Emerging from the ferment of radical Chicano thought that shaped her ideas as a student in the 1970s, Ana Castillo was long known as a writer who was vigorously critical of the dominant Anglo-American mainstream and who worked to create alternative visions of what American society could become. "I was a Chicana protest poet, a complete renegade—and I continue to write that way,…
Fidel Castro: 1927—: President. Fidel Castro has ruled Cuba since his revolutionary forces overthrew dictator Fulgencia Batista in 1959. He introduced agriculture, medical, and education reforms to improve the quality of life for poor Cubans during the 1960s, but was criticized for suspending elections. His socialist philosophy and close ties to the Soviet Union led to tensions with the…
Ida Castro: 1953—: Public official, lawyer. Ida Castro rose through the ranks of the U.S. Department of Labor before being named the first Latina to head the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1998. Over the course of her three years as the agency's leader, Castro implemented numerous changes and initiatives that improved its ability to provide quality services to th…
Lynda Carter: 1951—: Actress. Lynda Carter became famous in the 1970s for her starring role in the television series Wonder Woman. The five-foot-nine-inch Carter won thousands of fans as the super-powered Wonder Woman, dressed in her shiny red boots, star-spangled hot pants, golden breastplate, headband, and bracelets, completed with a golden lasso that, when wrapped around evildoers, f…
1970- Singer, actor Mariah Carey has displayed each of the characteristics that commonly describe a diva. She possesses both a five-octave vocal range and award-winning music business skills. She co-wrote all but one of her No.1 songs (which was a cover of a Jackson 5 song) and co-produced of all of her chart-topping hits. She was named the world's top selling female artist of the millenniu…
1959(?)- Basketball coach, motivational speaker, entrepreneur Coach Ken Carter's 1999 lockout of his Richmond (California) High School basketball team seemed like a story made for the movies. And indeed, when the story was brought to life by actor Samuel L. Jackson in the 2005 hit film Coach Carter, a fresh new round of publicity came to the man whose daring form of discipline had set a gro…
Hugo Chávez: 1954—: President. The charismatic Hugo Chávez, elected president of Venezuela in 1998, is sometimes described by political pundits as Latin America's most controversial leader after Fidel Castro. Chávez has set this mineral–and resource-rich South American nation on a course of political, economic, and social reform he describes as a �…
Richard Carmona: 1949—: U.S. Surgeon General. In April of 2002, President George W. Bush nominated Dr. Richard Carmona for the position of U.S. Surgeon General. Before the U.S. Senate confirmed him, the nation learned that their "Top Doc" had a resume that read like the remarkable biography of an action hero. The high school dropout from a poor, Puerto Rican family, Carmon…
Born 1962, in NY; Education: Marymount College, B.S., 1984; State University of New York—Albany, M.A., 1997. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Williamson Publishing, Church St., Charlotte, VT 05445. Writer. Worked as an environmental educator for New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and National Audubon Society; conducts children's workshops and adult ecology programs…
Richard E. Cavazos: 1929—: U.S. Army general. In 1976 Mexican American Richard E. Cavazos made military history by becoming the first Hispanic to attain the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army. Less than 20 years later, the native Texan would again make history by being appointed the Army's first Hispanic four-star general. It was a long way from Cavazos' d…
Surname is pronounced Case-ley; born 1951, in Rahway, NJ; Education: Syracuse University, B.F.A. (cum laude), 1973 Agent—c/o Author Mail, Sotheby Parke-Bernet, London, England, receptionist, 1975-80; artist. Exhibitions: Group and solo exhibitions in New York, New Jersey, and London, England; paintings included in private collections in France, Spain, England, Russia, Germany, and the Unit…
Surname is pronounced "KA-ta-la-NOT-to"; born 1959, in Brooklyn, NY; Education: Pratt Institute, B.F.A., 1981. Hobbies and other interests: Basketball, reading. Peter Catalanotto Freelance illustrator in New York, NY, 1982-87; freelance writer and illustrator of children's books, 1987—. Exhibitions: Work displayed with Mazza Collection, Findlay, OH; and at Keene …
Education: California State University, Long Beach, B.F.A., 1992. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Scholastic, Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Commercial artist and illustrator. Clients include Health Net, Hilton Hotels, Land's End, and Unocal. Lecturer at schools. Graphic Artist's Guild. Recognition of Merit Award, George G. Stone Center for Children's Books, 2000; Pura…
Franklin R. Chang-Díaz: 1950—: Astronaut, physicist. As one of the first Hispanic Americans to fly in space, astronaut and physicist Franklin R. Chang-Díaz has participated in seven space shuttle missions. He is a specialist in applied plasma physics and fusion technology, and has worked on experiments aboard the space shuttle that, it is hoped, will lead to signifi-cant i…
Alejo Carpentier: 1904-1980: Writer. One of the most important figures in modern Latin American literature, Alejo Carpentier wrote in a variety of forms that explored the ways that history and politics influenced the region's culture. His fiction, essays, and poetry consider the epic theme of European colonialism and its impact on the region's indigenous peoples. His work, which …
Orlando Cepeda: 1937—: Baseball player. The life of Orlando Cepeda was played out in two very different places. One was on the baseball field where he demolished the competition, hitting a career average .297 consisting of 2,351 hits. He racked up 417 doubles, 27 triples, and 379 home runs all contributing to an outstanding 1,131 runs and 1,365 Runs Batted In (RBI). He was known to many…
José Carreras: 1946—: Opera singer. With classic Latin good looks and one of the great voices of the twentieth century, José Carreras has lived the image of what it means to be a star operatic tenor. Carreras had already become a success on opera stages and in the world of classical-pop "crossover" music, when he endured a near-death experience in 1987—…
Agent—c/o Star Bright Books, Star Building, 42-26 28th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101. Freelance designer and illustrator, Israel, 1972-85; freelance illustrator, New York, NY, 1985—. Israel Institute of Technology, teacher of illustration, 1983-84, and typography, 1984. Military service: Served in Israeli Army, 1962-65. Israeli Association of Graphic Designers (Central Committe…
César Chávez: 1927-1993: Labor leader. From his birth into brutal poverty as the son of Mexican immigrants, César Estrada Chávez dedicated his life to improving the lot of migrant farm workers in the United States. Through his courage and devotion to "La Causa," he created the first union to successfully represent the interest of the farm laborers who …
Born 1953, in New Haven, CT; Education: University of Michigan, B.A., 1975; Rutgers School of Law, J.D., 1979. Hobbies and other interests: Interior design and decorating, jazz music. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Lucent Books, 10911 Technology Pl., San Diego, CA 92127. Attorney, specializing in consumer credit law and real estate, 1980-2000; University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, CA, …
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born August 24, 1917, in Launceston, Cornwall, England; died November 4, 2003, in Launceston, England. Educator and author. Strongly influenced by folk songs and ballad forms, Causley was a prolific, award-winning author of poetry for children and adults. Educated at Launceston College, he was interested in poetry as a young man, though he never co…
Denise Chávez: 1948—: Writer. Inspired by the distinctive culture of the southwestern Borderlands where she was born, writer Denise Elia Chávez has gained critical recognition for her drama and fiction that explores themes of Chicano identity. Chávez writes about waitresses and handymen, hospital workers and bag ladies, and the complex social ties that both constrai…
Born 1929, in Syracuse, NY; Education: Graduated from Akademie der bildenden Künste (Stuttgart, Germany), 1950. U.S. Information Center, Stuttgart, Germany, poster designer, 1950-52; New York Times, New York, NY, graphic designer, 1952-56; L. W. Frohlich & Co., New York, NY, art director, 1956-63; freelance writer, illustrator, and designer, 1963—. Guest instructor, Pratt Instit…
Born 1956, in Syracuse, NY; Education: State University of New York at Buffalo, B.S., 1978; State University of New York at Oswego, M.A., 1988; Syracuse University, M.F. A., 1991. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, camping, canoeing, cooking, woodworking, toy making. Children's book illustrator and author. Cat Graphics Design and Illustration, Syracuse, NY, owner, artist, and creative di…
Born 1938, in Oakland, CA; Education: St. Mary's College, Moraga, CA, B.A., 1960; attended Fresno State College (now California State University, Fresno), 1960-61; San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University), teaching credential, 1961; attended University of California, Berkeley, 1962; Sonoma State College (now California State College, Sonoma), M.A., 1971; Pacific Unio…
Growing up among the dusty desert ranchlands of the Southwest, Nick Chávez developed an early obsession with animals—horses in particular. As a youngster Chávez filled his days trimming and grooming his horses to perfection, earning piles of awards when he presented them at horse shows. Most people thought Chávez would grow up to be a horse trainer. Instead, Cháv…
Born 1945, in St. Louis, MO; Education: University of Illinois at Urbana, B.A., 1967; M.Ed., 1974; M.S. (library science), 1977. Office—Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature, 5200 N. Barton Ave. M/S ML34, Fresno, CA 93740-8014. Palm Springs Public Library, Palm Springs, CA, director, 1982-99; Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature, Califor…
Born 1961, teacher-librarian diploma, 1984. Writer. Vancouver School Board, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, elementary and high school teacher for eight years; teacher-librarian for ten years. Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers, Writers Union of Canada, Children's Writers and Illustrators of British Columbia, Canadian Children's Book Cent…
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born November 13, 1924, in Toledo, OH; died of congestive heart failure, August 24, 2005, in Washington, DC. Naval officer, government official, and author. Castillo was a retired U.S. Navy captain, where he served as a public affairs officer, and later worked as spokesman for Fairfax County in Virginia. After graduating from Northwestern Universit…
1917— Judge, civil rights activist Robert L. Carter was stung by the treatment he suffered as a young black man, but the pain was an incentive, not a discouragement. Carter grew up to be one of the key architects in the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. the Board of Education, which outlawed racial segregation in public schools. Despite the achievements made in civil rights in the 50 years s…
1931-1992 Educator, author, poet Wilfred George Onslow Cartey is remembered for his work as an author, editor, compiler, and critic of African and Caribbean literature. Blind since he was a young adult, Cartey had a distinguished career as a scholar and lecturer, spending the majority of his career as a professor at the City University of New York (CUNY) and publishing extensively. Cartey was born…
1936-1999 Basketball player Few individual athletes have ever excelled at a sport as spectacularly as Wilt Chamberlain, the 7' 1" center who dominated professional basketball for more than 14 seasons beginning in 1959. Chamberlain, or "Wilt the Stilt" as he was often known, is enshrined in record books and memories for a legendary 1962 performance in which he scored 100…
Born 1948, in Washington, PA; Education: Wheaton College, B.A., 1970; studied at Harvard Extension and Radcliffe College, 1974-76. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, swimming, walking our dog. Agent—Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown Ltd, 10 Astor Pl., New York, NY 10003. Writer, 1983–. A. Leo Weil Elementary School, Pittsburgh, PA, teacher, 1970-72; Plum Cove El…
Female. Commercial artist and designer. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, card designer; illustrator for children's museums; designer of "Things I Know Tot Tower," for eeBoo toys. I Saw the Sea and the Sea Saw Me, Viking (New York, NY), 2001. What Makes the Seasons?, Viking (New York, NY), 2003. Contributing editor, Nick Jr. family magazine. Commercial artist and designer Me…
Born 1954, in Richmond, VA; Education: James Madison University, B.F.A., 1977; California Institute of the Arts, M.F.A., 1981. Religion: "Religious Science." Agent—Jane Feder, 305 E. 24th St., New York, NY 10010. Illustrator. Visual effects animator for film industry, c. 1983–96; illustrator of children's books, 1997–. mjZOOM (greeting card and gift manuf…
Antonio Carlos "Tom" Jobim: 1927-1994: Musician. Antonio Jobim was a writer, composer, and arranger whose music spurred a revolution in sound in the late 1950s, both in South America and around the world. Although he modestly credited João Gilberto with creating the bossa nova (new wave), Jobim became its most innovative practitioner, writing nearly 400 compositions. Mark …
1919–2005 Prime minister Mary Eugenia Charles led an extraordinary life as a pioneer among women and a leader of men. In 1949 she began the first female lawyer in the Caribbean. In 1980 Mary Eugenia Charles became the first woman to come to power in the Caribbean. As prime minister of Dominica (pronounced "Dom-i-NEE-ka"), she was the first woman to lead an independent nation. …
(Antonia Forest) OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born May 26, 1915, in London, England; died November 29, 2003, in Bournemouth, England. Author. Best known by her pen name, Antonia Forest, Rubinstein was the author of the popular children's books featuring the Marlow family. After studying journalism at London University, she worked as a clerk in the British Civil Service …
1913— Writer, politician Césaire, Aimé, photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission The West Indian playwright and politician Aimé Césaire emerged as one of the leading voices in the négritude movement in the 1930s. Searching for a way to unite the peoples of the African diaspora, Césaire and future Senegalese President Léopold Sé…
1930-2004 Musician, singer, composer, arranger Charles, Ray, photograph. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images. Above all his many talents, singing great Ray Charles had the ability to interpret and sing songs in such a way as to fill the words from the depths of his own heart, carrying this emotion to the listener. "I sing the songs for what they mean to me," Charles was quoted in Joe…
Nationality: Australian. Born: Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, 1943. Education: Geelong Grammar School; Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 1961. Career: Worked in advertising in Australia, 1962-68 and after 1970, and in London, 1968-70; partner, McSpedden Carey Advertising Consultants, Chippendale, New South Wales, until 1988. Currently teacher, New York University and Princeton University. Lives in N…
Nationality: American. Born: Cedar Falls, Iowa, 1919. Education: The University of Iowa, Iowa City, B.A. 1939 (Phi Beta Kappa), M.A. 1947; the Sorbonne, Paris (Fulbright fellow), 1952-53. Military Service: Served in the United States Army, 1942-46: Lieutenant. Career: Instructor, University of Iowa, 1948-52; editor, Western Review, Iowa City, 1951-52, Colliers' Encyclopedia, New York, 1953-…
Nationality: Australian. Born: Kowloon, Hong Kong, 1950. Education: University of Sidney, M.A. 1976. Career: Teacher, Mt. Druitt High School, New South Wales, 1972-76; assistant in languages, Lycee Technique, Paris, 1976-77; French master, St. Joseph's College, Hunter's Hill, New South Wales, 1978-79; journalist, Asiaweek magazine, Hong Kong, 1983-87. Since 1989 tutor of literary stu…
Nationality: British. Born: Alexandria, Egypt, 1936. Education: Edinburgh Academy; Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire; Wadham College, Oxford, M.A. in modern history, D. Phil. 1963; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Henry fellow), 1960-61. Military Service: Served in the British Army, in Africa, 1955-56. Career: Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford, 1959-65; visiting professor, New…
Education: College graduate (economics). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Scholastic, Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Writer and entrepreneur. Founded four businesses, including an advertising agency. Beyond the Valley of Thorns, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 2005. The Dark Hills Divide, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 2005. The Dark Hills Divide was adapted as an audiobook, Brilliance Audio, 2…
Born 1958, in Australia. Education: B.A. (literature and philosophy). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Random House, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Writer. Formerly worked in journalism and public relations. Australia Council Literature Board grant; Australian Children's Book Council shortlist, 1988, for Obernewton; Australian Children's Book Council honor book, 1991, for The Farsee…
