Born 1953, in Springfield, OH. Education: Attended Paier School of Art, 1971-75. Hobbies and other interests: Cooking, kayaking, reading. Agent—c/o HarperCollins Children's Books, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Doug Cushman Apprentice to book illustrator Mercer Mayer, 1975-77; writer and illustrator, 1977—. Instructor at Paier College of Art, 1980, an…
(Donald D. Davis) Born 1944, in Waynesville, NC; Ethnicity: "Caucasian" Education: Davidson College, B.A., 1966; Duke University, M.Div., 1969. Christ United Methodist Church, High Point, NC, minister, 1967–89; storyteller, lecturer, and writer, 1967–. Has appeared at numerous storytelling festivals, conferences, and teachers' workshops in United States and abroa…
Pseudonyms: John Lange; Jeffery Hudson; Michael Douglas. Nationality: American. Born: 23 October 1942. Education: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, A.B.(summa cum laude) 1964 (Phi Beta Kappa): Harvard Medical School, M.D. 1969: Salk Institute, La Jolla, California (postdoctoral fellow), 1969-70. Career: Visiting writer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 1988. Awards: My…
1924(?)-2003 Advertising executive When Vince Cullers began knocking on the doors of advertising agencies in the late 1940s, he had a thick portfolio, experience as an artist, and training from the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. He was young, eager, and talented. He was also black. "He made the rounds of the ad agencies in Chicago, and what he ran into was that they did not hire blac…
Nationality: American. Born: Ohio, 1952. Education: Attended Stanford University; University of Iowa, M.F.A. Career: Worked for Carnegie Corp., New York, beginning in 1986. Awards: Pulitzer prize, 1999. Recent critical praise for Michael Cunningham's novel The Hours, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1999, came as no surprise to those who followed his progression since the publication of A Ho…
Born 1947, in Long Island, NY; Education: New York University, B.F.A. (television and film direction), 1970; also attended Marshall University and Nassau Community College. Religion: Jewish. Hobbies and other interests: Playing softball and tennis, cooking Japanese food, collecting New York Yankees memorabilia and miniature furniture, gardening, attending baseball and basketball games. Office …
1915-1986 Poet Poet Margaret Esse Danner's vivid imagery and uplifting poetic voice most often focused on Africa. Although she wrote on a wide range of themes, it is likely that her African poems will be the most enduring of her work. Author of four compilations and contributor to numerous anthologies, Danner published the bulk of her poetry during the Black Arts Movements of the 1960s. Mar…
Nationality: Guyanian and British (immigrated to Britain, 1969). Born: Berbice, Guyana, 1956. Education: Cambridge University, 1974-78, B.A. (honours) in English 1978; London University, Ph.D. 1982. Career: Director, Centre for Caribbean Studies, University of Warwick. Awards: Cambridge University Quiller-Couch prize, 1978; Commonwealth Poetry prize, 1984; Guyana Literature prize, 1991. Agent: Cur…
Nationality: English. Born: London, England, 1960. Education: University of Kent at Canterbury, B.A. 1985. Career: Trained and worked as a psychiatric nurse; visiting fellow, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, 1989-90; visiting writer, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, 1992-94; assistant professor of English, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, 1994-95; professor of English, University o…
Nationality: Australian. Born: Sydney, 1944. Education: Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School. Career: Journalist, president of the Australian Capital Territory branch of the Oral History Association of Australia. Awards: PEN Sydney Centre Golden Jubilee award for literature, 1981; Age Book of the Year award, 1981, for Turtle Beach; South Australian Government award for literature,…
Nationality: American. Born: Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 19 January1969. Education: Barnard College, 1990; Brown University, M.F.A. 1993. Career: Freelance writer, 1994—. (2000) At the end of most readings and lectures, a writer is often asked, "How much of your work is autobiographical?" The writer's reaction to that question varies, depending on the subject of the work. I…
Nationality: British. Born: Hull, Yorkshire, 1922. Military Service: Served in the Royal Naval Submarine Service, 1941-46. Career: Freelance magazine journalist and editor, 1946-59. Awards: Authors Club award, 1961; Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger, 1961, 1967, 1979. Agent: Curtis Brown, 28/29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4SP, England. A novelist in various genres, Lionel Davidson has become most w…
Born 1955, in Detroit, MI; Education: University of Michigan School of Art and Design, B.F.A., 1978. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, music ("I'm a closet clarinetist"), gardening. Office—210 Abbott Rd., Studio 40, East Lansing, MI 48823. Artist, illustrator, and calligrapher, 1981—. Part-time faculty member, Lansing Community College, 1981—. Designe…
(Stevie Morgan) Born 1958, in Birmingham, England; Education: Kings College, Cambridge, UK, honors degree (zoology). Agent—Celia Catchpole, 56 Gilpin Ave., East Sheen, London. Freelance broadcaster and writer. Writes newspaper column for The Independent under the pseudonym Stevie Morgan. Big Blue Whale, illustrated by Nick Maland, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1997. Bat Loves the Night…
Born 1959, in New York, NY; Education: Attended American College of Paris; Boston University, B.S. Hobbies and other interests: Camping, tennis, eating Hot Tamales candy. Agent—c/o Author Mail, HarcourtSanDiego, 525 "B" St., Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101. Author and illustrator. Formerly worked in public relations and advertising. Founder, Dirty Dishes (ceramics and design …
Born 1936, in New York, NY; Education: Northwestern University, B.A. (English), 1958; San Francisco State University, M.A. (creative writing), 1982. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, swimming, hiking, theater, art, music. Agent—Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, 1501 Broadway, Ste. 2310, New York, NY 10036. Writer, editor, and writing teacher. Authors Guild, Authors Le…
1982— Model Darego, Agbani, photograph. Yoav Lemmer/AFP/Getty Images. Nigeria's Agbani Darego was crowned Miss World in 2001, making her the first black woman from an African country ever to win the pageant. Darego spent much of her Miss World year making public appearances around the globe and serving as an unofficial ambassador for her country, and even her continent. …
1934— Novelist, poet, critic, professor Dathorne, O.R., Photograph. Courtesy of O.R. Dathorne. Reproduced by permission. Author and educator O.R. Dathorne earned an international reputation for his work exploring and illuminating the experience of colonized cultures. Born and raised in the complex and diverse society of colonial Guyana, Dathorne was quite young when he began to learn…
Alicia Alonso: 1921—: Dancer, choreographer, ballet director, dance instructor. Cuba is known for Castro, Cuban cigars, and communism. But thanks to the tenacity and talent of Alicia Alonso, it is also a world-renowned center for ballet. When Alonso was born in the early 1920s there was no ballet school or professional company in Cuba. Instead she traveled to New York City, Russia, Spai…
1954— College football coach Croom, Sylvester, photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission. When Sylvester Croom Jr. became head football coach at Mississippi State University (MSU) late in 2003, the history books beckoned. Croom was the first African American tapped to lead a Southeastern Conference (SEC) school in its 71-year history. National media swooped down on t…
1960— Writer Poet, playwright, and novelist Fred D'Aguiar prefers to be described simply as a writer. He was born in London but grew up in Guyana and belongs to a second generation of Caribbean-British writers. His work is often highly politicized, addressing a sense of divided or dual identity. In his early poetry in particular D'Aguiar attempts to reconcile his early experie…
1962-2003 Politician New York City councilman James E. Davis died in a bizarre city hall shooting in 2003 that caused panic in the municipal building as well as the activation of an emergency-event plan for Lower Manhattan. The Brooklyn Democrat was gunned down by a political rival, with whom he was trying to forge a more productive working relationship. It was a tragic end for the irascible Davis…
1917-2005 Actor, director, producer, writer With the build and vitality of an NFL lineman, Ossie Davis hardly looked like the grand old man of black theater. Known to younger audiences as Ponder Blue on television's Evening Shade and as "the mayor" in filmmaker Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, Davis made his Broadway debut in Jeb in 1946. He directed the landmark film Co…
Born 1951, in Ludlow, MA; Education: University of New Hampshire, B.A. (English literature), 1973. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, playing piano, taking walks. Holyoke Transcript-Telegram, Holyoke, MA, newspaper reporter, 1973–75; Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, newspaper reporter, 1975–76; Richmond News Leader, Richmond, VA, newspaper reporter, 1976–82; magazine editor …
Born 1971, in England. Education: Kent University, B.A. (history); M.A. (writing for Hobbies and other interests: Walking with her dog, conservation work, swimming. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Bloomsbury Publishing, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY, England. Novelist. Works part time at a bookshop. Carnegie Medal longlist inclusion, 2004, for Whispering to Witches. Whispering to Witches, Bloomsbur…
Born 1959, in Worcester, MA; Education: Dartmouth College, B.A. (English), 1981. Hobbies and other interests: Tinkering and construction, Scottish dancing, wine making, renewable energy, citizen activism. Writer and educator. Grocery manager, c. early 1980s; yarn mill spinning fram operator, mid-1980s–1991; Great New England Energy Show, coordinator, 1989–94, publisher, 1995–9…
children: Olivia. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Arthur Levine Books, Scholastic, Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Children's book author and freelance writer. Washington State Book Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal, Child magazine Best Book of the Year award, and Book Sense pick, all 2004, and Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Association Book Award, 2005, all for Ella the…
children: Olivia. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Arthur Levine Books, Scholastic, Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Children's book illustrator. Washington State Book Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal, Child magazine Best Book of the Year award, and Book Sense pick, all 2004, and Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Association Book Award, 2005, all for Ella the Elegant Elephan…
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born August 18, 1944, in Washington, DC; died of complications after a heart attack July 8, 2004, in New York, NY. Educator and author. Danziger was a bestselling author of award-winning young adult novels. Resisting her mother's attempt to make her a nurse, she instead studied to be a teacher at Montclair State College, where she earned a d…
Born 1962, in Cleveland, OH; Education: Brown University, B.A., 1984. office—c/o Author Mail, Dial Books for Young Readers/Dell Publishing, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Children's book author. Where the Ground Meets the Sky, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2002. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA…
1958- Athlete Crooks, Garth, photograph. Ben Radford/Getty Images. Garth Crooks made English soccer history as the first black player to score a goal in a championship final in England's FA (Football Association) Cup, the oldest organized soccer competition in the world. Crooks' kick that day in 1981 came at a time when black players among the teams of England's most popular s…
David, Craig, photograph. Jens Kalaene/DPA/Landov. 1981- Musician British rhythm-and-blues (R&B) singer Craig David rocketed to success at age 19 with his very first album, Born to Do It. His unique blend of soulful lyrics, subtle melodies, and infectious beats have earned him critical admiration and popular fame, prompting Sir Elton John to proclaim him the best singer in England. The son of …
Deezer D, photograph. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images. 1965- Actor, musician Best known for his role as nurse Malik McGrath on the popular television show ER, Deezer D transformed himself almost overnight from a gang member and alcoholic to a dedicated, clean-living Christian. His conversion included a movement towards the Christian rap music industry that culminated in an album with a strong message …
Although the Cuban-born music known as salsa, like other forms of Latin jazz and dance music, has been primarily male-dominated, its biggest vocal star is female. Celia Cruz has a powerful voice that transfers the rhythmic energy of salsa into the vocal medium, and she has been a prominent figure in the music since the beginnings of her career in Cuba in the 1950s. Leaving Cuba for the United Stat…
Born 1954, in London, England; Education: Attended Bristol Polytechnic, 1972-73; Exeter College of Art and Design, B.A., 1977. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, swimming, entertaining, books, and art. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Candlewick Press, 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140. Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist, 1988, for Wake Up, Mr. B!, and 1990, for Rosie's Babies; Bes…
Born 1944, in Washington, DC; Education: Montclair State College, B.A., 1967, M.A. Agent—Donald C. Farber, 99 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. Substitute teacher, Edison, NJ, 1967; Title I teacher, Highland Park, NJ, 1967-1968; junior-high school English teacher, Edison, NJ, 1968-1970; English teacher, Lincoln Junior High School, West Orange, NJ, 1977-1978; full-time writer, 1978—. Wor…
Salvador Dalí: 1904—1989: Artist. Surrealism was a European artistic movement that extended into film, fiction, poetry, and other arts in addition to its primary medium of painting. Nevertheless, in the public mind surrealism is identified above all with one towering figure: the Spanish painter Salvador Dalí. With a series of dreamlike works executed in the late 1920s and …
Born 1948, in Leeds, England; Education: Norwich School of Art, diploma in art and design, 1970; Royal College of Art, M.A., 1973. Politics: "Liberal Democrat." Religion: Church of England (Anglican). Hobbies and other interests: Fine art, reading, cycling, following soccer. Freelance designer, 1973-87, including work with Madame Tussaud's Group, London, England. Part-time te…
Victor Hernández Cruz: 1949—: Poet, essayist. Victor Hernández Cruz is an important modern poet in both of the localities where he has divided his time: Puerto Rico and New York. One of the founders of the Nuyorican (New York-Puerto Rican) cultural movement in the 1960s, he has, in the words of the 2002 Griffin Poetry Prize committee, "long been the defining poet of…
Xavier Cugat: 1900-1990: Musician, bandleader. Xavier Cugat, best known for his "percolating dance numbers [that] swept the country like tropical fever during the 1930s and '40s," according to Time magazine, played and conducted in some of America's most famous nightspots, including New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Los Angeles's Coconut Grove. A cl…
Agent—Linda Pratt, Sheldon Fogelman Agency, 10 East 40th St., New York, NY 10016. Writer and poet. Poet in the Schools for Colorado, 1992-97; teacher of independent writing program in Colorado schools; Vermont College, cofounder and director of M.F.A. program in writing for children, 1990-92, director of marketing and admissions, 1998-2000; Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA, currently d…
As a well-educated young adult in Cuba, Remedios Díaz-Oliver hoped to become a college professor, but Fidel Castro and his communist regime undercut her plans and caused her and her new family to go into exile in the United States. In southern Florida, Díaz-Oliver stumbled upon a greater use of her talents: international sales and entrepreneurial executive positions. She would succee…
Francisco Dallmeier: 1953—: Biologist. Dr. Francisco Dallmeier is one of the world's leading wildlife biologists and an expert on biological diversity. Dallmeier has devoted himself to integrating studies of biodiversity among species and natural resources with conservation and management programs that promote sustainable development. As director of the Smithsonian Institution…
Born 1946, in Cascade, ID; Education: Eastern Washington State College (now University), B.A., 1968; received teaching certificate, 1970. Politics: Independent. Agent—Liz Darhansoff, 1220 Park Ave., New York, NY 10028. Writer, therapist, teacher, and child advocacy worker. Kennewick Dropout School, Kennewick, WA, teacher of high school dropouts, 1970-73; Lakeside School, Oakland, CA, teach…
Born 1949; Education: University of Toronto, B.A., 1974; University of Western Ontario, B.Ed., 1975; University of Toronto, M.Ed., 1987, specialist certificates in special education and drama education, 1990. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, hiking, canoeing, fishing, biking, Tai Chi. Writers' Union of Canada, Storytellers of Canada, Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illus…
1916-2005 Author, educator, social critic When The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual was first released, it was hailed as a revolutionary work, and its author, Harold Cruse, as one of the great philosophers of the Black Arts Movement (BAM). Cruse, however, felt little connection with the various artists, philosophers, and writers of BAM. The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual, in fact, blasted the ma…
1938-2005 Singer Davis, Tyrone, photograph. © Jack Vartoogian/Front Row Photos. In a career spanning more than four decades, singer Tyrone Davis sold over 25 million records. One of the fathers of what music history has labeled "Chicago Soul," Davis became famous for his bedroom voice, intimate lyrics, and flashy suits. Women loved him, musicians imitated him, and soul af…
Born 1966, in Hartford City, IN; Education: Kalamazoo College, B.A., 1988. Religion: Presbyterian. Hobbies and other interests: Oil painting. Artist, illustrator, cartoonist, and fiction writer. Young Men's Christian Association, Changhua, Taiwan, English teacher, 1988-90, 1993-94; Morioka English Academy, Iwate, Japan, English teacher, 1991-93; creator and illustrator of "Akiko…
I learned how to write at Hampton Elementary, a public school within walking distance from my childhood home in Detroit. Learned how to write, that is, in the see-Jane-go-see-Spot-run sense of the phrase. Learning how to really write—write well—is something I'll be working at until the day I die. But my first written sentences came into the world courtesy of Hampton Elementary…
Born 1952, in Los Angeles, CA; Education: Attended De Anza Community College, 1970-72; California State University—Long Beach, B.A., 1975. Politics: "Liberal, Feminist, Green." Hobbies and other interests: Natural history, gardening, traveling. Offıce—c/o HarperCollins, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Creator of business cards and logos; illustra…
1944— Journalist Dash, Leon, photograph. Brian Johnson, Department of Journalism, University of Illinois Leon Dash won American journalism's top honor, a Pulitzer Prize, for his 1994 series about a District of Columbia grandmother and her family, "Rosa Lee's Story." The series appeared in the Washington Post, where Dash had been an investigative reporter f…
(Daisy Wallace) Born 1948, in Princeton, NJ; Education: Sarah Lawrence College, B.A., 1970. Atlantic Monthly Press, Boston, MA, assistant to editor of children's books, 1970-71; Walker & Co., New York, NY, editor of children's books, 1972-74; Holiday House, New York, NY, vice president and editor-in-chief of children's books, 1974-95; Henry Holt & Co., New York, …
1905-1987 Poet, journalist A central figure in African-American literary history, Frank Marshall Davis was a poet whose work drew on and put a personal stamp on many of the trends in black poetry of the 1930s and 1940s. He was influenced by jazz and tried to evoke its rhythms in words. He drew detailed portraits of urban African-American life. And like Langston Hughes and many of his other contemp…
Born 1960, in San Francisco, CA; Education: San Francisco State University, B.A., 1990; University of Connecticut, M.A., 1991, Ph.D., 1999. Hobbies and other interests: Archery, fishing. Social studies and language arts teacher at St. Raymond Elementary School, Menlo Park, CA, 1997-02, and Corte Madera Middle School, Portola Valley, CA, beginning 2002. Military service: U.S. Army, 1978-82. America…
Education: Graduated from University of Michigan. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Dial Press, Dell Publishing, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Photojournalist and author. Big Sister, Little Sister, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2000. I Was So Silly!: Big Kids Remember Being Little, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2002. Big Brother, Little Brother, Dial Books for Young…
(Nicholas Daly) Born 1946, in Cape Town, South Africa; Education: Cape Town Technikon, diploma, 1970. Agent—Laura Cecil, 17 Alwyne Villas, London N1 2HG, England. CBS Record Company, London, England, singer and songwriter, 1971–73; junior art director for advertising agencies in Cape Town, South Africa and London, 1973–75; freelance illustrator, 1975–79; East Ham Techni…
Born 1949, in Atlanta, GA; Education: University of Georgia, B.S. (education), 1971, M.S. (education), 1977. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and other interests: Photography, hiking, travel, studying Italian. Formerly worked as a special-education teacher, editor and staff writer for educational publishers, New York, NY, beginning c. 1989; freelance writer. MFA Boston. Honorable mention, Jane Chambers…
Born 1983; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, M.S. (clinical psychology), 1985, Ph.D. (clinical psychology), 1990; attended Northern Virginia Community College substance abuse certification program, 1991–92. Office—13649 Office Place, Ste. 102, Woodbridge, VA 22192. Writer. Child and Family Counseling Center, clinical director; clinical psychologist in private practice; subs…
(Constance Crook) Born 1930, in Ameliasburg, Ontario, Canada; Education: Queen's University, Kingston, B.A. (English, history, psychology), 1951; University of Toronto, education diploma for grades 1-13, 1955; graduate study at Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL), 1953–54; Ministry of Education/Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, Reading Spe-Connie Brummel Crookcialist, 1…
Born 1951, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada; Education: Wilfrid Laurier University, B.A., 1972; McGill University, diploma in education, 1976; University of Guelph, M.A., 1992; University of Western Ontario, Ph.D., 2002. Office—York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada. Actor and director with Youtheatre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and of Village Theatre and Real Canadia…
Born 1957, in Boston, MA; present surname, Peters) Cuetara; Education: School of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston, B.F.A., 1985. Agent— Julie Popkin, 15340 Albright St., Suite 204, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. Freelance illustrator in Boston, MA, and San Francisco, CA, 1985-90; founder, art director, and principal illustrator at a greeting card company, San Francisco, 1990-93; writer and ill…
1947– Newspaper president, publisher Crutchfield, James N., photograph. Reproduced by permission of James Crutchfield. James N. Crutchfield is president and publisher of the award-winning Akron Beacon Journal newspaper. The publication is well known for its in-depth reporting and is the oldest continuously operated business in Summit County, Ohio. It circulates in a five county area and has…
1956— Poet, novelist, and critic Award-winning poet, novelist, and critic David Dabydeen writes about his native Guyana and the experiences of colonialism and migration. He makes particular use of Guyanese Creole, a dialect that blends African, French, Spanish, and Indian languages with English and contributes a great deal to the rhythms, rhymes, and emotional power of his work. The languag…
1918-1981 Literary critic, scholar Charles T. Davis made a name for himself as an influential literary critic and scholar. His early work was on American poetry of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but later in his career Davis began to focus more on black literature, culture, and history. His work boosted the study of black American literature and helped bring it to the fore as a sign…
1939-1963 Professional football player Davis, Ernie, photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission. Ernest R. Davis, commonly known as Ernie, was one of the best running backs ever to play college football. He followed the legendary Jim Brown to Syracuse University, where he led the Orangemen to a national championship in 1959, and in 1961 he became the first African American t…
(Gillian Clare Cross) Born 1945, in London, England; Gillian CrossEducation: Somerville College, Oxford, England, B.A. (with first-class honors), 1969, M.A., 1972; University of Sussex, D.Phil., 1974. Hobbies and other interests: Playing the piano, orienteering. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Oxford Children's Books, Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon St., Oxford OX2 6DP, England. Aut…
(Kevin John William Crossley-Holland) Born 1941, in Mursley, Buckinghamshire, England; (third marriage) Oenone, Eleanor. Education: St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, M.A. (with honors), 1962. Hobbies and other interests: Music, archaeology, travel, walking, wine, the company of friends. Kevin Crossley-Holland Office—Clare Cottage, Burnham Market, Norfolk PE31 8HE, England. Agent—c/o Author Ma…
Born 1963, in Boston, MA; Education: Bennington College, B.A., 1985; New York University, M.F.A., 1987. Agent—Cynthia Cannell, Janklow & Nesbit, 598 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Teacher's assistant at a school in New York, NY, 1991–92; Bantam, Doubleday, Dell Books for Young Readers, New York, NY, assistant to the publisher, 1992–93; freelance writer, beginning…