Adolfo Pérez Esquivel: 1931—: Artist, activist. Though recognized as a sculptor, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel wanted to bring about peace and prosperity for the poor. He was honored with the 1980 Nobel Prize for Peace for his work to ease human-rights abuses in South America. Pérez Esquivel has devoted much of his adult life to championing fair conditions for the continent…
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born January 20, 1918, in Auburn, ME; died May 22, 2005, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Librarian, educator, and author. Egoff was a widely respected authority on, and advocate of, children's literature, and was often credited as a profound influence in making the study of children's literature a respected scholarly disciplin…
(William Erwin Eisner, Will Erwin, Willis Rensie) Born 1917, in New York, NY; died January 3, 2005, in Fort Lauderdale, FL; Education: Attended Art Students League (New York, NY), 1935. Author, cartoonist, and publisher. New York American, New York, NY, staff artist, 1936; Eisner & Iger, New York, NY, founder and partner, 1937–40; Eisner-Arnold Comic Group, New York, NY, founder and pub…
Born in Los Angeles, CA; Education: San Jose State University, B.A. (secondary teaching credential in English); University of Nevada, Reno, M.A. (journalism). Agent—Karen Solem, Spencerhill Agency, 24 Park Row, P.O. Box. 374, Chatham, NY 12037. Writer. Formerly worked as a waitress and journalist; teacher of remedial reading in Los Angeles, CA; instructor in college English in Reno, NV; pa…
1985– 1987– Musicians Hip-hop and classical music might seem to be at opposite ends of the cultural spectrum, but not for the young New York brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar. Classically trained violinists, they use their instruments in original music that draws on hip-hop as well as reggae, jazz, and alternative rock. Under the name Nuttin' but Stringz (sometimes spelled Nu…
Born 1952 in St. Louis, MO; children: Evan, Will. Office—Mary Engelbreit Studios, 1001 Highlands Plaza Drive W., Ste. 450, St. Louis, MO 63110. Artist, entrepreneur, and author. Designer for advertising agency, c. 1972–73; staff artist for newspaper; freelance illustrator, mostly for greeting cards; Mary Engelbreit Card Company (now Mary Engelbreit Studios), St. Louis, MO, founder, c…
1972— Actor Elba, Idris, photograph. © Zack Seckler/Corbis. British actor Idris Elba is one of a number of foreign-born thespians who have begun landing impressive roles on American screens both large and small. Elba has made a name for himself in the United States for his compelling performance on the HBO series The Wire, which began its third season in 2004. He plays Stringer …
Born 1939, in Welwyn Garden City, Hertford-shire, England; Ethnicity: "English." Hobbies and other interests: "Work is my hobby, but I also enjoy walking, cooking, and doing absolutely nothing;" conjuring. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Barron's Educational Series, 250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788. Accountant and office manager, 1955-73; full-time freelance…
Born 1958, in Berkeley, CA; married Ronda D. (a homemaker), August Robert Elmer 9, 1980; Education: Attended University of California at Berkeley, 1979-80; Simpson College (San Francisco, CA), B.A. (communication), 1980; St. Mary's College (Moraga, CA), postgraduate teaching certificate, 1987. Religion: Baptist. Office—c/o Bethany House Publishers, 11300 Hampshire Ave. South, M…
Born 1957, in Bartlesville, OK; Education: University of Oklahoma, B.F.A., 1978. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, drawing, gardening. Office—207 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO 64111. Agent—c/o Cheryl Herman, Author Promotions, Simon & Schuster Children's Marketing, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Ogilvy & Mather (advertising agency), New York…
Born 1953; Education: University of Michigan, B.A., 1971; University of Detroit, J.D. Agent—c/o Author Correspondence, Judson Press, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851. Writer, 1990—. Has practiced law in Michigan and worked as an editor for Judson Press, Valley Forge, PA. State Bar of Michigan, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Residency fellowships,…
Born 1955, in Bridgeport, CT; Education: State University of New York at Albany, B.A. (summa cum laude), 1976; University of Iowa, M.A., 1981, M.F.A., 1983; advanced study at Bazalel Academy, Jerusalem. Religion: Jewish. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Harcourt St., Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101. Illustrator and author of children's books. Freelance artist in New York, Iowa, and Minnesota, …
Born 1956, in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Education: Attended Lancaster University. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon St., Oxford OX2 6DP, England. Writer. Previously worked as a primary school teacher; presently part-time junior-school teacher in Corby, England. Smarties prize, 1991, for The House of Rats. The House of Rats, Oxford University Pr…
Born 1959, in Scranton, PA; Education: West Virginia University, B. S., 1981; Antioch University, M. A., 1993. Politics: "Independent liberal." Religion: Unitarian Universalist. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, hiking, quilting. Agent—c/o Andrea Cascardi, Transatlantic Literary Agency, Inc., 72 Glengowan Road, Toronto, Ontario M4N IG4, Canada; infotlal.com. Writer and wri…
1937-2005 President of Togo General Gnassingbé Eyadéma was one of the world's longest-serving national leaders, having run the West African nation of Togo from 1967 to his death in 2005. Eyadéma's hold on presidential power in Togo was consolidated by both force and by political machination in a career that included military coups, suspicious murders, assassination att…
Nationality: American. Born: Durham, North Carolina, 1944. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A. 1966, M.A.T., 1972, Ph.D. 1977. Military Service: U.S. Air Force, 1967-71, piloted reconnaissance and forward air control missions in Southeast Asia during Vietnam War; received Distinguished Flying Cross. Career: English teacher, Southern High School, Durham, North Carolina, 197…
Born 1945, in WA; Education: University of Washington, B.A., 1970. Politics: "Universalist." Religion: "Universalist." Agent—c/o Green Tiger Press/Laughing Elephant, 3645 Interlake Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98103. Author and illustrator, 1978–. Participant in programs of Children's Museum of the Museum of Seattle, WA. Exhibitions: Foster-White Gallery,…
Nationality: New Zealander. Born: Grey Valley, New Zealand, 1952. Education: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 1970-74, M.A. (honours) 1975; Australian National University, 1975-78, Ph.D. 1978. Career: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Canterbury, 1981; writing fellow, l986, scholar-in-letters, 1991, Victoria University; New Zealand writing fellow, University of Iowa, Iowa City. Awards: A.W…
(Nancy Elise Howell Etchemendy) Born 1952, in Reno, NV; Education: University of Nevada, B.A., 1974. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, travel, cooking; "I'm a dedicated dabbler … particularly in anthropology, archaeology, and paleontology. In addition, I like to spend time in the deserts of the North American West." Agent—Virginia Knowlt…
Nationality: British. Born: Derby, 1931. Education: Nottingham High School for Girls; Oxford University, 1950-53, B.A. (honours) 1953. Career: Journalist, House and Garden, House Beautiful, Harper's Bazaar, and Sunday Times, all London, 1954-62; since 1964 freelance reviewer, Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, Times, and New Statesman, all London. Awards: Southern Arts award, 1981. Fellow, Roy…
Pseudonym for Anna Margaret Haycraft. Nationality: British. Born: Anna Margaret Lindholm in Liverpool, 1932; grew up in Penmaenmawr, Wales. Education: Bangor County Grammar School, Gwynedd; Liverpool School of Art; postulant, Convent of Notre Dame de Namur, Liverpool. Career: Director, Duckworth, publishers, London. Columnist ("Home Life"), the Spectator, London, the Universe, London…
Nationality: American. Born: Los Angeles, 1964. Education: Bennington College, Vermont, B.A. 1986. Agent: International Creative Management, 40 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019, U.S.A. Bret Easton Ellis's novels to date explore the apathy, boredom, and alienation of the "brat pack" or "blank generation" of affluent white youth in the United States in the 1980s. Whether set in Los Angeles…
Nationality: American. Born: Washington, D.C., 1962. Education: Attended Stanford University. Agent: c/o Publicity Department, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020, U.S.A. Among the vanguard of emerging African-American novelists, Trey Ellis is chiefly known for his highly celebrated first novel Platitudes and the multicultural, slightly apolitical …
Nationality: American. Born: 1948. Career: Has held a variety of jobs, including country club caddy, 1965-84. Since 1984, full-time writer. Agent: Nat Sobel, Sobel Weber Assc., 146 East 19th St., New York, New York 10003, U.S.A. Labeling James Ellroy a writer of hardboiled crime or noir fiction oversimplifies his contribution to American imaginative writing. Although his earliest novels belong t…
Nationality: American. Born: Chicago, Illinois, 1927. Education: The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1944-45; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1947-49, B.A. 1949; St. Antony's College, Oxford (Fulbright scholar), 1954-55. Military Service: Served in the United States Navy, 1945-46, and the United States Army, 1950-52. Career: Reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1949-5…
Nationality: American. Born: Little Falls, Minnesota, 1954. Education: Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, B.A. 1976; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, M.A. 1977. Career: Visiting poetry teacher, North Dakota State Arts Council, 1977-78; creative writing teacher, Johns Hopkins University, 1978-79; visiting fellow, Dartmouth College, 1981. Member, Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa. Awards: M…
Has also written as Ahmed Yousuf. Nationality: Indian. Born: Dabhel, Surat, 1931. Education: The University of South Africa, Pretoria, B.A. 1956, B.A. (honours) in English 1964. Career: Teacher at a secondary school, Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, 1980-85. Awards: English Academy of Southern Africa Schreiner award, 1979. Ahmed Essop's fiction displays a marvelously realized sense of place an…
Nationality: American. Born: Fort Gordon, Georgia, 1956. Education: University of Miami, A.B. 1977; attended University of Oregon, 1978-80; Brown University, A.M. 1982. Career: Worked as jazz musician, ranch worker, and high school teacher; associate professor of English and director of graduate creative writing program, University of Kentucky, Lexington, 1985-89; associate professor of English, U…
Nationality: British. Born: Tunbridge Wells, Kent, 1948. Education: St. Catherine's School, Twickenham, Middlesex, 1954-67; University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, 1967-72, M.A. in modern history 1972; College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1969-70. Career: Editor, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament newspaper Sanity, London, 1973-74; freelance journalist, 1975-82; poetry edit…
Nationality: Somali. Born: Baidoa, 1945. Education: Istituto di Magistrale, Mogadiscio, Somalia, 1964; Panjab University, Chindigarh, India, 1966-70; University of London, 1974-75; University of Essex, Colchester, 1975-76. Career: Clerk-typist, Ministry of Education, and secondary school teacher, 1969-71, Mogadiscio; teacher, Wardhiigley Secondary School, 1970-71; lecturer, Somali National Univers…
1974— Actor Faison, Donald, photograph. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images. Though his role as a surgical intern on the NBC hit series Scrubs brought him major fame, Donald Faison was no stranger to the limelight. He had acted since he was a child, steadily progressing from school plays to television commercials to major motion pictures. By 2005, in addition to Scrubs, he had several films …
1946(?)— Actor Fargas, Antonio, photograph. Dave Hogan/Getty Images. The career of actor Antonio Fargas has lasted over 40 years and has encompassed film, television, and live theater. He is most widely recognized, however, for a single role: that of Huggy Bear on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch. That single role brought Fargas into millions of living rooms around the U…
Born 1957, in Canada. Education: Ontario College of Art (now Ontario College of Art and Design), degree (illustration), 1980. Agent—c/o Don Sedgwick, 1603 Italy Cross Rd., Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia B0J 2P0, Canada. Illustrator, author, and artist. Commercial artist, beginning mid-1980s. Exhibitions: Paintings exhibited throughout Canada and the United States. Governor General's Awa…
Born 1957; chilren: Annie Beth. Education: University of Rhode Island, B.S. (human development, conseling, and family relations), 1979. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, taking long walks, watching movies, building gingerbread houses, creating stained glass pieces, traveling. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Adams Media Corporation, 57 Littlefield St., Avon, MA 02322. Freelance children's…
Born 1959. Education: San Diego State University, B.S. (biology), 1980, M.A. (ancient history), 1982; Indiana University, Ph.D. (ancient history), 1988. Office—Department of History, Southeast Missouri State University, One University Plaza, MS 2960, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Educator and writer. Earlham College, Richmond, IN, instructor in history, 1988; Wright State University, Dayton, O…
Born 1957, in Teaneck, NJ; Education: Art Center College of Design, B.F.A., 1982. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Music, art, sports, the environment. Author and illustrator. Egan Design, Canoga Park, CA, art director; Recycled Paper Greetings, Chicago, IL, writer and illustrator; also works as a freelance artist. Presenter at schools and libraries. Graphic Ar…
Born 1949, in Flushing, NY. Education: Swarthmore College, 1971. office— c/o Author Mail, Dial Books for Young Readers, Dial Press, Dell Publishing, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Children's book author and editor. (With Katy Hall) Fishy Riddles, illustrated by Simms Taback, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1983. (With Katy Hall) Buggy Riddles, Dial Books for Young Re…
Born 1951, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Education: University of Toronto, B.A., 1973, Teacher's College, primary specialist certification, 1974. Politics: Liberal. Religion: "Truth." Agent—Writers' House, 21 West 26th St., New York, NY 10010. Screenwriter, children's book author, and producer. Formerly worked as a teacher and private investigator. Writers…
Born 1955, in Des Moines, IA; Education: Iowa State University, B.A.; University of Nebraska at Omaha, M.A. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Buying and selling antiques, gardening, reading, sewing. Writer and educator. High school Spanish teacher in Ashland, NE, 1977-79; teacher of Spanish and English at Lewis Central Middle School in Council Bluffs, IA, 1979-8…
Born 1952, in Queens, NY; Education: Attended Pratt Institute, 1970-71; Parsons School of Design, graduated 1974. Hobbies and other interests: Playing the mandolin. Illustrator, 1973—. Exhibitions: "Illustrators 16," 1974, and "Illustrators 18," 1976, Society of Illustrators, New York, NY. The Porcelain Pagoda was included in American Institute of Graphic Arts Bo…
Born 1952; Education: School of International Training, M.A. Office—Department of Humanities, Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main St., New London, NH03257. Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, instructor and director of English language and American culture program. An Alphabet of Rotten Kids, illustrated by Oscar de Mejo, Philomel (New York, NY), 1991. The Cool Crazy Crickets, illustrated by …
Born 1951, in Walthamstow, Stow, England; Education: Attended Central Connecticut State College; Kree Institute of Electrolysis, diploma, 1986. Politics: "Independent." Religion: Protestant. Church school teacher, 1977–93; freelance electrologist; Norwalk Seaport Association, Norwalk, CT, education coordinator, 1989–2004; Staples High School, Westport, CT, social studie…
1954— Football coach Edwards, Herman, photograph. Chris Trotman/Getty Images. New York Jets coach Herman Edwards became only the fifth African-American leader of a National Football League (NFL) franchise when he took over as head coach in 2001. Known for his calm coaching style, Edwards has been hailed as a new generation of coaches who bring a leadership ethos culled from the busin…
Laura Esquivel: 1951 (?)—: Novelist. Like Water for Chocolate, a unique novel in the form of a cookbook by the Mexican writer Laura Esquivel, became one of the surprise literary hits of the 1990s and spawned one of the most successful foreign-language films of all time in the United States. Esquivel followed up that novel with other works that, if less consistently acclaimed, displayed …
When Clarissa Pinkola Estés went on a journey of self-discovery, she never intended to make a living telling the stories that made up her personal identity as woman and an individual. Yet with the publication of Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, Estés directed the field of women's studies toward the study of the self through storytel…
Born 1970, in Lexington, KY; Education: Vanderbilt University, B.A. (with honors), 1993; University of Colorado at Boulder, M.A., 1996; Columbia University, M.F.A., 1999. Hobbies and other interests: Fly fishing, backpacking, songwriting, film. Agent— Alice Tasman, Jean Naggar Literary Agency, 216 E. 75th St., 1E, New York, NY 10021. Teachers and Writers Collaborative, New York, NY, writer…
(Sarah Jefferson) OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born March 19, 1919, in Bucklebury, Berkshire, England; died February 8, 2004, in London, England. Dancer and author. The daughter of critic Herbert Farjeon and artist Joan Farjeon, Annabel grew up well versed in literature and the theater. Her first passion was dance, though, and she began studying ballet at the age of eleven. He…
Erik Estrada: 1949—: Actor. Erik Estrada, the star of one of American television's biggest hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s, traded in Hollywood stardom in the early 1990s for a brand new career as the leading man in Latin TV's highest-rated telenovela (soap opera). Estrada, a native of Spanish Harlem in New York City, made his professional film debut as a gang membe…
Jaime Escalante: 1930—: Educator. A Bolivian immigrant who worked as a math teacher in East Los Angeles, Jaime Escalante gained national recognition for transforming the math department of a poor Hispanic high school. Escalante's unorthodox teaching style motivated hundreds of students to sacrifice their free time and other activities to study for the Advanced Placement math test…
1962— Corporate executive Trevor Edwards is corporate vice president of global brand management for Nike, Inc., a leading athletic footwear, equipment, and apparel designer, marketer, and distributor, known as much for its popular athletic shoes as it sporty celebrity ads. With a one billion dollar budget, Edwards develops and executes Nike's global strategy; he is in charge of the b…
1969(?)— Journalist With over 15 years of print and broadcast reporting on her resume, Sharon Epperson has become one of the country's most recognizable financial reporters. As an on-air correspondent for CNBC, and a contributor to several magazines and newspapers, she regularly gives financial advice to thousands of Americans. Surprisingly, she has little background in finance. �…
1966— Journalist, novelist Farley, Christopher John, photograph. Ted Thai/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images. Christopher John Farley holds one of American journalism's most sought-after jobs as Time magazine's pop-music critic. Farley's post gives him ready access to some of the biggest celebrities in the entertainment industry, and he has used that influence to pe…
1950— Basketball player, basketball executive So much has been written and said about Julius Erving over the years that it is difficult to say what is most important about him. He will go down in history as one of the basketball pioneers who took a sport that had been traditionally played on a wooden floor and changed it so that it was played in mid-air, and he popularized a form of scoring…
1932— Fiction writer, poet Ronald L. Fair's body of work displays contradictory qualities. On one hand, he was a realistic chronicler of the lives of urban African Americans in the 1960s, one who captured the disillusionment of blacks who fled Southern white racism only to discover that Northern cities brought oppression and dislocation of a different kind. On the other, he was a lit…
Born 1948, in Cleveland, OH; Education: Kent State University, B.S. (communications), 1971; Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, M.S. (special education), 1989. Politics: "Liberal." Religion: Jewish (non-practicing). Hobbies and other interests: Animals, gardening, cooking. Agent—Lettie Lee, The Ann Elmo Agency, Inc., 60 East 42nd St., New York, NY 10165. Writer. Readin…
Born in MO. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Dial Press, Dell Publishing, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Actor, writer, and cartoonist. Member of Groundlings comedy troupe, Los Angeles, CA. Actor in films, including including (Russell/Craft Service), The Making of "… and God Spoke," 1993; (Reporter) Wagons East, 1994; (and executive producer) The Guys (television film), 1996…
1969– Shoe and accessory designer, interior design consultant, philanthropist Referred to as the "Prince of Luxe," Etu Evans has made a name for himself as a tastemaker to celebrities. He built his company, Etu Evans, LLC, into an international footwear, accessory, and interior design company that creates luxury items and one-of-a-kind footwear for the rich and famous. The com…
1949– Actor From Shakespeare to sitcoms, actor Frankie Faison has done it all. He has appeared in hundreds of roles from college stage productions to Hollywood blockbusters, from small parts to co-starring roles. "As an actor I live a life of ups and downs, highs and lows, feast or famine," he told graduates at the 2002 commencement of his alma mater, Illinois Wesleyan Univers…
1928-2003 Organization president, advocate, lawyer "All of my adult life has been heavily laden with the things and the kind of work that would advance Black life," recounted Christopher Edley, former president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), in Jet magazine. Under Edley's tutelage, the UNCF became one of the most widely recognized charitab…
1953— Law school dean Christopher F. Edley Jr., a longtime Harvard law professor and public-policy expert on affirmative action, became dean of the renowned Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley in 2004. His appointment made him the first African American to head a major U.S. law school. "I chose him because he is absolutely outstanding," a Black…
1951(?)— Entrepreneur It was the early 1960s and society had her pegged as another sad statistic: a poor African-American teenager from the inner city, a high school dropout, and, at the age of 16, an unwed mother. But Gladys Edmunds didn't believe in statistics. "I was shocked the day I heard someone say 'Inner-city teen-age mothers have become an epidemic.' I d…
1928-1979 Poet Well ahead of the connections that grew between music and poetry during the hip-hop era, several generations of African-American poets drew on musical influences in their works. The writers associated with the politically oriented Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and 1970s were especially active in this regard, joining spoken words with blues and jazz in an attempt to create a disti…
