1935–1979 Jazz guitarist Green, Grant, photograph. © Mosaic Images/Corbis. Although Grant Green recorded more than 100 albums, including 30 as the group leader, his career was overshadowed by more successful jazz guitarists, particularly Wes Montgomery and George Benson. Known for his clear, single-note, melodic style of playing with a pick, Green avoided the chords and octaves favor…
1922-2004 Naval officer Gravely, Samuel L., photograph. Getty Images. At the peak of his career, Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. was the highest-ranking African American officer in the U.S. Navy, a three-star vice admiral. Even after his retirement, he maintained the commanding presence that he had honed during his 38 years in the military. Throughout his long career, Gravely was not only the first …
1969— Film and video director Gray, F. Gary, photograph. © Frank Trapper/Corbis. "I'm single-minded," F. Gary Gray told The Source magazine. "When I'm working on a project all my attention is there." Gray has the been the object of a fair amount of attention himself, having earned more awards than perhaps any other video director for his…
Education: Attended Rochester Institute of Technology. Office—Big Guy Books, Inc., 5611 Palmer Way, Suite E, Carlsbad, CA 92008; Image One, 523 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 107, Encinitas, CA 93024. Image One (graphic design firm), Encinitas, CA, owner and graphic designer; Big Guy Books, Carlsbad, CA, publisher and photographer. (Illustrator) Robert Silverberg, Letters from Atlantis, Atheneum (…
Born 1938, in United Kingdom; Education: St. Johns College, Cambridge, B.A., 1961. Office—c/o Author Mail, McGraw-Hill Children's/Peter Bedrick Books, 8787 Orion Place, 4th Fl., Columbus, OH 43240. Author. American People Encyclopedia, New York, NY, associate editor, 1962-67. Benjamin Disraeli: Prime Minister Extraordinary, F. Watts (London, England), 1969. Charles V: Holy Roman Empe…
Born 1949, in Glendale, CA; divorced; Education: Graduated from University of the Americas, 1971; Lesley College, M.Ed. Office—Flowery School, 17600 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476-3670. Affiliated with American School Foundation of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, 1984–90; Sonoma Valley Unified School District, Sonoma, CA, bilingual teacher, 1991–. National Associa…
Born 1960, in Philadelphia, PA; Education: LaSalle University, B.A., 1982; Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1985. Agent—c/o Author Correspondence, Boyds Mills Press, 815 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431. Writer. Kat's Surrender, Boyds Mill Press (Honesdale, PA), 1999. The Secret Within, Boyds Mills Press (Honesdale, PA), 2002. Memorial Day Surprise, illustrated by Alexandra Ar…
(Jane Ballard, a pseudonym) Born in Iowa City, IA; Education: University of Iowa, B.A. Agent—c/o author correspondence HarperCollins, Inc., 10 E. 53rd St., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Middle school teacher in Cedar Rapids, IA, prior to 1984; writer, 1984—. Conducts writing workshops and makes presentations in elementary and middle schools; part-time instructor, Coe College. Best b…
(Ted Gottfried; pseudonyms: Lorayne Ashton, Kathleen Fuller, Benjamin Kyle) Born 1928, in Bronx, NY; stepEducation: University of Miami, B.A.; attended New York School of Journalism, 1947, and New School for Social Research, 1948-49. Religion: Unitarian Universalist. Agent—Richard Curtis Associates, Inc., 164 East 64th St., New York, NY 10021. Warner Brothers, Inc., New York, NY, publicist,…
Born 1950, in Fairfield, CT; Education: Attended L'Accademia di Belle Arti, Rome, 1969–70; Pratt Institute, B.F.A. (painting; with honors), 1973. Hobbies and other interests: Tennis, bridge, medieval history. Agent—Writers House, 21 West 26th St., New York, NY 10010. Joan Elizabeth Goodman Writer and illustrator. Village Voice, New York, NY type specker, 1968–69; Hallma…
Born in New York, NY. Education: Parsons New School for Design, graduated; studied at Wayne State University and Harvard University. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Philomel, Putnam Berkley Group, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Writer and illustrator. Cricket magazine, staff artist for fourteen years; freelance illustrator and writer. Also creates plays, music, cartoons, and experimental mul…
Born 1942, in Alexandria, VA; Education: University of Oregon, B.A., 1965; Catholic University of America, M.S.W., 1969; City University of New York, Ph.D., 1981. Office—55 W. 70th St., New York, NY 10023. Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, medical social worker, 1969–70; Greenwich House Counseling Center, New York, NY, therapist, 1970–75; Hunter College of the City U…
(Diane Capuozzo Goode) Born 1949, in Brooklyn, NY; Education: Attended École des Beaux Arts, Aix-en-Provence, France, 1971–72; Queens College of the City University of New York, B.F.A., 1972. Children's book illustrator and writer, 1975–. Substitute teacher in New York, NY, public schools, 1972–73; University of California, Los Angeles, teacher of a studio worksh…
(Gena Kinton Gorrell) Born 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Education: Attended University of Toronto. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Tundra Books, 481 University Ave., Ste. 900, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2E9, Canada. Gena K. Gorrell (Photo by Dianne Last, 2000.) Lester & Orpen Dennys (publisher), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, editor, 1978–91; freelance editor and writer. Toronto Police, vo…
Born 1942, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England; three stepchildren. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Marshall Cavendish, 99 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown NY 10591-9001. Writer. Has worked for London studios of Twentieth Century-Fox. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Distinguished Achievement Award, American Association of Educational Publishers, for short story "Thanksgivin…
Born 1978. Education: Graduated from college in 2000. Agent—c/o Dutton Children's Books Publicity, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. Worked as a chaplain in a children's hospital; Booklist, Chicago, IL, production editor and book reviewer. Looking for Alaska (young-adult novel), Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2005. Contributor of scripts to radio, including …
1946- Business Executive, NAACP Executive Bruce S. Gordon's appointment in 2005 as president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the oldest civil rights organization in the United States, caught many by surprise. Though Gordon had long been involved in civil rights issues, including the Urban League and the United Negro College Fund, he had bui…
1960- Television and radio news personality Ed Gordon emerged in the late 1990s as one of the hottest news personalities in the highly competitive business. For many years, Gordon was a leading news anchor for the Black Entertainment Television (BET) network. During his early years with BET, Gordon made his name as a jack-of-all-trades: he could be seen reporting the news, undertaking investigativ…
(Lynda Barber, Lynda Graham Barber, Linda Graham) Born 1944, in Pittsburgh, PA; Education: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 1967; also attended New School for Social Research and Juilliard School. Religion: Protestant. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Houghton Mifflin, 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116-3764. American Field Service, New York, NY, area supervisor, 1967-69; Crown Publishers, I…
Born 1937, in Barrie, Ontario, Canada; Education: University of Toronto, B.P.H.E.; York University, B.Ed. Agent—Transatlantic Literary Agency, 72 Glengowan Rd., Toronto, Ontario M4N 1G4, Canada. Writer and poet; George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, instructor in writing; formerly a secondary school and adult education teacher. Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illus…
Born 1945, in Buenos Aires, Argentina; divorced. Ethnicity: "Scottish, Irish, German, Jewish, and French." Education: Attended Boston University, 1977. Hobbies and other interests: Cooking, cartooning, traveling, swimming, animals, reading, art, movies. Agent—Anne Elizabeth Suter, Gotham Literary Agency, 25 Tudor City Pl., New York, NY 10017. Freelance recipe developer, 1987&…
(Jadrien Bell) Born 1963, in Atlanta, GA; Education: University of Virginia, B.A. (English), 1985. Hobbies and other interests: Herbalism, making soap. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Ace Books, Putnam Berkley Group, Inc., 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Novelist. Science Fiction Writers of America, Horror Writers of America, Society for Creative Anachronism. Instrument of Fate, Ace (New York…
Nationality: American. Born: Chicago, Illinois, 1931; brother of the writer James Goldman. Education: Highland Park High School; Oberlin College, Ohio, 1948-52, B.A. in English 1952; Columbia University, New York, 1954-56, M.A. in English 1956. Military Service: Served in the United States Army, 1952-54: Corporal. Awards: Oscar, for screenplay, 1970, 1977. William Goldman is a successful novelist…
Born 1942, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Education: Attended Julian Ashton Art School (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1964-68. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Walker Books, 97 Vauxhall Wall, London SE11 5HJ, England. Author and illustrator. New South Wales Government Printers, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, artist, 1973-75; Department of Technical Education, Sydney, resource des…
Born 1969, in Eskilstuna, Sweden; Education: Attended Örebro Konstskola; Konstfack (national college of art, craft, and design), Stockholm, Sweden, M.F.A. Agent—c/o Candlewick Press, 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140. Artist and illustrator of children's books. Has worked as a medical illustrator for AMREF. Exhibitions: Paintings exhibited at University Gallery, Ne…
Nationality: South African. Born: Springs, Transvaal, 1923. Education: A convent school, and the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Career: Visiting lecturer, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Washington, D.C., 1961, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969, Princeton University, New Jersey, 1969, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 1969, and University of Michigan, Ann…
Nationality: British. Born: Edinburgh, 1940. Education: Edinburgh Academy, 1948-57. Career: Advertising executive, Secker and Warburg, publishers, London, 1962-63; editor, Hutchinson Publishing Group, London, 1963-64, and Penguin Books, London, 1964-66; editorial director, Victor Gollancz, publishers, London, 1967-72. Since 1972 partner, Anthony Sheil Associates, literary agents, London. Lecturer …
Born in Grimsby, England. Education: Attended Humberside Polytechnic (now University of Lincolnshire and Humberside). Hobbies and other interests: Traveling. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Barrington Stoke, Sandeman House, Trunk's Close, 55 High St., Edinburgh EH1 1SR, Scotland. Writer. Lecturer at University of Lincolnshire and Humberside. Worked variously as a waiter, truck driver, barten…
Nationality: American. Born: Long Island, New York, 1949. Education: Holy Name of Mary School, Valley Stream, New York; Mary Louis Academy; Barnard College, New York, B.A. 1971; Syracuse University, New York, M.A. 1973. Career: English teacher, Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, New York, 1974-78; lecturer, Amherst College, Massachusetts, 1979. Awards: Janet Kafka prize, 1979, 1982. For Ma…
Nationality: Canadian. Born: Phyllis Fay Bloom in Toronto, Canada, 1926. Education: University of Toronto, B.A. 1948, M.A. 1950. Address: 29 Ridgevale Drive, Toronto, Ontario M6A 1K9, Canada. When most of us approach a text, we expect that it will give us something concrete and that we will be able to uncover that offering through a process that has a distinct beginning and end, as well as a logic…
Nationality: American. Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1929. Education: Girard College, Philadelphia; University of Pittsburgh, B.A. in economics 1953. Career: Held a variety of jobs, including reporter on various newspapers, in Pennsylvania and Maryland, until 1961. His trilogy, One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding, Here Goes Kitten, and J.C. Saves, captures in two characters relations between …
Nationality: New Zealander. Born: Wellington in 1937. Education: Green Street Convent, Newtown, Wellington; St. Mary's College; Wellington Teachers' College. Career: Has taught in primary and secondary schools in King Country, Northland, and Porirua. Awards: Maori Purposes Fund Board grant, 1974; New Zealand Literature Fund grant, 1975, 1983; Hubert Church Prose award, 1976; Children…
Nationality: British. Born: Victoria Park, Manchester, 1910. Career: Chair, Society of Authors, London, 1967-69. Awards: Crime Writers Association prize, 1956. Fellow, Royal Society of Literature, 1968. O.B.E. (Officer, Order of the British Empire), 1983. Agent: A.M. Heath, 79 St. Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4AA. I look on myself simply as a novelist. I have written—always—wha…
Nationality: American. Born: New Orleans, Louisiana, 1930. Education: Booth School, Montgomery, Alabama, 1938-45; Ursuline Academy, New Orleans, 1945-46; Sophie Newcomb College, Tulane University, New Orleans (associate editor, Carnival; Lazarus Memorial medal, 1949), 1946-50, B.A. 1950 (Phi Beta Kappa); graduate study, Tulane University, 1950-51. Career: Creative writing teacher, University of Ne…
Nationality: Scottish. Born: Glasgow, 1934. Education: Whitehill Senior Secondary School, 1946-52; Glasgow Art School (Bellahouston traveling scholarship, 1957), 1952-57, diploma in mural painting and design 1957. Career: Art teacher, Lanarkshire and Glasgow, 1958-61; scene painter, Pavilion and Citizens' theaters, Glasgow, 1961-63; freelance painter and writer, Glasgow, 1963-76; artist rec…
Nationality: South African. Born: Cape Town, South Africa, 1941. Education: St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown; University of Cape Town; Cambridge University, B.A. in English, M.A. in English; University of Iowa, M.F.A. in creative writing; Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg, D. Litt and d. Phil., 1978. Career: Lecturer in English, Aix-en-Provence, two years; professor of English, Rand …
Pseudonym: Hannah Green. Nationality: American. Born: Brooklyn, New York, 1932. Education: American University, Washington, D.C., B.A. Career: Medical officer, Lookout Mountain Fire Department; certified emergency medical technican. Since 1983, adjunct professor of anthropology, Colorado School of Mines, Golden. Awards: Frieda Fromm-Reichman memorial award, 1967; National Jewish Welfare Board Harr…
1955— Artist Green, Jonathan, photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. The first individual of Gullah ancestry to train at a professional art school, Jonathan Green has created an acclaimed body of work that documents this rural culture, which emerged among West African slaves who lived on the Sea Islands or along the adjacent coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Descendants of these people…
Scott Gomez: 1979—: Professional hockey player. Scott Gomez, the first Hispanic in the National Hockey League (NHL), may well turn out to be one of the greatest success stories in professional hockey. Certainly, he has proven himself to be a fast-rising star. A center and winger player on the New Jersey Devils, Gomez came out flying after his 1998 draft, with an impressive 70 points his…
Born 1958; Education: Attended Leeds University and Durham University. Writer. Heffers Children's Bookshop, Cambridge, England, bookseller and manager, 1974-1979; Rhyme and Reason Bookshop, Leicester, England, bookseller, 1986; Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, reader of children's book submissions, 1986—; tutor, Leicester Adult Education College, 1999—. Smartie…
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born September 19, 1920, in New York, NY; died December 17, 2003, in Los Angeles, CA. Psychologist, educator, and author. Gorelick was a noted psychologist, professor, and researcher who specialized primarily in the educational and developmental needs of children ranging from those with special needs to those who were considered gifted. She attende…
1976— Rapper Grae, Jean, photograph. Getty Images. From the moment she picked up the microphone in the early 1990s, hip-hop aficionados have proclaimed the genius of Jean Grae. Her in-your-face raps were fueled by literary lyrics and visceral imagery. Her rise to stardom seemed assured, but the limelight eluded her. Despite putting out several acclaimed albums and earning the respect…
Born 1960, in Chelmsford, England; Education: University of Kent, B.A. Agent—David Higham Associates, 5-8 Lower John St., Garden Square, London W1F 9HA, England. Advertising copywriter for firms in England, c. 1982-97; writer and freelance advertising copywriter, 1997—. Received numerous awards for advertising campaigns in United Kingdom; overall prize, Federation of Children'…
1946— Singer, Songwriter, Minister Considered by music writers as the last true successor of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, Al Green has enjoyed a long and rewarding career as a pop and gospel singer. His pop and religious works have earned consistent praise from musicians and critics alike. Unlike the great R&B shouters and early soul singers, Green has a voice that, although capable o…
Henry B. González: 1916-2000: Congressman. Henry Barbosa González of Texas served 18 consecutive terms as a U.S. Representative in Congress, from 1961 to 1998. Known as a maverick, he commanded the respect of both his friends and his enemies. His early stance against segregation made him a hero among first generation Mexican-Americans. In 1957, when he was a Texas State Senator, …
(Amy Lawson) Born 1949, in Boston, MA; Education: Bard College, graduated, 1972. Politics: "Eclectic." Religion: "Eclectic." Hobbies and other interests: "Writing, reading, mountain climbing, sailing, spending time with people I like, traveling." Agent—George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic, 65 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012. Bement School (K-…
Born 1968, in Mountain Lakes, NJ. Education: Stanford University, B.A., 1990; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ed.M., 1994; Stanford University School of Education, Ph.D., 1998. Hobbies and other interests: Hockey, being a dog owner, home restoration. Agent—Andrea Pedolsky, Altair Literary Agency, P.O. Box 11656, Washington, DC 20008. Womensforum.com, San Francisco, CA, senior channel …
Hobbies and other interests: Befriending armadillos. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Philomel, Putnam Berkley Group, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Artist, illustrator, and writer. Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 1999. Pet Boy, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2000. Uncle Blubbafink's Seriously Ridiculous Stories, Scholastic Press (New…
Richard Gonzales: 1928-1995: Tennis player. Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was known as the greatest male tennis player to never win Wimbledon. A self-taught tennis player, Gonzales became a champion at the age of 20. After winning the United States National Championship two years in a row, Gonzales turned professional. During this time the great tennis tournaments like Wimbledon did …
Born 1950, in Medford, MA; moved to Canada, 1974, maintaining dual U.S./Canadian citizenship; Linda Granfield Education: Studies at Oxford University, 1971; Salem State College, B.A., 1972; Northeastern University, M.A., 1974; attended University of Toronto, 1974-76. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, gardening, needlework, art. Writer. Worked as an assistant children's librarian a…
Born 1955, in Brooklyn, NY; Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Barnard College, B.A., 1977; Columbia University, M.A., 1983. Politics: "Liberal" Democrat. Religion: Jewish. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Gareth Stevens, Inc., 330 West Olive St., Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53212-1068. Haworth Press, New York, NY, production editor, 1979-80, production manager, 1980-81; Mac…
(Michael Graf) Born 1960, in Los Angeles, CA; Education: California State University, Chico, B.A. (child development) and teaching credential, 1983; California Polytechnic State University, M.A. (education) and administrative credential. Politics: "Liberal." Hobbies and other interests: Travel, hiking, biking, science and weather. Office—California State University, Chico, 400…
Born 1927, in Elizabeth, NJ; Education: Drew University, B.A., 1949; Central State College, M.A., 1966. Writer and educator. Elementary school teacher in Denver, CO, 1950-52, Milwaukee, WI, 1953-56, and Oklahoma City, OK, 1963-65; school social worker in Oklahoma City, 1965-67, and Binghamton, NY, 1967-89. Leader of workshops for professional education groups and at schools and libraries in New Yo…
Born 1934, in New York, NY; Education: Sarah Lawrence College, B.A., 1956. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Jewish. Agent—Harriet Wasserman Literary Agency, 137 E. 36th St., New York, NY 10016. Sheila Ellen Green Writer and illustrator. PEN, Authors League. A Metropolitan Love Story, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1962. Willie Bryant and the Flying Otis, Grosset (New York, NY), 1971. The Hot…
Born 1958, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Education: University of British Columbia, B.A. (theatre); Simon Fraser University, M.A. (communications). Hobbies and other interests: Reading, yoga, movies, art, theatre. (With husband, David J. Mitchell) British Columbia's Business Leaders of the Century, Business in Vancouver Media Group (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), 1999. …
1965– Curator Thelma Golden has become a driving force in the art world. Since disrupting the status quo with her 1994 exhibition, Black Male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art, Golden has continued to create challenging dialogues around art and artists, making her one of the most respected curators in America. After ten years at the Whitney Museum of American Art,…
1967(?)– Executive Golston, Allan, photograph. Courtesy of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. When Allan C. Golston took over as financial director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, he assumed responsibility for the world's most well-endowed grant makers. Overseeing the release of more than a billion dollars each year, the confessed workaholic Golston was responsi…
1947– President and chief executive officer, The Skillman Foundation Carol Goss learned about service to the community as a girl working on YWCA volunteer projects. She herself had grown up in a protective and supportive African American community in Detroit, and she wanted extend that protection and support to those who lived in poverty and other difficult circumstances. This desire led he…
1972– Basketball coach Gray, Yeshimbra, photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. Yeshimbra "Shimmy" Gray's increasingly successful career as a basketball coach has its roots not only in her love of the sport, but also in her desire to contribute to her community and to teach the values of honesty, hard work, fairness, and compassion that have guided her own life. Inspired by h…
1948— Grand Basileus, Omega Psi Phi; corporate executive Having learned hard work and teamwork as a young man, George H. Grace, Grand Basileus (or chief executive) of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, understands well what a brotherhood of African Americans can accomplish. "To succeed you need a team," Grace told Contemporary Black Biography (CBB), "with everyone committed …
1902-1989 Author In the 1930s, when Lorenz Graham began writing stories, black characters in children's literature were typically portrayed in negative stereotypes. Graham changed that. In a writing career that spanned more than 50 years, Graham introduced authentic black characters into literature for children and young adults. His collection of biblical tales, How God Fix Jonah, written i…
