Nationality: Citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. Born: Trinidad. Career: Librarian and social anthropologist. A founder of Campaign Against Racial Discrimination, London. The relatively limited contributions of women writers to Caribbean literature has been one of the long-standing curiosities about the region. In the area of prose fiction there has been a small handful of women novelists, and from t…
Nationality: British. Born: London, 1922. Education: Abbotsholme School, Derbyshire; New York University, 1939-41. Military Service: Served in the British Army, 1942-47: Captain. Career: Assistant editor, 1955-60, and dramatic critic, 1958-66, Tribune, London; assistant editor, New Statesman, London, 1966-68. Awards: Society of Authors traveling scholarship, 1982. Agent: Scott Ferris Associates, 1…
Nationality: American. Born: Erica Mann in New York City, 1942. Education: The High School of Music and Art, New York; Barnard College, New York (George Weldwood Murray fellow, 1963), 1959-63, B.A. 1963 (Phi Beta Kappa); Columbia University, New York (Woodrow Wilson fellow, 1964), M.A. 1965; Columbia School of Fine Arts, 1969-70. Career: Lecturer in English, City College, New York, 1964-66, 1969-7…
Nationality: Irish. Born: Sligo in 1950. Education: University College, Dublin. Career: Co-founder, Irish Writers Co-operative, 1974. Lives in Bray, County Wicklow. Awards: Arts Council bursary, 1976; Guardian Fiction prize, 1979; Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or, 1986; Sorrento Film Festival De Sica award, 1986; New York Film Critics Circle award, Best Screenplay, 1992; Alexander Korda awar…
Nationality: Indian. Born: 1939. Education: Attended schools in India and the United States. Career: Director, Shri Ram Centre for Industrial Relations. Arun Joshi is a novelist who, more strongly than most, has brought to his work that detachment from the everyday, while still acknowledging its existence, which is perhaps India's particular gift to the literature of the world. The rising u…
Nationality: Filipino. Born: Rosales, Pangasinan, 1924. Education: The University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Litt.B. 1949. Career: Staff member, Commonweal, Manila, 1947-48; assistant editor, United States Information Agency, U.S. Embassy, Manila, 1948-49; associate editor, 1949-57, and managing editor, 1957-60, Manila Times Sunday magazine, and editor of Manila Times annual Progress, 1958-60; editor…
Nationality: British. Born: Nice, France, 1940. Education: Victoria College, Cairo, 1950-56; Cheltenham College, Gloucesteshire, 1956-57; St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, 1958-61, B.A. in English 1961. Career: Lecturer, 1963-74, reader, 1974-80, part-time reader, 1981-84, and since 1984 professor of English, University of Sussex, Brighton. Northcliffe Lecturer, University College, London, 1981. Awards: Su…
Nationality: American. Born: Michigan City, Indiana, 1935. Education: Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, 1953-57. Career: Reporter, Newsweek, Chicago and Washington, 1959-62; The Reporter Magazine, Washington, 1962-63; Newsweek, London and Washington, 1963-65; The Washington Post, Washington and Saigon. Awards: Overseas Press Club award, 1968; National Magazine award, 1970, for non-fiction, a…
Born in London, England; Education: Studied law at Exeter University; earned teaching credential. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, walking, cooking, the arts. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Frances Lincoln, 4 Torriano Mews, Torriano Ave., London NW5 2RZ, England. Educator and author. Barn Owl Books (publisher), London, England, founder and owner, 1999–. Former researcher for television.…
1924–2005 Musician Considered by Rolling Stone to be "the greatest sideman in rock & roll," pianist Johnnie Johnson spent most of his career in the shadow of his musical partner, Chuck Berry. Johnson played on most of Berry's hit records and co-wrote the music for several of Berry's songs, but did not begin to achieve particular recognition until he pursued a…
1970(?)– Physician The first African-American woman to be appointed to the faculty of the Department of Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center (NYPH/Columbia), Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph has made significant contributions to breast cancer research and treatment. Particularly interested in public health and the sociology of medicine, Dr. Joseph has studied ho…
1931— Actor Some people know him as one of the nation's finest stage actors, an artist who tackles the works of such playwrights as William Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill. Others know his sonorous bass voice as the most menacing aspect of the evil Darth Vader in the blockbuster film Star Wars. Still others recognize him as a television star who brings depths of humanity to cli…
(Suzanne Tripp Jurmain) Born 1945, in New York, NY; Education: University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. (with honors), 1966. Agent—Dorothy Markinko, McIntosh &Otis, Inc., 353 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. Actress, beginning in 1949; TV Guide, Los Angeles, CA, assistant editor, 1966; Legal Directories Publishing Co., Los Angeles, editor, 1967; University of California Museum …
Born 1965, in Portsmouth, England; Education: Attended Portsmouth College of Art, 1983; Manchester Polytechnic, B.A. (with honors), 1990. Hobbies and other interests: Pet-keeping, all art and craft work, natural history. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Walker Books Ltd., 87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ, England. Factory worker, Portsmouth, England, 1983-85; kennel assistant, Hampshire, England, 19…
Born 1930, in Poughkeepsie, NY; Ethnicity: "Anglo." Education: University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1951; California State University, Fullerton, M.S., 1977. Politics: Independent. Religion: Lutheran. Shirley Jordan Educator and author. Has worked as a teacher, project manager, vice principal, and principal. World War II, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1999. The Amer…
Born 1954, in Broome, Western Australia; partner's name Jan (a school librarian). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simply Read Books, 74 Pease Ave., Verona NJ 07044. Author and bookseller. Western Australia Premier's Book Award shortlist, 2002, and Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year award and Notable Book for Young Readers designation, and Henry Berg Ch…
Born 1961, in Tuskegee, AL; Education: Attended Kent State University. Politics: Democrat. Agent—c/o Author Correspondence, Orchard Books, 387 Park Ave. S., New York, NY 10016. Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Ravenna, OH, child development worker, 1981-82; freelance writer of children's books, 1989—. Authors Guild, Authors League of America. Best Books, School Librar…
1961— Children's writer With over 40 books to her name Ohio-based Angela Johnson is one of the most prolific and celebrated children's writers. She began working full-time as a writer in 1989 and her work includes award-winning picture books, board books, poetry, stories, and novels for young adults. She has become well known for her realistic characters, many of whom carry ov…
1922-2004 Baseball pitcher Right-hander Connie Johnson was part of the pitching staff that made the fabled Kansas City Monarchs the most feared team in baseball's Negro Leagues in the 1940s. Later in his career he played for the major-league Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles, having lost the fastball of his youth and learned a repertoire of pinpoint-control pitches in its place. Like …
1746-1818 Minister The transformation of Absalom Jones from slave into one of the founders of the black Episcopal church in America and a leading figure among Philadelphia's African-American community shows the great strides made by blacks during this eventful period of early American history. Jones bought his own freedom as well as that of his wife's through years of hard work, and …
Born in Indianapolis, IN. Education: Marian College (IN), graduate; University of Illinois, M.A. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Lerner Publishing Group, 1251 Washington Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Writer and freelance children's book editor. New York Academy of Sciences special award, 1983, for Apple Trees, Beetles, Crabs, Frogs and Toads, Inside an Egg, Ladybugs, Mosses, Mushrooms, Pengu…
Born 1963, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Education: University of Sydney, B.A. (medieval history; with honors), 1986. Politics: "Left." Agent— Margaret Connolly, 16 Winton St., Warrawee, Sydney, NSW 2074, Australia. Author and illustrator. Westpac Banking Corp., Sydney, Australia, journalist, 1986-93; full-time writer. Lecturer, workshop presenter, and writer-in-residenc…
Born 1958 in SC; Education: East Carolina University, B.A., 1981, M.A. (literature), 1996; attended Appalachian State University. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Pleasant Company Publishing, 8400 Fairway Place, Middleton, WI 53562. Social worker and author of children's books. Pitt Community College, instructor. Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel, Mystery Writers of America, 2000,…
Jones, Wayne, photograph. Courtesy of Wayne Jones. 1952- Engineer National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 2004 Golden Torch for Lifetime Achievement in Government recipient Wayne Jones attended college during a period of enormous growth and development in the computer sciences. Deeply interested and excited by the possibilities of this new technology, he specialized in computer systems engineer…
Born 1956 (some sources say 1957), in Chicago, IL. Education: Attended Los Angeles City College; degree from University of Southern California; graduate programs at University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University. Agent—Andrew Wylie, Wylie, Aitken & Stone, Inc., 250 West 57th St., Suite 2106, New York, NY 10107. Writer. Worked variously as a department store clerk and waitress. Whit…
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for SATA sketch: Born 1911 in Arnhem, the Netherlands; died November 19, 2003, in Laguna Woods, CA. Author. De Jong wrote for both adult and juvenile audiences and is best remembered for her young adult mysteries and adult novels set during World War II. She began her career as a journalist and, interestingly, was also a ballet dancer for the Royal Dutch Ballet bef…
(Ann Halam) Born 1952, in Manchester, England; Education: University of Sussex, B.A. (with honors), 1973. Politics: "Green." Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Mountain climbing, gardening, Web site upkeep. Office—Agent—c/o Author Mail, Anthony Goff, David Higham Associates Ltd., 5-8 Lower John St., Golden Square, London W1R 4HA, England. Manpower S…
(Lene Kaaberbol) Born 1960, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Education: Århus University, degree (English, drama). Hobbies and other interests: Playing pentanque. Office—Phabel & Plott ApS, Laksegade 12, St.th, DK-1063 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Novelist. Formerly worked as a high school teacher, copy writer, publishing company editor, cleaning assistant, and riding teacher. Phabel &…
Born 1956, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; children: Hannah, Nell. Writer. Jesse Design (toy and clothing design firm), owner for fifteen years; worked variously as a cookie seller, waitress, sailor, and photo stylist. Canadian Governor General's Award finalist, for Hannah's Collections; Book of the Year for Children shortlist, Canadian Library Association, 2005, for Mable Riley; Norma …
Male. Education: University of Vermont, B.S. (wildlife and fisheries biology); University of California, Berkeley, M.A. (zoology). Office—Earthwatch Institute, P.O. Box 75, Maynard, MA 01754-0075. Biologist and nature writer. Earthwatch Institute, managing editor of EarthWatch Journal. National Association of Science Writers. Science Books and Films Best Books for Children selection, 2004,…
Born 1942, in Washington, DC; Education: University of Chicago, A.B., 1964; attended Bezalel School of Art, 1967–68; attended Corcoran School of Art, 1968; University of Iowa, M.A., 1970; attended Montgomery College, 1985–90. Religion: Jewish. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Kar-Ben Publishing, 11430 Strand Dr., No. 2, Rockville, MD 20852-4371. Painter, sculptor, illustrator, and educ…
1918-2005 Publisher, entrepreneur, writer John H. Johnson was without question the most important force in African-American publishing in the twentieth century and has been credited with almost single-handedly opening the commercial magazine marketplace to people of color. Beginning with a five-hundred-dollar loan, he created a multi-million dollar business empire and became one of the richest men…
1957— President, military commander Paul Kagame emerged as an internationally renowned figure during his leadership of the military resistance that cut short the Rwandan genocide in July 1994. The genocide had marked the horrifying culmination of decades of ethnically framed massacres in post-independence Rwanda between the majority ethnic group of Hutu, who totalled roughly 85 percent of t…
Born 1929, in Leicester, Leicestershire, England; Education: London University, B.A. Dip.Ed.; Syracuse University, Ph.D. Politics: "Part of one's effort to be thoughtful, compassionate, and constructive." Agent—c/o Author Mail, Publicity Director, Boyds Mills Press, 815 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431. Educator, editor, and writer. Worked as a teacher at elementary, sec…
1973— Army specialist Johnson, Shoshana, photograph. Mike Theiler/Getty Images. U.S. Army Specialist Shoshana Johnson was captured by Iraqi forces during the first week of the 2003 U.S.-led war against Iraq, and became the first African-American female prisoner of war (P.O.W.) in U.S. history. Images of a frightened and injured Johnson were televised around the world shortly after he…
Frida Kahlo: 1907—1954: Artist. One primary impetus behind modernist movements in art is masculine and impersonal: many artists of the 20th century sought to smash rules and stylistic barriers and to break through to new principles of composition and subject matter. In the work of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, however, modernist breakthroughs were placed at the service of artistic aut…
Agent—Margaret Connoly, 37 Ormond St., Paddington 2021, New South Wales, Australia. Illustrator and author. Australian Society of Authors, Society of Book Illustrators. Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1988. This Old Man, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1990. Hickory Dickory Dock and Other Nursery Songs, Angus & Robertson (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1991, published as H…
Born 1969; Education: Attended University of Toronto; University of British Columbia, B.A. (English literature). Agent—c/o author Mail, HarperCollins, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10019-4703. Editor at publishing company in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, c. 1992; writer, beginning 1995. Alice, I Think, Thistledown Press (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), 2000, revised e…
1913— Library administrator, educator, civic leader Jones, Clara Stanton, photograph. Courtesy Clara Stanton Jones. Clara Stanton Jones' contributions as the first African-American president of the American Library Association (ALA) have advanced the education of blacks and helped all throughout the country who value and use libraries. She helped develop branch libraries in De…
Male. Education: Massachusetts College of Art, B.F.A.; coursework at Rhose Island School of Design and School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Agent—Gerald & Cullen Rapp, Inc., 108 East 35th St., New York, NY 10016. Artist, illustrator, and author. Commercial artist, with clients including Cisco, AT&T, Kodak, Microsoft, and Bloomberg. (Illustrator) Rhonda Gowler Green, When A …
See index for SATA sketch: Born June 25, 1910, in Highland Park, IL; died May 10, 2005, in Peterborough, NH. Illustrator and author. Jones was a Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator of children's books. Interested in writing and art from an early age, she won the Silver Cup for English composition at the House in the Pines school in Norton, Massachussets, before enrolling at the U…
Raúl Juliá: 1940-1994: Actor, humanitarian. Versatile stage and screen actor Raúl Juliá produced a huge body of critically successful work before his untimely death in 1994. The handsome Puerto Rican actor earned four Tony Award nominations on the New York stage, and played roles in such films as Kiss of the Spider Woman, Romero, Presumed Innocent, The Addams Famil…
Female. Education: Southern Illinois University, B.S. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Dial Press, Dell Publishing, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Writer. Formerly worked as administration supervisor, Lansing, MI; freelance writer. Military service: U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, attained rank of second lieutenant; food service and operations officer with 44th Services Squadron. …
(Barbara Monnot Joosse) Born 1949, in Grafton, WI; Education: Attended University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1966; University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A., 1970; Attended University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1977–80. Hobbies and other interests: International travel, dogs, cooking, reading. Agent—Scott Treimel, STNY, 434 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10003. Writer. Associated with Stepha…
Born 1934, in London, England; Education: St. Anne's College, Oxford, B.A., 1956. Agent—Laura Cecil, 17 Alwyne Villas, London N1 2HG, England. Writer, beginning 1965. Society of Authors, British Science Fiction Association. Carnegie commendation, 1975, for Dogsbody; Guardian commendation, 1977, for Power of Three; Carnegie commendation, 1977, and Guardian Award, 1978, both for Charme…
Born 1951, in Liverpool, England; Education: Liverpool University, bachelor's and master's degrees (English). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Allen & Unwin, 9 Atchinson St., Sydney, New South Wales 2065, Australia. Writer; lecturer at English colleges until 1999; high-school teacher in Australia. Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year shortlist, 2005, for The …
Jacqueline Jules Born 1956, in Petersburg, VA; Education: University of Pittsburgh, B.A., 1979; University of Maryland, M.L.S., 2001. Religion: Jewish. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, hiking. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Kar Ben Copies, 1251 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55401. Timber Lane Elementary School, Falls Church, VA, school librarian. Also works as a storyteller and t…
1950— Professional football player A key member of the powerful Detroit Lions squads of the 1970s, Levi Johnson delighted National Football League (NFL) fans with his agile feats at the defensive positions of cornerback and safety. Johnson's career was prematurely ended by injury in the late 1970s. Since he had been named the Lions' most valuable player in 1974 and had followe…
1949(?)— Executive, philanthropist, musician, horse farmer Those who never took the trouble to find out more might have heard of Sheila Crump Johnson as the former wife of longtime Black Entertainment Television (BET) chief executive Robert L. Johnson. That designation, however, ignores Sheila Crump Johnson's long and varied record of accomplishments of her own, before, during, and a…
Nationality: American. Born: Ruth Prawer in Cologne, Germany, of Polish parents, 1927; sister of the writer S.S. Prawer; moved to England as a refugee, 1939; became British citizen, 1948; now U.S. citizen. Education: Hendon County School, London; Queen Mary College, University of London, 1945-51, M.A. in English literature 1951. Awards: Booker prize, 1975; Guggenheim Fellowship, 1976; Neil Gunn In…
Nationality: American. Born: Evanston, Illinois, 1948. Education: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, B.A. in journalism 1971, M.A. in philosophy 1973; State University of New York, Stony Brook, 1973-76. Career: Reporter and cartoonist, Chicago Tribune, 1969-70; member of art staff, St. Louis Proud, Missouri, 1971-72; assistant professor, 1976-79, associate professor, 1979-82, and since 1982…
Nationality: American. Born: Munich, Germany, in 1949. Awards: American Academy Kaufman prize, 1984; Whiting Foundation award, 1986; literature award, American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1993. Denis Johnson's first two novels, Angels and Fiskadoro, delineate the lives of outcasts on the fringes of their societies. The first is a contemporary urban novel whose characters drift into traged…
Nationality: American. Born: Diane Lain in Moline, Illinois, 1934. Education: Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri, 1951-53, A.A. 1953; University of Utah, Salt Lake City, B.A. 1957; University of California, Los Angeles (Woodrow Wilson fellow), M.A. 1966, Ph.D. 1968. Career: Member of the Department of English, University of California, Davis, 1968-87. Awards: American Association of University W…
OBITUARY NOTICE— See index for SATA sketch: Born February 18, 1919, in Milwaukee, WI; died November 4, 2004, in Alexandria, VA. Librarian, illustrator, and author. Kahl was an artist and librarian who was best known for her fun-filled picture books such as 1955's The Duchess Bakes a Cake. She studied art at Milwaukee-Downer College (now Lawrence University), earning a B.A. in 1940. H…
Nationality: New Zealander. Born: Auckland, New Zealand, 1961. Career: Actress, temporary secretary, 1980s; writer and homemaker, 1990s—. Lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Awards: Bruce Mason Memorial Play-wright's Award. For a young writer, Stephanie Johnson is surprisingly well published in the genres of the novel, short fiction, and poetry, and her dramatic works have been extensive…
Nationality: Irish. Born: Ireland, 1930; daughter of the dramatist Denis Johnston. Education: Park House School, Dublin; Trinity College, Dublin. Awards: Pitman award, 1972; Yorkshire Post award, 1973, 1980; Whitbread award, 1979. Fellow, Royal Society of Literature, 1979; member, Aosdana. D. Litt.: University of Ulster, Coleraine, 1984. Jennifer Johnston is often described as a Big House novelis…
Nationality: Australian. Born: Monica Elizabeth Knight in Birmingham, England, 1923; moved to Australia, 1959; became citizen, 1978. Education: Friends' School, Sibford, Oxfordshire, 1934-40; St. Thomas' Hospital, London (orthopaedic nursing training), 1940-43; Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (general training), 1943-46. Career: Salesperson, nurse, and domestic, 1960s. Part-time…
Nationality: American. Born: Lexington, Kentucky, 1949. Education: Connecticut College, New London, B.A. in English 1971; Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, M.A. 1973, D.A. 1975. Career: Member of the Department of English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1975-83. Awards: Howard Foundation award, 1975; National Endowment for the Arts grant, 1976. Gayl Jones's first novel, Corre…
Nationality: British. Born: Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, 1905. Education: Castle Grammar School, Merthyr Tydfil; St. Paul's College, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Married Phyllis Doreen Jones in 1935. Career: Formerly a schoolmaster in Glamorgan; now retired. First chair, Yr Academi Gymreig (English Section). Awards: Welsh Arts Council prize, for non-fiction, 1969, and Premier award, 1972. D. …
Also writes as Ann Halam. Nationality: English. Born: Manchester, England, 1952. Education: University of Sussex, B.A. 1973. Career: Executive officer, Manpower Services Commission, Hove, England, 1975-77; author of books for young people and adults, 1977—. Awards: First prize, children's story competition (Manchester Evening News), 1967; James Tiptree, Jr., award, 1991; Children of …
Nationality: American. Born: Nashville, Tennessee, 1925. Education: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, A.B. 1949; University of Florida, Gainesville, 1950-53, A.M. 1951. Military Service: Served in the United States Army in the Corps of Military Police, Korea, 1945-46. Career: Farmer in Cheatham County, Tennessee, 1940s; instructor in English, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 1953-54, and University…
