Born 1975; Rusden College, diploma of education, 1976. Hobbies and other interests: Water skiing, swimming, volleyball, trapeze training, reading. Offıce—P.O. Box 194, Sandringham, Victoria 3191, Australia; fax: +61-3-9521-8437. Teacher of English and mathematics and head of English department at a school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, c. 1993—. Highlighting Writing, prin…
Born 1934, in Bristol, England. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: University of Bristol, B.V.Sc., 1958. Agent—Ray Richards, Richards Literary Agency, 49c Aberdeen Rd., Castor Bay, Auckland, New Zealand. Writer and photographer. Veterinarian, in Evesham, England, 1958–67; Matamata Veterinary Club, Matamata, New Zealand, veterinarian, 1967–71; Auckland Zoo, Auckl…
Born 1935, in Devon, England; Education: Plymouth College of Art, N.D.D., 1956; Hornsey College of Art, A.T.C., 1959. Religion: Church of England (Anglican). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Andersen Press, 62-65 Chandos Place, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4NW, England. Author and artist, illustrator, cartoonist, and filmmaker. Founder of animation company King Rollo Films. Military service: British Ar…
Born 1938, in NJ; Education: Douglass College/Rutgers University, B.A. (magna cum laude); University of Hawaii, Ed.D. Religion: "Quaker attender." Pan American Airlines, flight attendant, 1960-61; teacher in Dover, NJ, Guam, Saudi Arabia, and Maui, Hawaii, 1962-84; affiliated with Johns Hopkins University as a summer program dean, 1987—; occasional stints as a professor and re…
children: Wyatt. Agent—Jan Collier Represents, P.O. Box 470818, San Francisco, CA 94147-0818; fax: 415-383-9037. Writer and illustrator. Previously worked as a graphic designer. Why Benny Barks, Random House (New York, NY), 1994. Dog Brain, Viking (New York, NY), 1996. Here in Space, Bridgewater Books (Mahwah, NJ), 1997. Cows Can't Fly, Viking (New York, NY), 1998. My Friend Lucky, …
1953— University administrator With twenty years of experience at faculty level in several major law schools, Patricia Mell was appointed Dean of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 2003. She became the first black and first female dean of the 104-year-old school and on her appointment was the only black woman to be leading a United States law school where white students form a major…
Full name, James Burroughs McMullan; born 1934; children: Leigh Fenwick. Agent—Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties, 155 East 38th St., Suite 2H, New York, NY 10016. Jim McMullan Artist, illustrator and writer. Designer and illustrator of posters for Lincoln Center Theater productions. Teacher of life drawing courses at School of Visual Arts, New York, NY. Best Illustrated Book, New York …
Born 1958, in Muskegon, MI; Miller, June 13, 1980; Education: Attended Muskegon Community College. Agent—c/o Author Correspondence, Sleeping Bear Press, 310 N. Main St., Suite 300, Chelsea, MI 48118. Homemaker, volunteer for church and school activities; writer. Also works as a part-time receptionist. Treasures of the Heart, Sleeping Bear Press (Chelsea, MI), 2003. Contributing journalist, …
1955— Legislator The first black woman from the state of Georgia ever to fill a Congressional seat, Cynthia McKinney has proven a maverick presence on Capitol Hill. A liberal Democrat, McKinney first represented Georgia's 11th district, which encompassed 22 counties and parts of suburban Atlanta, Augusta, and Savannah, before redistricting moved her to the 4th district. McKinney�…
Born 1939, in Nashville, TN; Education: Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University (now Tennessee State University), B.S., 1964. Politics: "Independent." Religion: African Methodist Episcopal. Hobbies and other interests: Collecting antique model ships, gardening, spending time with pet cat, Kit. Office—All-Writing Services, 225 South Meramec, No. 206, Clayton, MO …
Born 1944, in Nashville, TN; Education: Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University (now Tennessee State University), B.A., 1964; Webster University, M.A., 1975. Politics: "Independent." Religion: Methodist. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening. Office—All-Writing Services, 225 South Meramec, No. 206, Clayton, MO 63115. Junior high school English teacher in Kirkwo…
Born 1953, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Education: York University (Toronto), B.A. (with honors), 1978; Memorial University of Newfoundland, M.A. (folklore), 1982; Ph.D. (folklore), 1989. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, gardening, yoga, spending time with our parrot. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Quill & Quire, 70 The Esplanade, Ste. 210, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1R2, Canada. Author of fict…
Born 1955, in Reading, Berkshire, England; Education: New College, Oxford University, degree (second class honors), 1976. Politics: "Left." Religion: Christian. Leo Burnett Ltd., London, England, advertising executive, 1976-77; worked as a private tutor, 1977-79, 1980-85; Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, history editor, 1979-80; freelance author, 1980—; lecturer in Br…
Born 1939, in Buckinghamshire, England; Education: Attended North London Collegiate School; University of Reading, degree (English and philosophy; with double honors). Offıce—Wordwise, 37 Elmthrope Rd., Wolvercote, Oxford OX2 8PA, England. Agent— Philippa Milnes-Smith, LAW Ltd., 14 Vernon St., London W14 ORJ, England. Writer and editor. Marshall Cavendish, commissioning edito…
(Volcano Jones, Apeman Mudgeon, Gerald Stimpson) Born 1932, in London, England; (second marriage) Sasha, Beattie. Education: Studied at Christ Church, Oxford. Politics: Pacifist. Religion: "The arts." Agent—c/o PFD, Drury House, 34-43 Russell St., London WC2B 5HA, England. Poet, playwright, and fiction writer. Oxford Mail, Oxford, England, former reporter; Evening Standard, Lo…
Nationality: American. Born: Port Huron, Michigan, 1951. Education: University of California, Berkeley, B.A. 1979; Columbia University, M.F.A. 1979. Career: Visiting professor of creative writing, University of Wyoming, Laramie, 1987-90; associate professor of English, University of Arizona, Tucson, 1990-92; teacher of writer's workshop, Stanford University, Stanford, California; columnist …
Nationality: American. Born: Wichita Falls, Texas, 1936. Education: Archer City High School, Texas, graduated 1954; North Texas State College, Denton, B.A. 1958; Rice University, Houston, 1954, 1958-60, M.A. 1960; Stanford University, California (Stegner fellow), 1960-61. Career: Taught at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, 1961-62, Rice University, 1963-64 and 1965, George Mason College, Fai…
Nationality: New Zealander. Born: Auckland, New Zealand, 1931. Education: University of Auckland, B.A. 1952. Military Service: Territorial Service Army of New Zealand, World War II. Career: Journalist and arts editor, New Zealand Herald, Auckland, New Zealand, 1950-58; teacher, London, England, 1960-62; freelance radio broadcaster and radio documentary producer, 1962—. Lives in New Zealand.…
Nationality: British. Born: Candia Francis Juliet McWilliam in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1955. Education: Cambridge University, 1973-76, B.A. Career: Vogue Magazine, 1976-79; Slade, Bluffix, and Bigg, 1979-81. Awards: Vogue talent contest, 1970; Betty Trask prize, 1988, Scottish Arts Council prize, 1989; Guardian prize for fiction, 1994. Member: Society of Authors, Royal Society of Literature. Agent: J…
Nationality: Indian. Born: Gita Patnaik in Delhi, India, 1944. Education: Cambridge University. Career: Writer, journalist, and filmmaker. Lives in New York, London, and Delhi. Gita Mehta is a writer known, perhaps, more for her essays than her novels. She is also a documentary filmmaker and a journalist. These activities all share a focus on India, the country of her birth—its history, pol…
Nationality: Guyanese. Born: Guyana, 1948. Awards: Whitbread First Novel Award, 1997. Agent: c/o St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010, U.S.A. A Guyanese author of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, Pauline Melville has emerged in the last few years as a leading Caribbean writer, and one of the most accomplished talents on the modern literary scene. Shape-shif…
Pseudonyms: Barbara Michaels; Elizabeth Peters. Nationality: American. Born: Barbara Louise Gross Mertz in Canton, Illinois, 1927. Education: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, Ph.B. 1947, M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1952. Career: Egyptologist. Awards: Grandmaster award, Bouchercon, 1986; Agatha award for best mystery novel, 1989, and Malice Domestic Convention, 1989, both for Naked Once More; Grand M…
Nationality: Canadian. Born: Carlisle, Cumberland, England, 1938. Education: Bristol University, 1957-61, B.A. (honors) in English 1960, Cert. Ed. 1961. Career: Taught at a secondary school and a boys' borstal, Bristol, 1961; Rosemount High School, Montreal, 1962-63; Royal Canadian Air Force Base, Cold Lake, Alberta, 1964-65; at a Catholic comprehensive school in England, 1965; and at schoo…
Nationality: Canadian. Born: Toronto, 1958. Education: University of Toronto, B.A. 1980. Awards: Epstein Award, 1980; Commonwealth Prize for the Americas, 1986; Canadian Authors' Association Award for Poetry, 1991; National Magazine Award (Gold) for Poetry, 1991; Martin and Beatrice Fisher Award, 1997; Trillium Award, 1997; Orange Prize, 1997. Agent: c/o McLelland & Stewart, 481 Univ…
Nationality: American. Born: New York City, 1933. Education: The High School for Music and Art, New York, graduated 1949; New York University, 1949-53, B.A. 1953; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M.A. 1956, Ph.D. in English 1967. Career: Teacher, Paterson State College, New Jersey, 1961-62; assistant professor of English, University of California, Davis, 1967-69. Since 1970 professor of English,…
Nationality: British. Born: Bulwell, Nottingham, 1919. Education: High Pavement School, Nottingham; University College of Nottingham (now Nottingham University), 1938-40, 1946-47, B.A. (London) 1940; M.Ed. (Nottingham) 1952. Military Service: Served in the Royal Artillery and the Army Education Corps, 1940-46. Career: English Master, 1947-81, and head of the English Department, 1958-81, High Pavem…
Nationality: Australian (originally British, immigrated to Australia c.1952). Born: 1936. Career: Has held a variety of jobs, including cattle ranching, horse breaking, art brokering, and teaching. Currently a full-time writer. Awards: Miles Franklin award, 1993, and Commonwealth Writers prize, 1993, both for The Ancestor Game. Migration is a recurrent theme in Alex Miller's writing, which…
Nationality: American. Born: New York, 1943. Education: Columbia College, New York, 1961-65, B.A., Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 1968-1971 and 1976-77. Career: Visiting associate professor of English, Williams College, 1986-88; associate professor of English, Skidmore College, 1988-1992. Since 1992 professor of English, Skidmore College. Awards: Prix Medicis Étranger, 1975; Amer…
Nationality: American. Born: Boston, Massachusetts, 1956. Education: Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, B.A.; Columbia University, New York, M.F.A. Career: Associate editor, Grand Street, New York, 1982-86; adjunct professor, Graduate Writing Program, New York University, 1987, and Columbia University, New York, 1989. Awards: Prix Femina Étranger, 1987. A loving detailer of her regi…
Nationality: American. Born: Boston, Massachusetts, 1939. Education: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, B.A. (magna cum laude) 1961 (Phi Beta Kappa); Stanford University, California (Woodrow Wilson fellow), M.A. 1962. Military Service: Served in the United States Air Force Reserve, 1962-68. Career: Schoolteacher, Boston, 1962; staff writer, American Heritage, New York, 1964; lecturer in…
Nationality: Canadian (originally Indian; immigrated to Canada, 1975; naturalized Canadian citizen). Born: Bombay, India, 1952. Education: University of Bombay, B.S. 1975; University of Toronto, B.A. 1984. Career: Has worked in a bank in Toronto. Since 1985 full-time writer. Awards: Canadian Fiction annual contributor's award, 1985; Governor General's award for best fiction, 1991, Sm…
Nationality: British. Born: Epping, Essex, 1935. Education: Winchester College, Hampshire, 1948-53; Wadham College, Oxford, B.A. 1958; St. Antony's College, Oxford, M.A. 1962. Military Service: Served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 1953-55: Midshipman. Career: Member, Arts Council Literature Panel, 1966-69; formerly, Governor, Chelsea School of Art, London; chair, Welsh Arts Council…
Born 1972, in Lowell, MA; Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Rhode Island School of Design, B.F.A. Joe McKendry (Pencil drawing courtesy of Joe McKendry) Agent—c/o Author Mail, David. R. Godine, Publisher Inc., 9 Hamilton Pl., Boston, MA 02108-4715. Freelance artist and author. Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, teacher; Massachusetts College of Art, teacher. Beneath …
Born 1953, in Dallas, TX; Bryce Milligan (Photo by Brigid A. Milligan.)Ethnicity: "Irish, Choctaw, Norwegian, Cherokee." Education: University of North Texas, B.A., 1977; University of Texas at Austin, M.A. (language and linguistics), 1980. Politics: Democrat. Religion: "Catholic with pagan leanings." Hobbies and other interests: Restoration of antique instruments, lime…
1951- Novelist, educator "Terry McMillan has the power to be an important contemporary novelist," stated Valerie Sayers reviewing Disappearing Acts in the New York Times Book Review in 1989. "Watch Terry McMillan. She's going to be a major writer," predicted a short but positive review of the same novel in Cosmopolitan. McMillan had already garnered attention and…
1943- Nuclear engineer, educator, and consultant Growing up when the United States was still a racially segregated society, Warren F. Miller, Jr., learned a lot about the difficulties encountered when a member of a minority breaks barriers by entering a field traditionally dominated by whites. He broke many of those barriers himself, first by becoming one of a very small number of African American…
Born 1953, in Alhambra, CA; Ethnicity: "White by birth, Latina in my heart." Education: Azusa Pacific University, B.A., 1975; California State University, Fullerton, M.S., 1999. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: "Walking by the ocean, in the mountains, or just down the street—especially with my family." Jane Medina Office—California Element…
Born 1958, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Politics: "Green." Religion: "Agnostic." Agent—c/o Author Mail, Penguin Group/Pearson Australia 250 Camberwell Rd., Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia. Writer. Formerly worked in advertising; Radio 3DB, former copywriter. Once worked variously as a gardener and grave digger. Victorian Premier's Reading Challe…
1934-2005 Blues musician, guitarist Little Milton Campbell was a consummate blues musician. A performer known for his extraordinary technique, soulful voice, and unique blend of musical styles, Milton was also admired for his staying power. A talented musician and shrewd businessman, he recorded and performed consistently for over 50 years. While Milton may not have developed the clearly identifia…
1911-1995 Actress Known to generations of movie viewers as Prissy, the frantic, squeaky-voiced servant who is harshly upbraided by Scarlett O'Hara in the 1939 Civil War epic Gone With the Wind, actress Butterfly McQueen was first a successful Broadway dancer; she then went on to win critical acclaim for her quirky portrayal of seemingly scatterbrained maids in a handful of popular films in …
1973— Professional football player The starting quarterback for the National Football League's Tennessee Titans, Steve McNair has developed into one of the most effective quarterbacks in the league. Following a spectacular college career, McNair progressed smoothly as a pro player. By 2003, he had led the Titans to the Super Bowl, though not to victory, and shared the title of the le…
Born 1971, in Liverpool, England; Education: John Moores University, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (with distinction), 1990; Manchester Metropolitan University, B.A. (with first class honors), 1993. Rachel Merriman used watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil to illustrate the beginning reader Funny Ruby, written by Catherine Friend. Freelance illustrator, including textile design, e…
1952— Actor Merkerson, S. Epatha, photograph. © Michael Kim/Corbis. S. Epatha Merkerson has made a name for herself playing Lt. Anita Van Buren on the long-running, Emmy award-winning police drama, Law & Order. For more than a decade, fans have tuned in to watch the show's ensemble cast portray gritty, often straight-from-the-headlines, New York crime stories. Merk…
1960(?)— Sports executive Mills, Steve, photograph. © Mike Segar/Reuters/Corbis. As president and chief operating officer of MSG (Madison Square Garden) Sports, Steve Mills is one of the most important executives in the world of professional sports. He oversees the business operations of three New York teams that play at Madison Square Garden: the New York Knickerbockers of the …
1934— Choreographer, dancer Members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem call Arthur Mitchell the "Pied Piper of Dance." Mitchell, one of the first blacks to succeed in the field of classical ballet, founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969 in an effort to provide minority students with a chance to learn and perform classical ballet. He has been leading the troupe ever since and …
Born 1965, in Welwyn Garden, England; Education: Attended Chelsea School of Art, 1983-84; Brighton University, B.A. (illustration), 1987. Hobbies and other interests: Dancing, theatre, cinema, live music, singing. Office—Unit C105, The Chocolate Factory, Clarendon Rd., London N22 6XJ, England. Agent—Arworks, 70 Rosaline Rd., London SW6 7QT, England. Illustrator, beginning 1987. Comm…
Sérgio Mendes: 1941—: Musician. From the Bossa Nova craze of 1950s Brazil to the explosion of interest in Latin music on a global basis, Sérgio Mendes has been a constant presence on the contemporary music stage. While best known in the United States for a series of hit albums that helped popularize Latin-influenced, soft-jazz sounds in the 1960s, Mendes's work incl…
Carlos Saul Menem: 1930—: Political leader. Twice elected president of Argentina, Carlos Menem's terms in office represented a rare period of political stability in the country. Yet Menem himself was never very far from controversy, both for his vivid public persona and a number of decisions that raised accusations of corruption and deceit. Since leaving the presidency, Menem has…
(Ann Aldrich, Mary James, M. E. Kerr,M. J. Meaker, Vin Packer) Born 1927, in Auburn, NY; Education: University of Missouri, Columbia, B.A., 1949. Agent—Eugene Winick, McIntosh & Otis, Inc., 475 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017. Writer. E. P. Dutton (publisher), New York, NY, assistant file clerk, 1949-50; freelance writer, 1949—. Volunteer writing teacher at Commercial Manhatta…
Born 1951, in San Francisco, CA; Education: University of Denver, B.A., 1973; attended University of Alaska. Hobbies and other interests: Hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, "being a soccer mom!" Office—1446 Hans Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709. Elementary schoolteacher in Alaska and California, 1973-79; State of Alaska, Legislative Branch, Fairbanks, investigator and writer, 198…
(Cynthia J. Mercati) Born 0022;Liberal Democrat." Hobbies and other interests: Reading, baseball, watching old movies, "and my doctor tells me walking." Author and playwright. Des Moines Playhouse, Des Moines, IA, playwright-in-residence; participant in writing conferences and workshops. International Center for Women Playwrights Writings, Iowa Arts Council, Iowa Scriptwriters…
Born 1942, in Brooklyn, NY; Education: University of California, Berkeley, A.B., 1965. Writer. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (member, board of directors). Calling All Girls Prize Competition winner in mystery category, Dodd, Mead, 1966, for Melissa Finds a Mystery; Gavel Awards certificate of merit, American Bar Association, 1973, for article "Legal Supermarkets…
Born 1944, in Aurora, IL; maiden name, Wendell G. MinorSebby) Minor; Education: Ringling School of Art and Design, graduated, 1966. Hobbies and other interests: Painting outdoors, bird watching, photography, hiking, travel. Artist and illustrator. School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, member of faculty, 1975–86; freelance author/illustrator, beginning 1995. Member of advisory council, Conne…
Rachel McLish: 1958—: Bodybuilder. When Rachel McLish earned the inaugural Ms. Olympia bodybuilding title in 1980 she brought the much-misunderstood sport of women's bodybuilding to the international spotlight. Her physique was well-defined, muscle-packed, and yet still very feminine. A 1981 Muscle & Fitness article describing the competition noted that up until that poin…
Rigoberta Menchú: 1959—: Activist, author. Rigoberta Menchú soared to international fame in 1992 when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of native Guatemalans. I, Rigoberta Menchú, her 1983 memoir detailing the abuses her people suffered under Guatemala's vicious military dictatorship, had already brought her international acclaim in…
1946— Nuclear engineer In a career spanning more than three decades, Dr. Joseph C. Mills contributed significantly to our understanding of nuclear reactor safety and the development of a new generation of nuclear reactors for use in space. He played pivotal roles in the design, construction, launch, and assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). Dr. Mills also headed The Boeing Comp…
Lydia Mendoza: 1916—: Tejano vocalist, songwriter. One of the first real vocal stars in Mexican-American music, Lydia Mendoza was a pioneer in another way as well: she was a woman in a man's world. "It's more difficult to build a career like I did for a woman than for a man," Mendoza recalled in the book, Lydia Mendoza: A Family Autobiography. Mendoza'…
Born 1918, in New York, NY; died April 10, 2005, in Wakefield, RI; Education: Attended Barnard College, 1937–38. Children's book author. New Yorker magazine, New York, NY, staff writer, 1953–94, author of annual review of year's children's books, 1979–91. Previously employed as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor. Dutton Animal Book Award, 1966, for T…
Born 1953, in Chicago, IL; Education: Rockford College, B.A., 1973. Agent—Jane Gelfman, Gelfman, Schneider Literary Agents Inc., 250 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10107. Novelist and journalist. High school teacher of English, 1974–76; Pioneer Press, Chicago, IL, managing editor and reporter, 1976–79; Capital Times, Madison, WI, reporter, 1979–84; Milwaukee Journal, Milwau…
1920–2005 Anti-apartheid activist, politician, diplomat Raymond Mhlaba devoted his life to the struggle against apartheid, the system of racial segregation and discrimination that once defined South Africa. Rising to leadership positions in both the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the African National Congress (ANC), Mhlaba spent two decades in the nonviolent struggle for human rig…
1950— Scientist, entrepreneur Ghanaian-born materials scientist Thomas Mensah has had a high-flying career, first as a scientist and then as an entrepreneur. Mensah has at least 14 patents to his name, has edited two books and authored several articles, and has been involved with several of the fastest-growing fields in engineering, notably fiber optics and superconductor technology. Late i…
1968— Motion picture talent agent Nelson Meigs, Andrea, photograph. Courtesy of Andrea Nelson Meigs. Named in 2003 to Black Enterprise magazine's "Hot List" as one of its "fifty under forty" members of "generation exceptional," Andrea Nelson Meigs is a talent agent at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), arguably the largest and most inf…
