1929-2003 Artist In a career that spanned half a century, painter Vincent Smith documented in brilliant color some of the most compelling events in twentieth-century America. From the be-bop-fueled improvisation of 1940s Harlem jazz clubs, to the visceral tug of civil rights workers confronting deep-seated hate with soul-clearing hope, to the creative militancy of the Black Arts Movement, Smith wa…
Nationality: Indian. Born: Hadali, India (now Pakistan) 2 February 1915. Education: The Modern School, New Delhi; St. Stephen's College, New Delhi; Government College, Lahore, B.A. 1934; King's College, London, LL.B. 1938; called to the bar, Inner Temple, London, 1938. Career: Practicing lawyer, High Court, Lahore, 1939-47; press attaché, Indian Foreign Service, in London and Ot…
Nationality: British. Born: New Delhi, India, 1946. Educated in Botswana and England. Career: Advertising copywriter, Garland Compton Ltd., 1966-68, Norman Craig and Kummel, 1969-71, Collett Dickenson and Pearce, 1971-72, Nadler Larimer and Cromer, 1972-74, all London. Freelance writer, 1974-85. Awards: Geoffrey Faber Memorial prize, 1977. With this resolution, Constance, Caroline Slaughter…
Nationality: American. Born: Los Angeles, 1949. Education: Vassar College, B.A. in English 1971; University of Iowa, M.A. 1975, M.F.A. 1976, Ph.D. 1978. Career: Assistant professor, 1981-84, associate professor, 1984-89, professor, 1989-90, distinguished Professor, 1992-96, Iowa State University. Visiting assistant professor, University of Iowa, 1981, 1987. Awards: Ful-bright grant, 1976-77; Pushc…
Nationality: British. Born: Newquay, Cornwall, 1923. Awards: Atlantic award, 1947; Rhys Memorial prize, 1949; James Tait Black Memorial prize for The Far Cry, 1950. Agent: Curtis Brown, 162-68 Regent Street, London W1R 5TB, England. (1991) What one writes for children is quite as important as what one writes for adults, and I'm not at all sure it isn't more important; because what c…
Nationality: American. Born: Grundy, Virginia, 1944. Education: Hollins College, B.A. 1967; attended Sorbonne, University of Paris. Career: Feature writer, film critic, and editor of Sunday magazine, Tuscaloosa News, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1968-69; seventh-grade teacher, Harpeth Hall School, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971-73; teacher of language arts, Carolina Friends School, Durham, North Carolina, 197…
Nationality: Canadian. Born: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 1941. Education: Dalhousie University, B.A. 1963. Military Service: Royal Canadian Air Force, 1959-64; became flying officer. Career: Systems analyst, Manufacturer's Life, Toronto, Ontario, 1963-64; full-time writer, 1964-70; instructor in English, Loyola College, Montreal, Quebec, 1970; instructor in English, Dawson College, Montreal, …
Nationality: American. Born: New York City, 1933. Education: The University of California, Berkeley, 1948-49; University of Chicago, 1949-51, B.A. 1951; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1954-57, M.A. 1955; St. Anne's College, Oxford, 1957. Career: Instructor in English, University of Connecticut, Storrs, 1953-54; Teaching Fellow in Philosophy, Harvard University, 1955-57; edito…
Nationality: American. Born: Brooklyn, New York, 1929. Educated in New York public schools; Brooklyn College, 1950-51, 1955-57. Military Service: Served in the United States Army Medical Corps, 1951-53. Career: Re-insurance clerk, Fidelity and Casualty Company, New York, 1947-48; messenger, American Houses Inc., 1948-49; freight checker, Ace Assembly Agency, New York, 1954-56; packer, Bennett Bro…
Nationality: Nigerian. Born: Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka, in Abeokuta, 1934. Education: St. Peter's School, Ake, Abeokuta, 1938-43; Abeokuta Grammar School, 1944-45; Government College, Ibadan, 1946-50; University College, Ibadan (now University of Ibadan), 1952-54; University of Leeds, Yorkshire, 1954-57, B.A. (honors) in English. Career: Play reader, Royal Court Theatre, London, 1957-59; Ro…
Nationality: British. Born: Muriel Sarah Camberg in Edinburgh, 1918. Education: James Gillespie's School for Girls and Heriot Watt College, both Edinburgh. Career: Worked in the Foreign Office Political Intelligence Department during World War II. General secretary, Poetry Society, and editor, Poetry Review, London, 1947-49. Lives in Rome. Awards: Observer story prize, 1951; Italia prize, f…
Nationality: British. Born: Glasgow, 1947. Education: Glasgow University, 1966-69, and 1973-74. Career: Writer-in-residence, Glasgow University, 1975-77, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 1982, Edinburgh District Council, 1986-87, and since 1990 Edinburgh University. Alan Spence's reputation as a novelist and writer of short stories is much stronger in his native Scotland than elsewhere, but he…
Sammy Sosa: 1968—: Professional baseball player. Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa slugged his way to fame and revived flagging attendance at American baseball games by challenging the 1961 hitting record of New York Yankees slugger Roger Maris. In 1998 fans and newcomers to the game sat on edge anticipating Sosa's next swat of the bat. In addition to breaking the 37-year-old Na…
Surname is pronounced "slay-tir"; born 1945, in Havre de Grace, MD; Education: Harvard University, B.A., 1967; studied musical composition in London, England, 1967–68. Politics: "Independent." Agent—Sheldon Fogelman, 10 East 40th St., New York, NY 10016. William Sleator Author, composer, and musician. Royal Ballet School, London, England, accompanist, 196…
1957— Firearms analyst Richard Smith is an expert firearms analyst for the Los Angeles Police Department's Scientific Investigation Division. Possessing an uncanny ability to remember microscopic detail, keen eyesight, patience, and tenacity, Smith helps the department crack difficult cases. Unassuming, thoughtful, and articulate, Smith once sought to dedicate his life to the ministr…
Born 1971, in Baltimore, MD; Education: Attended Baltimore School for the Arts and North Carolina School of the Arts. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Scholastic, Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Actress and author. Appeared in films, including Moe's World, 1990; Menace II Society, 1993; The Inkwell, 1994; Jason's Lyric, 1994; A Low-down Dirty Shame, 1994; Demon Knight, 1995; The…
1975— Writer Smith, Zadie, photograph. David Levenson/Getty Images. One of the most exciting and successful British writers of the twenty-first century, Zadie Smith published her first novel, White Teeth, in the year 2000, at age 25. An immediate success, her debut novel garnered acclaim from critics around the world. The book went on to win the prestigious Whitbread Award for a firs…
Born 1960, in McKees Rock, PA; Education: Attended Ohio State University. Agent—Cartoon Books, P.O. Box 16973, Columbus, OH 43216. Cartoon Books, Columbus, OH, cartoonist and publisher of Bone comic books. Character Builders (animation studio), co-founder, producer, and director. Eight Eisner awards for best humor publication, best continuing series, best writer/artist or cartoonist, and b…
Born 1951, in Portland, OR; Education: Attended Portland State University. Agent—Barbara Kouts, P.O. Box 560, Bellport, NY 11713. Zoologist and author. Zoo keeper and senior research biologist at Portland Zoo, Portland, OR, and Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, WA, for twenty years. Has appeared on national and local television shows, including National Geographic, Audubon, Discover the World of…
Born 1932, in Plymouth, England; immigrated to Australia, 1962. Education: London College of Speech and Drama, diploma (speech therapy), 1954. Agent—c/o Australian Socity of Authors Ltd., P.O. Box 1566, Strawberry Hills, New South Wales 2012, Australia. Children's book author and speech therapist. Australian Society of Authors, Childrens's Book Council of Australia (New South …
1920–2002 Music scholar, pianist An expert on the history of black music in America, Eileen Southern is credited with documenting and preserving musical traditions that had been all but ignored by the academic world. At a time when many people though that jazz and blues was all there was to African-American music, Southern showed that, from the early 1600s, blacks in America created a richl…
1942— Jazz organist and pianist A turban-wearing jazz institution, and one of the few jazz players to specialize in the difficult Hammond B-3 electric organ, Dr. Lonnie Smith has had a long musical career that may be divided into three distinct sections. In the first, shortly after his discovery, Smith played as a sideman in jazz bands led by others, most notably guitarist George Benson. In…
1940— Jazz keyboardist The "fusion" jazz of the 1970s, which merged jazz with more commercially oriented influences from rock, rhythm-and-blues, and funk, fell out of fashion as its leading practitioners either moved into popular music or went on to newer jazz experiments. But keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith has been fusion's survivor. Resurrecting his career several ti…
1929— Labor activist From lying in order to enter the navy at the age of 12 to boxing his way into the union at 16, Nate Smith proved that he knew how to get what he wanted. What he wanted in the mid-1960s was to break the color barriers in the construction industry in Pittsburgh. To do so, he laid down in front of bulldozers to stop work at construction sites. He also formed an innovative …
(E. S. Budd, Hal Rogers) Born 1966, in Boulder, CO; Education: University of Colorado, B.A.; attended Universitá per Stranieri di Siena. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and other interests: Dogs, gardening, travel, film, reading. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Chelsea House Publishers, 1974 Sproul Rd., Suite 400, Broomall, PA 19008. Writer and editor, beginning 1989. Member, Colorado Public Radio…
1910-1984 Guitarist and vocalist Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence was a truly original stylist on his instrument. Never famous outside the Bahamas, or even inside that country with the exception of his home island, Spence nevertheless fascinated and influenced a number of prominent American and British guitarists, including slide virtuoso Ry Cooder and the eclectic bluesman Taj Mahal. The explanat…
Jimmy Smits: 1955—: Actor. Jimmy Smits broke new ground on television in the 1980s with his portrayal of an impassioned, principled attorney on the Emmy-winning NBC drama series L.A. Law. As Victor Sifuentes, the Brooklyn-born actor represented one of the first positive, recurring images of a Hispanic character in the history of prime-time network television. He went on to spend four s…
Born 1958, in OK: Education: University of Montevallo, B.S. (history), 1981; University of Tennessee, M.S. (communications/journalism), 1986. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, reading, camping, visionary and vernacular arts. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Henry Holt & Co., 115 West 18th St., New York, NY 10011. Writer and editor. Southern Living magazine, Birmingham, AL, copywriter an…
Born 1959, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada; Education: Attended Sheridan College (Oakville, Ontario, Canada). Tele-Direct, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, layout artist, 1978-81; General Store Publishing House, Burnstown, Ontario, Canada, art director, 1982-87; freelance illustrator, 1988—. Founder with wife, Esperança Melo, of company Kinder Box. Has exhibited artwork in shows at the Millb…
Gary Soto: 1952—: Children's author, novelist, poet. Hailed as one of the top Mexican-American writers in the United States, Gary Soto is also one of the most versatile. Winning awards and acclaim for his poetry in the years after he completed his education, Soto has also written short stories and autobiographical sketches. Almost single-handedly, he has striven to create a liter…
Born 1975, in Belgium; Education: Four years of formal study (design and illustration). Office—c/o Author Mail, Kane/Miller Book Publishers, P.O. Box 8518, La Jolla, CA 92038. Illustrator and author. Karel gaat naar school, Clavis, 1999, translated as Kevin Goes to School, Kane/Miller (La Jolla, CA), 2002. Liesbet Slegers Karel in het ziekenhuis, Clavis, 1999, translated as Kevin Go…
Born 1918, in Winnfield, LA; Education: Washington University (St. Louis, MO), B.A., 1939, M.A., 1941; Institut de Touraine, Université de Poitiers, diplôme d'études françaises; graduate study at Columbia University, 1946-47, at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, 1947-48, and at University of Florence, 1948-50. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Protestant. Hobbies and ot…
Born 1944, in Manchester, England; emigrated to Canada, 1967; Education: Teacher Training College, Derbyshire, England. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, cooking, "creative knitting." Writer, 1979—. Has also worked as a teacher, storyteller, actress, musician, editor, heritage consultant, and bed-and-breakfast operator. Member, with husband David Spalding, of the folk du…
19??— Comedian Slocumb, Jonathan, photograph. Chris Graythen/Getty Images. In an era when it is common for comics to use four-letter words and make sexual innuendos, Jonathan Slocumb is known as "Mr. Clean." "Mixing comedy with gospel messages and music is certainly a unique approach," wrote Janine Coveney in Billboard, "and that's the road t…
1954-2005 Choreographer, dancer, master teacher Spears, Warren, photograph. Courtesy www.warrenspears.com. Reproduced by permission. A highly regarded dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Warren Spears created a variety of modern ballets. After spending his early years with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Spears went on to dance and choreograph for numerous companies in the United St…
Born 1955, in New York, NY; Education: Connecticut College, B.A. Artist, designer, and printmaker. Director, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. (Illustrator) Marc Mayer, Tom Boat [New York, NY], 1987. M Is for Moon, self-published, 1990. (Illustrator) Jon Robin Baitz, Whatever We Lose, Durham Press, 1998. One, Two, Three: A Counting Book, Tundra Books (Plattsburgh, NY), 2003. (Illustrator) Marthe Joc…
Born 1967, in Kansas City, MO; married Greg Leitich Smith (a children's author Cynthia Leitich Smith and patent lawyer), September 4, 1994. Education: University of Kansas—Lawrence, B.S., 1990; University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1994. Hobbies and other interests: Cats, superhero comic books, historic restoration and preservation. Office—P.O. Box 3255, Austin, TX 7…
Born 1994. Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A. (electrical engineering), 1989; University of Texas, Austin, M.A. (electrical engineering), 1991; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, J.D., 1974. Hobbies and other interests: Running. Greg Leitich Smith Office—P.O. Box 3255, Austin TX, 78764. Agent—Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown, Ltd., 10 Astor Place, New Yor…
Born in Hong Kong (now China); Education: Attended Brighton College of Art (Brighton, England). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Harcourt International, 6277 Sea Harbor Dr., Orlando, FL 32887. Illustrator. Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop: A Tale of a Very Greedy Cat, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2004. H. D. Andersen, reteller, The Emperor and the Nightingale, Bradbury Press (New York, NY), 1992. Barbar…
Armando Calderón Sol: 1948—: Former president of El Salvador. A wealthy lawyer from El Salvador, Armando Calderón Sol worked his way through the political system to serve first as mayor of the capital city, San Salvador, and later as president of the country from 1994 to 1999. Calderón Sol became the first peacetime president in El Salvador following a 12-year civil…
(L.J. Singleton, Jamie Suzanne, a house pseudonym) Born 1957; Linda Joy SigletonEducation: Telephone Company, Sacramento, CA, operator, 1975, word processor, 1975–82, staff clerk, 1982. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and other interests: Square dancing, boating, swimming, walking, reading, collecting series books, cats. Agent—Pesha Rubinstein, 1392 Rugby Rd., Teaneck, NJ 07666. Romance…
1934- Electrical engineer, physicist Dr. John Slaughter's career has in many ways traveled a wide circle, leading him from the radio repair shop that helped pay his college tuition, to high-tech electrical engineering jobs, and then back to school as the president of two nationally respected colleges. His most recent job, the presidency of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engin…
Male. Hobbies and other interests: Collecting old maps, water polo, roller coasters. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Deseret Book Company, P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0178. Writer. Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo (children's fiction), illustrated by Ben Sowards, Shadow Mountain (Salt Lake City, UT), 2005. Four more books in the "Foo" series, including book two, …
19??- Animator Smith, Bruce W., photograph. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission. Considered one of the leading talents among a new generation of animators, Bruce W. Smith has broadened the array of multicultural cartoon characters seen on television and in films. Through his Jambalaya Studio, he has created programs for children and families that focus on authentic depictions of life am…
1968- Actor, rap artist, film and television producer On television he was the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a streetwise Philadelphian sent to live with wealthy relatives in California. In real life he is Will Smith, a streetwise Philadelphian who has-by virtue of hard work and infectious charm-found stardom and wealth in Los Angeles. Smith has enjoyed vast success in two different fields of popular e…
1953- Family court judge Sparks, Corrine E., photograph. Courtesy of Judge Corrine E. Sparks. In 1987 Judge Corrine Sparks secured her spot in history by becoming the first African Nova Scotian to receive appointment to the judiciary and the first African Canadian female to serve on the bench. Sparks adjudicates family court cases relating to custody, child and spousal support, access, and child p…
Born 1949, in Fowler, KA; Education: Rutgers University, B.A. (magna cum laude), 1977. Politics: Republican. Religion: Protestant. Agent—Dorothy Markinko, McIntosh & Otis, Inc., 310 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017. Writer, 1978—; Lee-Smith Enterprises (land developers), Hamilton County, IN, partner, 1988—. Member of Mademoiselle marketing board, 1977-87. Society of Chi…
Born 1954, in CA; Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, reading, art. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Bloomsbury USA, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010. Children's book author. Camp Buccaneer, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Reader (New York, NY), 2002. The Last Burp of Mac McGerp, illustrated by Lizzy Bromley, Bloomsbury Children's Books (Ne…
Born 1969; Education: Attended Brooks Institute of Photography. Photographer and writer. Assistant to professional photographers, including Gregory Heisler; freelance photographer. Formerly worked on a cruise ship. Let's Play Basketball!, illustrated by Terry Widener, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA) 2004. Rim Shots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms, Dutton Children's Books (New Yo…
Name pronounced soon-pete; born 1970, in Seoul, South Korea; Education: Pratt Institute, B.F.A., 1992. Illustrator and author. Active presenter at schools and organizations. Pick of the List, American Booksellers Association (ABA), Top One Hundred Titles designation, New York Public Library, Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for the Social Studie…
Born 1927, in Lemoore, CA; foster Education: Whittier College, B.A., 1948; additional study at University of California, Berkeley, 1958-60. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Episcopalian. Hobbies and other interests: "My hobbies seem to change from time to time, but reading and travel remain among the top favorites. And of course writing which, besides being my occupation, is still and always w…
Born 1948, in Shrewesbury, Salop, England; Education: Attended Birmingham College of Arts. Religion: Roman Catholic. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Bloomsbury Publishing, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY, England. Author and illustrator. Graphic artist; designer of greeting cards and book jackets. Former illustrator for children's television program Rainbow. British Association of Illustrators…
1951— Human rights and environmental activist Damu Smith is founder and co-chair of Black Voices for Peace (BVFP), an organization of peace activists galvanized in response to the September 11th attacks in the United States. BVFP has goals to eliminate war and injustice in the world through a coalition of community groups and others who seek social, human, and economic equality and a peacef…
1912-2003 Political activist Walter Sisulu was one of South Africa's most important leaders in its decades-long struggle to end apartheid. A key figure in the African National Congress (ANC) of the 1940s, it was he who brought future South African president Nelson Mandela into the organization. Both Sisulu and Mandela were later imprisoned for 25 years by the South African government for th…
Born 1971, in Chicago, IL. Education: New York University, B.F.A. (film and journalism), 1991; San Francisco State University, M.S.B.A. (marketing), 1993; California State University, Dominguez Hills, graduate work toward M.A. (literature). Agent—c/o Author Mail, Delacorte Press, Dell Publishing, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Disney TV Animation, Los Angeles, CA, development assistant…
Born in Germany; immigrated to United States. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Orchard Books/Grolier, Inc., Scholastic Library Publishing, P.O. Box 1795, 90 Sherman Tpke, Danbury, CT 06816. Writer. Inclusion in Bank Street College of Education Diversity List for Children, 2004, for Finding My Hat. Finding My Hat, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 2004. John Son provides readers with an insightful coming-…
Born 1945, in Toledo, OH; Education: San Diego State University, graduated. Office—Suzy's Zoo, P.O. Box 85490, San Diego, CA 92186-5490 Artist and illustrator. Suzy's Zoo (greeting-card company), San Francisco, CA, president 1967—. San Diego Watercolor Society (founding member). Alphabethical Soup, Suzy's Zoo (San Diego, CA), 1995. Witzy and Zoom Zoom, Suzy�…
Born 1967, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada; Education: University of Saskatchewan, B.A. (with honors), 1989. Hobbies and other interests: Biking, t'ai chi, hockey. Advertising copywriter in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, 1990-95; writer, 1995—. Has also worked as a hotel night auditor, a radio copy writer, and a census taker. Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illust…
Born 1976, in Cincinnati, OH; mother an art history teacher. Education: Stanford University, B.A.; Iowa Writer's Workshop, M.F.A., 2001 Agent—c/o Author Mail, Random House, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Novelist. Writer-in-residence, St. Albans School, Washington, DC, 2002–03, English teacher, 2003–. Seventeen magazine fiction-writing contest, winner, 1992; winter,…
Born 1948, in Salem, OR; Education: Oregon State University, B.A. (with honors), 1970; graduate study at Sonoma State University and Oregon College of Education. Agent—Kendra Marcus, 67 Meadow View Dr., Orinda, CA 94563. Elementary school teacher in rural villages in Alaska, 1970–75; developer and illustrator of bilingual materials used in classrooms, 1975–81; freelance textb…
Born 1944, in Camilla, GA; Education: Grand Rapids Community College, A.A., 1981. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Seventh Day Adventist. Amway Corp., Ada, MI, telephone order clerk, 1980-85, service specialist, 1985-92; author and speaker, 1992—. Junior Library Guild selection, for The Hard-Times Jar. Down in the Piney Woods, Knopf (New York, NY), 1991. Moriah's Pond, Knopf (New York, …
Born 1950, in Queens, NY; Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Skidmore College, B.S., 1972; Stanford University, M.F.A., 1976. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Jewish. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Harcourt, 525 B St., Ste. 1900, San Diego, CA 92101. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, teaching assistant in painting and drawing, 1975-76; California State University, Northridge, CA, instr…
Born 1945; children: three. Agent—c/o Alexander & Smith Publishing, 4160 M 72 E., Williamsburg, MI 49690. Entrepreneur, speaker, and writer. Benjamin Franklin Award (sports/recreation category), Publishers Marketing Association, 1998, for Buck Wilder's Small Twig Hiking and Camping Guide: The Complete Introduction to the World of Hiking and Camping for Small Twigs of All Ages…
