By Michelle Lyons

Ohio has many notable authors I will cover six very interesting authors

who have an Ohio connection: Arnold Adoff Carolyn Keene/Mildred A. Wirt Benson Nikki Giovani Paul Laurence Dunbar R. L. Stine Toni Morrison

Born in South Bronx 1935

Started writing when he was 11 years old

Bachelor’s degree from City College of New York

Studied at Columbia University and New School for Social Research

Married Virginia Hamilton

Taught social studies for twelve years in New York

Compiled three anthologies of black poetry

First book of Poems was titled MA nDA LA

Created the first children’s book with an interracial family: Black is Brown is Tan

Currently lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio

Received the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children (1988)

Born in 1905 in Ladora, Iowa

Published first story at age 14

Attended the University of Iowa

Married Asa Wirt in 1928 and moved to Cleveland, Ohio

Asa Wirt died in 1947 Married George

Benson in 1949

Wrote the 23rd volume of Ruth Fielding series

Started writing a new series for Stratemeyer Syndicate: Nancy Drew

In 1980 a court case revealed Mildred as Carolyn Keene

Benson had written 23 of the first 30 Nancy Drew novels

Wrote for newspapers in Toledo, Ohio

Benson died in 2002

Yolanda Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni born in 1943 in Tennessee

Raised in Lincoln Heights, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio

Attended Fisk University in Tennessee and was dismissed

Returned to Cincinnati where she attended classes at Cincinnati University

Returned to Fisk University and received her degree in 1967.

Entered graduate school at University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University

First book of poetry published in 1968: Black Feeling, Black Talk

Poems for children publish in 1971: Spin a Soft Black Song

Taught English at Ohio State University

Was named a living legend by Oprah Winfrey

Born in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio

Attended Dayton Central High school

Published the “Dayton Tattler” with the Wright Brothers

Worked as an elevator operator at Dayton’s Callahan Building

First collection of poetry published in 1892: Oak and Ivy

Second collection of poetry published in 1895: Majors and Minors

The two collections were merged into one: Lyrics of a Lonely Life

Married Alice Ruth Moore Took a job at the Library of

Congress in Washington D.C. Separated from Alice in 1902 Died at the age of 33 in Dayton,

Ohio

Born in 1943 in Columbus, Ohio

Found an old typewriter when he was 9 and began writing stories and jokes for his friends

Attended Ohio State University and wrote for the humor magazine there

Moved to New York after graduating from Ohio State

First book was published in 1986: Blind Date

In 1989 began writing the Fear Street series

In 1992 began writing the Goosebumps series

In 1999 began writing The Nightmare Room series

Has won awards such as the Kids Choice Awards for both Nickelodeon and Disney Adventures Kids

Chloe Anthony Wofford born in 1931 in Lorain, Ohio

Graduated from Lorain High School with honors

Attended Howard University

She was tired of people mispronouncing her first name so she changed her name to Toni (shortened version of her middle name)

Earned her master’s degree from Cornell University

Married Harold Morrison Divorced Harold in 1964 Her first novel was

published in 1970: The Bluest Eye

Received the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her novel Beloved

Received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993

Many Ohio authors can be found at your local library. I encourage you to read the books by these authors and other Ohio authors as well. You can find a list of authors for students at Ohio Reading Road Trip and all Ohio authors at Ohioana Library.