Author Focus: A.A. Milne

A.A. Milne was an English writer best known for his children's books based on his character Winnie the Pooh. He was born Alan Alexander Milne on January 18th, 1882, in London, England, to John Vince Milne, a private school headmaster, and Sarah Marie Milne. He had two older brothers. A.A. Milne was educated at Henley House School, then Westminster School in London, and eventually the University of Cambridge's Trinity College. While at Cambridge, he realized that he wanted to pursue a writing career and began writing for the magazine Punch. He served in World War I, and after returning to London he met and married Dorothy de Selincourt. They had a son, named Christopher Robin.

One of A.A. Milne's teachers at Henley House School where his father was headmaster was H.G. Wells, the famous author who went on to write The War of the Worlds.
While at Cambridge A.A. Milne edited and wrote for Granta, the student magazine.
A.A. Milne played on an English cricket team with two authors who also became famous: Arthur Conan Doyle and J.M. Barrie.
A.A. Milne became a contributor to Punch magazine after graduating from Cambridge, and also became assistant editor.
While working at Punch, A.A. Milne wrote a total of three novels and 18 plays.
In 1913 A.A. Milne and Dorothy de Selincourt married and had a baby boy in 1920. Christopher Robin Milne would become the inspiration for A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh series.
In 1924 A.A. Milne published a collection of his children's poems titled When We Were Very Young. The poems were illustrated by a cartoonist from Punch magazine.
In 1925 A.A. Milne moved his family to a country home in Hartfield, East Sussex, named Cotchford Farm.
A.A. Milne created the character Winnie the Pooh after his son's stuffed bear and a swan. The stuffed bear was originally named Edward, but was renamed after the Canadian black bear Winnie that was left in London's zoo after World War I. The name Pooh came from a swan.
All the characters in A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books were inspired by toys that his son Christopher Robin played with, including Tigger, Roo, Kanga, Eeyore, and Piglet.
The stuffed animals that belonged to Christopher Robin, and which inspired the Winnie the Pooh books, are on display in New York.
Winnie the Pooh was first published in 1926. In 1928 The House at Pooh Corner was published.
In 1958 Winnie the Pooh won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.
A.A. Milne published a variety of works including novels, non-fiction, magazine articles, short story collections for children and adults, poems, poetry collections, and many plays and screenplays.
A.A. Milne died on January 31st, 1956, at the age of 74. In 1952 he had suffered from a stroke, and brain surgery had left him an invalid up until the time of his death.
The rights to the Winnie the Pooh book characters were eventually sold to Walt Disney Company and Winnie the Pooh went on to become one of their most valuable fictional characters. By 2005 Winnie the Pooh had generated more than $6 billion in that year alone.

Author Focus: Judy Blume

Judy Blume is an American writer best known for her young adult novels tackling controversial issues such as Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. She is also known for her children's books and controversial adult novels such as Wifey. She was born Judith Sussman on February 12th, 1938 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Esther, a homemaker, and Ralph Sussman, a dentist. She admits to spending a lot of time making up stories in her head as a child. She graduated in 1956 from Battin High School, and then attended New York University. She graduated with a bachelor's in Education in 1961. Despite being a lifelong reader, she didn't begin to write professionally until after her children began preschool.

Judy met her first husband at New York University and married him during the summer of her freshman year. His name was John Blume and they had two children Randy Lee and Lawrence Andrew.
While married to John Blume, Judy began to work as a teacher and writer.
Judy Blume's first published book was published in 1969 titled The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo. It was a children's book about a middle child named Freddy Dissel.
In 1970 Iggie's House was published. It was a young adult novel dealing with racism.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was a young adult novel about issues that pre-teen females face. It was published in 1970. This book was added to Time's top 100 fiction books written in English since 1923, in 2010.
Then Again, Maybe I Won't was published in 1971. This young adult novel dealt with male puberty.
Freckle Juice was published in 1971. It was a children's book about a second grader.
In 1972 Judy Blume published Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and was the first in her 'Fudge' children's series. She followed this book with Superfudge (1980), Fudge-a-Mania (1990). and Double Fudge (2002).
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, a children's novel with characters from the 'Fudge' series, was published in 1972.
Judy Blume published many more books in the 1970s including Deenie (1973), The Pain and the Great One (1974), Blubber (1974), Forever (1975), Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself (1977), and Wifey (1978).
In the 1980s Judy Blume continued publishing books including Superfudge (1980), Tiger Eyes (1981), The Judy Blume Diary (1981), Smart Woman (1983), Letters to Judy (1986), and Just as Long as We're Together (1987).
Judy Blume published several books in the 1990s including Fudge-a-mania (1990), Here's to You, Rachel Robinson (1993), Summer Sisters (1998), and Places I Never Meant to Be (1999).
Judy Blume wrote Double Fudge (2002), Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One (2007), Going, Going, Gone! (2008), and In The Unlikely Event which is due for release in 2015.
Both Wifey and Smart Women made it to the top of The New York Times bestseller lists, with Wifey selling more than 4 million copies.
Judy Blume has won more than 90 awards for her writing and contributions to literature.

Astrid Lindgren: Author of the day

Astrid Lindgren was a Swedish author best known for her children's book series Pippi Longstocking. She was born Astrid Anna Emilia Ericsson on November 14th, 1907, to Samuel August Ericsson, and Hanna Jonsson. She grew up with two sisters and a brother in Näs, near Vimmerby, Småland, Sweden. After graduating from school Astrid worked at a local newspaper, and then moved to Stockholm where she became a stenographer and typist. She worked as both a journalist and secretary before becoming focusing on writing full-time. She won first prize for her chapter book Pippi Longstocking in a 1944 contest held by Rabén & Sjögren, who also went on to publish the book.

Astrid discovered she was pregnant in 1926, and after rejecting the marriage proposal by the father, she moved to Stockholm. Her son Lars was born, and she continued to work, visiting him as often as possible while he lived in Copenhagen with a foster family. She eventually took Lars to live with her parents, until she was able to raise him herself.
In 1931 Astrid married Sture Lindgren. He was also her boss. They had a daughter named Karin.
Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking series became one of the most-loved children's series of all time. Astrid wrote three full-length Pippi Longstocking novels including Pippi Longstocking (1945), Pippi Goes Aboard (1946), and Pippi in the South Seas (1948).
Astrid Lindgren also wrote three picture books in the Pippi Longstocking series including Pippi on the Run (1971), Pippi's After Christmas Party (1950), and Pippi Longstocking in the Park (2001).
Several short books and picture books have been created from the original three Pippi Longstocking books.
A movie adaptation of Pippi Longstocking was produced in 1949, starring Viveca Serlachius.
Astrid went on to write many more books, including the ones she is best known for: the series Karisson-on-the-Roof, the series Bill Bergson, and the single titles Emil of Lonneberga, Madicken, Ronia the Robber's Daughter, Seacrow Island, The Six Bullerby Children, Mio My Son, and The Brothers Lionheart.
Astrid worked at the publishing company that would publish Pippi Longstocking. She was a children's book editor.
In 1967, on Astrid Lindgren's 60th birthday, her publisher Rabén & Sjögren established the Astrid Lindgren Prize for children's authors. It is an annual prize still being awarded each year in Sweden.
A large number of films and even TV series have been made that were based on Astrid Lindgren's work.
In honor of Astrid Lindgren, Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh named a minor planet after her. It was discovered in 1978 and is called 3204 Lindgren.
Astrid Lindgren died on January 28, 2002, at the age of 94, in Stockholm, Sweden.
A memorial sculpture of Astrid was designed and placed next to her childhood residence. It is called "Källa Astrid" which means "Astrid's Wellspring."
Only 100 meters from Astrid's Wellspring is The Astrid Lindgren Museum.
A theme park exists in Vimmerby (near where she was born) called Astrid Lindgren's World.
Junibacken is a museum in Stockholm is mainly in honor of Astrid Lindgren's work. There is a train ride that takes passengers though Astrid's worlds from her novels.

Author of the Day: Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming was an English writer and naval intelligence officer best known for creating the James Bond character in his series of spy novels. He was born Ian Fleming, on May 28th, 1908 in London, England's wealthy Mayfair district, to Evelyn St Croix Rose and Valentine Fleming, a member of Parliament. Ian had an older brother Peter and two younger brothers Michael and Richard. His father died while serving during World War I. Ian attended Eton College, and then an elite military academy Sandhurst. He later worked for Reuters, and then in high finance, before becoming a spy during World War II. His experiences as a spy are believed to have helped shape his famous James Bond series of novels.

While working for British Naval Intelligence he was the assistant to Admiral John Godfrey, whom many believe to be the character 'M' in Ian's James Bond series.
Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel Casino Royale was published in 1953. He wrote the book a year earlier while on vacation at his home. His home was called Goldeneye after a military mission.
Ian Fleming married Anne Rothermere and had their first and only child Caspar in 1952.
Ian Fleming wrote the story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to entertain his son Caspar.
Ian Fleming's second super spy novel Live and Let Die was published in 1954.
Moonraker was published in 1955 and Diamonds are Forever was published in 1956. Ian Fleming's spy novels soon became a favorite series for many readers, including United States President John F. Kennedy, and Prince Philip in England.
Ian Fleming wrote 12 James Bond novels, as well as several short stories about his famous spy.
In 1962 Dr. No was released as a movie with Sean Connery playing James Bond 007. The James Bond franchise is one of the longest running film franchises in history.
Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds are Forever, From Russia, with Love, The Diamond Smugglers, Dr. No, Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Thrilling Cities, You Only Live Twice, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, The Man with the Golden Gun, and Octopussy and the Living Daylights.
After his death, other writers continued the James Bond character.
Ian Fleming had a heart attack in 1962, the same year that Dr. No was released. He died in 1964 in Canterbury, England, never knowing how successful his James Bond character would be in future decades in movies. He was only 56 and had been a heavy smoker and drinker and had heart disease as a result.
During Ian Fleming's lifetime his novels sold more than 30 million copies. In the two years after he died that number doubled. His books have sold more than 100 million copies to date.
James Bond has been played by several actors including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, and Daniel Craig.
Ian Fleming Publications established the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award in 2002 for a spy, adventure, or thriller novel originally published in the UK.

Author Focus: Enid Blyton

Enid Mary Blyton, the English best-selling children's author, was born on August 11th, 1897 in East Dulwich, London, England. Her father Thomas Carey Blyton was a cutlery salesman and her mother was Theresa Mary Harrison Blyton. She had two younger brothers named Hanly and Carey. Enid's father is credited with instilling a love of nature in her, as well as art, gardening, music, theatre, and literature. Enid's mother left when she was 13. In school Enid was a tennis champion and lacrosse captain, and although she was not an academic she did well in writing. Enid entered a poetry competition in 1911 and received encouragement to write more. In 1915 Enid moved out of her home and began pursuing a teaching career while she continued to write. Her first poems were published in 1916, marking the beginning of her writing career, despite the fact that she would support herself as a teacher for many years.

In 1921 Enid Blyton won the Saturday Westminster Review writing competition. Her essay "On the Popular Fallacy that to the Pure All Things are Pure" won the contest and other publications began showing interest in her writing.
Child Whispers was Enid Blyton's first published book. It was a collection of poems, illustrated by her friend Phyllis Chase, and published in 1922.
In 1922 Enid Blyton was hired to write annuals for Cassel and George Newnes. She was also published for the first time in Teachers' World.
In 1923 her poetry was published with greats such as Walter de la Mare, G.K. Chesterton and Rudyard Kipling.
Several more books written by Enid Blyton were published in the 1920s including Real Fairies (1923), The Enid Blyton Book of Fairies (1924), and Book of Brownies/ (1926).
Enid Blyton married Major Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO on August 28th, 1924. Her husband was the editor of her publisher George Newnes.
Major Hugh Alexander Pollock was the editor who asked Enid to write an animal book. She wrote The Zoo Book which she finished a month before their wedding.
Enid and Hugh moved to Old Thatch (name of their home), in Peterswood, in 1929.
Enid and Hugh's first daughter Gillian was born in 1931. Their second daughter Imogen was born in 1935.
Enid Blyton's successful book series Old Thatch began with the publication of The Talking Teapot and Other Tales, which was published in 1934. The series had a total of 28 books.
Enid Blyton's first full-length adventure novel was The Secret Island. It was published in 1938.
Her writing career flourished and she was said to have written as many as 10,000 words of publishable work in only one day.
Enid Blyton wrote books in a variety of genres including mystery, circus, detective, fairy tales, nature, and animal.
Enid and Hugh divorced and Enid married Darrell Waters in 1943.
In 1957 Enid's health began to deteriorate. Her husband's health declined in the 60s and he died in 1967.
Enid Blyton died on November 28th, 1968 at the age of 71.
Enid Blyton's books have sold more than 600 million copies.

Author of the day: E.M. Forster

E. M. Forster was an English writer best known for his novels Howards End and A Passage to India. He was born Edward Morgan Forster on January 1st, 1879 in Marylebone, Middlesex, England, to Alice Clara (nee Whichelo) Forster, and Edward Morgan Llewellyn Forster, an architect. His father died before he was two years old. He attended Tonbridge School in Kent, and then King's College in Cambridge from 1897 to 1901. After graduating from university he traveled with his mother in Europe. His first novel was published in 1905, titled Where Angels Fear to Tread. He went on to write four more novels, the next three of which were written by 1914.

In 1887 he inherited a large sum of money, which enabled him to spend time working on his writing career when he was older.
In 1914 when E. M. Forster traveled to Egypt, Germany, and India with Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson, he had already written four of his five novels.
E. M. Forster volunteered with the International Red Cross during the First World War, and was stationed in Alexandria, Egypt.
In the early 1920s E. M. Forster was Tukojirao III's private secretary. He wrote The Hill of Devil, a non-fiction memoir of his experience as private secretary to the Maharajah of Dewas (Tukojirao III).
Upon his return to London from India E. M. Forster wrote his novel A Passage to India, which was published in 1924.
E. M. Forster won the James Tait Black memorial Prize for fiction for A Passage to India.
E. M. Forster became a broadcaster on BBC Radio from the 1930s to the 1940s. George Orwell commissioned his weekly book review, establishing E. M. Forster as a critic. In 1937 Forster received the Benson Medal.
E. M. Forster was friends with other writers including Siegfried Sassoon (a poet), Forrest Reid (novelist), and Christopher Isherwood.
E. M. Forster lived with his mother from 1925 until she died at the age of 90, in 1945.
In January, 1946 E. M. Forster was appointed as an honorary fellow of King's College in Cambridge.
In 1949 Forster declined being knighted, but in 1953 he was made a Companion of Honour.
In 1969 E. M. Forster became a member of the Order of Merit.
E. M. Forster had five novels published during his lifetime including Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905), The Longest Journey (1907), A Room with a View (1908), Howards End (1910), and A Passage to India (1924).
A sixth novel titled Maurice was published after E. M. Forster died. Although published in 1971, E. M. Forster wrote the novel in 1913 to 1914.
E. M. Forster also wrote short stories, plays, film scripts, essay collections, biographies, travel guides, and a novel that was not completed titled Arctic Summer.
E. M. Forster died at the age of 91, on June 7th, 1970. He died of a stroke, while at the home of his friends Bob and Mary Buckinghams, in Coventry.
E. M. Forster edited an edition of Eliza Fay's letters from India, which was published in 1925. He described her letters as "little character sketches... delightfully malicious."

Author Spotlight: Eric Carle

Eric Carle, the author and illustrator of the famous children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, was born on June 25th, 1929 in Syracuse, New York to his parents were Erich and Johanna Carle. When he was only six his family returned to Germany, where he was educated as a child and where he later graduated from a local art school. In 1952 Eric returned to the United States, arriving in New York City with a mere $40 in his pocket. He worked as a graphic designer for The New York Times, and as an art director for an advertising agency before being noticed by Bill Martin Jr., an author who asked Eric to work on the book Brown Bear, Brown bear, What Do You See? The book became a best-seller and Eric Carle's career as a children's author/illustrator began.

Eric Carle's first book as both the author and illustrator was 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo (1968), followed by The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969).
Eric Carle's art is so distinct in style that it is easy to recognize. He uses a collage technique, with hand-painted paper and cut-out images that he layers into images.
Eric Carle's children's books are often inspired by nature, and are educational, but also identify with a child's feelings, creativity, and natural inquisitiveness.
In 1970 Eric Carle had four books published including Pancakes, Pancakes!, The Tiny Seed, Tales of the Nimipoo, and The Boastful Fisherman.
In 1971 Eric Carle had three books published including Feathered Ones and Furry, The Scarecrow Clock, and Do You Want to Be My Friend?.
In 1972 Eric Carle had five books published including Rooster's Off to See the World, The Very Long Tail, The Very Long Train, The Secret Birthday Message, and Walter the Baker.
In 1973 Eric Carle had three books published including Do Bears Have Mothers Too?, Have You Seen My Cat?, and I See a Song.
In 1974 Eric Carle had a collection of books published including titles My Very First Book of Numbers, My Very First Book of Colors, My Very First Book of Shapes, and My Very First Book of Words. It was a series meant to teach children through a game-like approach. Why Noah Chose the Dove and All About Arthur were also published that year.
Eric Carle has continued to publish children's books almost every year including more than 57 titles, equaling more than 70 books.
Eric Carle was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to children's literature in the United States in 2003.
The book The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been translated into more than 50 languages around the world. It has sold more than 33 million copies worldwide.
Eric Carle's books are estimated to have sold more than 103 million copies worldwide, with that number climbing every year.
Eric Carle has been awarded Honorary Degrees from Smith College, Bates College, Niagara University, College of Our Lady the Elms and Appalachian State University.
Eric Carle has won numerous awards for specific books including the prestigious First Prize for Picture Books from the International Children's Book Fair in Bologna, Italy.

Edward Lear is our Author Focus today

Edward Lear was an English writer, artist, and musician best known for his nonsense -style poetry and literature, as in his poem "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat". He was born May 12th, 1812 in Middlesex, England, to Jeremiah Lear and Ann Clark Skerrett. He was the second last child of 21 to be born to his parents, and he was raised by his older sister Ann from the time he was four years old due to limited family finances. Edward suffered from epilepsy, asthma, and bronchitis, which led to bouts of depression throughout his life. By the time he was 16 years old, Edward was earning money with his drawings, and he was only 19 when his first publication of his artwork was released titled Parrots (1830).

Edward Lear's life as an author began in 1846 when his volume of limericks titled A Book of Nonsense was published.
Edward Lear's book A Book of Nonsense helped to popularize the limerick itself, as well as the literary nonsense genre of writing.
Edward Lear's limericks usually have the same last word in the first and fifth line.
Edward Lear's most famous nonsense poem was "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat", published in his book Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets (1871).
"The Owl and the Pussy-Cat" was written for Edward Lear's friend's daughter Janet Symonds. She was three years old at the time and the daughter of poet John Addington Symonds. In the poem the word "runcible" was invented and used for the first time.
"The Owl and the Pussy-Cat" has been set to music and recorded many times since it was written, and has been made into a cartoon, and mentioned in many different forms of media including films, albums, and TV shows.
Edward Lear's nonsense books became popular during his lifetime, and many credit him with making the limerick popular.
The Book of Nonsense was written for the Earl of Derby's grandchildren. Edward was living at the Earl's residence for many years.
Edward Lear's painting The Plains of Lombardy from Monte Generoso rests in Oxford at the Ashmolean Museum.
Edward Lear played a variety of instruments including the piano, guitar, flute, and the accordion. He was known for creating music for Tennyson's poetry.
Edward Lear had a fascination with illustrating Tennyson's poems. He eventually published a small volume of these illustrations.
Edward Lear traveled to Greece, Egypt, India, Ceylon, Switzerland, Italy and eventually settled on the Mediterranean coastal town of San Remo where he lived in a villa he named Villa Tennyson.
Edward Lear died in 1888 after 18 years of suffering from heart disease, on top of all the other health issues he suffered from since childhood. He was also partially blind.
Edward Lear never married, but had friends instead.
Edward Lear's work includes three volumes of A Book of Nonsense, The Jumblies, His Shoes Were Far Too Tight, The Quangle Wangle's Hat, There Was an Old Man, Bisky Bats and Pussy Cats, The Pobble who Has No Toes, and many other books.

Author Focus: Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a British writer best known for his children's literature including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and for becoming a bestselling author world-wide. He was born September 13th, 1916 in Cardiff, Wales to Harald Dahl and Sofie Magdalene Dahl, Norwegian immigrants to Wales. Roald had three sisters, one of whom died when Dahl was three. His father died only weeks later of pneumonia. After getting in trouble at school with four friends, he went to boarding school in England. In school Roald was not believed to be a talented writer. Although he could have gone on to be educated at Oxford or Cambridge he chose to go to work in faraway places after graduating from high school. He worked for Shell Oil in Africa, went on an expedition to Newfoundland, as a fighter pilot during World War II. A crash and serious injuries sent him to Washington where he met C.S. Forrester, a famous author who encouraged Roald to write.

Roald Dahl was named after the Norwegian hero Roald Amundsen, a polar explorer.
When only eight years old Roald and four friends were caned after putting a mouse in a candy jar of gobstoppers in a sweet shop owned by Mrs. Pratchett. They called it the Great Mouse Plot of 1924.
Roald Dahl wrote about his time at boarding school in his autobiography titled Boy: Tales of Childhood.
While in school Cadbury often sent new chocolates for the students to try. Roald was one of the students at the school at the time and he dreamed of inventing a new chocolate bar that Mr. Cadbury would love.
In his early writing career Roald Dahl wrote stories and articles for magazines such as The New Yorker, and in the publication Saturday Evening Post.
Roald's early writing was geared towards adult readers.
Roald Dahl's first children's book was The Gremlins, published in 1942. Because it wasn't very successful Roald returned to writing for adults.
In 1953 Roald Dahl's bestselling collection of short stories titled Someone Like You was published.
Roald Dahl married Patricia Neal in 1953. She was an Academy Award winning actress. They had five children together.
Roald Dahl's children's book titled James and the Giant Peach was published in 1961 and this book established him as a children's writer.
Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was published in 1964.
Roald Dahl's wife had several brain hemorrhages in the 1960s and he stayed by her side through the long recovery.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was adapted for film in 1971 as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and again in 2005.
James and the Giant Peach was adapted for film in 1996.
Roald Dahl wrote many children's stories including The Magic Finger (1966), Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970), Charlie and the Glass Elevator (1972), Danny, the Champion of the World (1975), The Enormous Crocodile (1978), The Twits (1980), George's Marvelous Medicine (1981), The BFG (1982), The Witches (1983), The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (1985), Matilda (1988), Esio Trot (1989), The Vicar of Nibbleswicke (1990), and The Minpins (1991).
Roald Dahl also wrote children's poetry, non-fiction, film scripts, short story collections, television scripts, plays, a radio serial, and adult fiction novels.
Roald Dahl died on November 23rd, 1990 at the age of 74 from a blood disease. He was buried with several items, including burgundy and chocolate, and HB pencils.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Daniel DeFoe

Daniel DeFoe was an English writer trader, and spy, best known for his novels Moll Flanders and Robinson Crusoe. He was born Daniel Foe, in approximately 1660 in London, England, to James Foe, a butcher, and Annie Foe. While still a child Daniel witnessed the Great Plague of London, the Great Fire of London, and the 1667 Dutch raid on the Medway. His mother died by the time Daniel was ten years old. Daniel was educated at a boarding school in Surrey, and went on to become a trader of various goods. He married and had 8 children. Daniel became William III's close ally and spy and he began publishing works that defended the king. He spent time in prison for his political work and in later life focused on writing.

Daniel Defoe changed his last name from Foe to Defoe because he felt it was a more aristocratic-sounding name.

Daniel Defoe's first literary piece was published as a pamphlet in 1683.

Daniel Defoe's novels include Robinson Crusoe (1719), The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719), The King of Pirates (1719), Captain Singleton (1720), Memoirs of a Cavalier (1720), A Journal of the Plague Year (1722), Colonel Jack(1722), Moll Flanders (1722), and Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress (1724).

Daniel Defoe's non-fiction journalism work includes The Storm (1704), The Consolidator (1705), Atlantis Major (1711), The Family Instructor (1715), Memoirs of the Church of Scotland (1717), The History of the Remarkable Life of John Sheppard(1724), A Narrative of all the Robberies, Escapes, & c. of John Sheppard (1724), The Pirate Gow (1725), and several more. His work The Storm is considered by many to be the first great piece of journalism reporting ever written.

It was once believed that the character Robinson Crusoe was based upon the author himself Daniel Defoe. Daniel was approximately 59 years old when Robinson Crusoewas published.

The true inspiration for Robinson Crusoe's character is unknown but some believe it may have been inspired by the Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk, or Robert Knox, a shipwrecked sailor, or a book written by Ibn Tufail.

Daniel Defoe was often in financial trouble, despite making a good living as a trader, a spy for the king, and a writer. He even spent time in jail for his debts at one point.

Daniel Defoe was sent to prison many times for his political writing in 1713. Some of Daniel Defoe's most popular writing of the time was published in the periodical the Review (1704-1713).

During his writing career Daniel Defoe is believed to have used at least 198 pseudonyms for his published work, which included novels, non-fiction, pamphlets, essays and poems.

Daniel Defoe died on April 24th, 1731. It is believed he was hiding from creditors when he died of a stroke.

Many of Daniel Defoe's characters have been brought to life on screen and on stage. Robinson Crusoe and his adventures being shipwrecked inspired countless other tales and literature.

Some people credit Daniel Defoe as having written the very first English novel.

Author Focus: Doris Lessing

Doris Lessing was a British Nobel Prize winning writer best known for her novel The Grass is Singing, and her series of novels Children of Violence. She was born Doris May Taylor on October 22nd, 1919 in Kermanshah, Persia to Captain Alfred Taylor, a World War I veteran, and Emily Maude Taylor, a nurse. In 1925 the family moved to Zimbabwe to farm. Doris attended the Dominican Convent High School until she was 14 and those to be self-educated. She began working as a nursemaid at 15. In 1937 she took a job as a telephone operator, married Frank Wisdom, and had two children. They divorced and she remarried and had another child. When her second marriage ended, she moved to London in 1949 with her youngest son. Her first novel The Grass is Singing was published in 1950.

Doris Lessing began to sell short stories to magazines at the age of 15.
Doris Lessing published several books in the 1950s, before her breakthrough book was published in 1962. These titles include This was the Old Chief's Country (1951), Martha Quest (1952), Five: Short Novels (1953), A Proper Marriage (1954), A Retreat to Innocence (1956), The Habit of Loving (1957), Going Home (1957), A Ripple from the Storm (1958), Fourteen Poems (1959), In Pursuit of the English (1960), and Play with a Tiger (1962).
Doris Lessing's breakthrough novel was The Golden Notebook. It was published in 1962.
While trying to make a point about how difficult it is for new writers to be published, Doris submitted two novels, The Diary of a Good Neighbour, and If the Old Could, to her publisher in the UK under the penname Jane Somers. They were both rejected.
Both rejected novels were later published by other publishers in the United States and in England.
Doris Lessing went on to write and publish more than 55 novels. She wrote fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, autobiographies, and opera. She wrote in many genres including fantasy, science fiction, and the women's movement, among other topics.
Doris Lessing was known for speaking her mind on most topics. She was even forbidden from entering South Africa for a time because of her outspoken views against white minority rule.
Doris Lessing won many awards in her lifetime including the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. She was 88 years old at the time and was the oldest winner of the prize in literature at the time. She was also only the 11th woman to win the prize in literature.
Doris Lessing won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1954, the Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 1981, the WH Smith Literary Award in 1986, the Palermo Prize in 1987, the Premio Grinzane Cavour in 1989, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for biography in 1995, the Los Angeles Time Book Prize in 1995, the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1999, the David Cohen Prize in 2001, and several more.
Doris Lessing died on November 17th, 2013, in London, England, at the age of 94.

Author Spotlight: C.S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis (Clive Staples Lewis) was one of the most influential writers of his time, most well-known for the series The Chronicles of Narnia. He was born on November 29th, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland to Albert James Lewis and Florence Augusta Lewis. In 1908 C.S. Lewis' mother died and he was sent to England to school. In 1910 he enrolled at Campbell College in Belfast, but respiratory problems caused him to leave the school. He later joined the army was discharged after being wounded in the Battle of Arras. His writing career began in 1919 and continued until his death in 1963.

C.S. Lewis' first book was published in 1919, titled Spirits in Bondage. He published the book under the pseudonym Clive Hamilton.
In 1921 C.S. Lewis met W.B. Yeats.
C.S. Lewis graduated from Oxford University and was offered a teaching position at Magdalen College at Oxford in 1925.
While teaching at Magdalen C.S. Lewis joined a group of writers and intellectuals including J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis' own brother Warren Lewis. They called themselves The Inklings.
In 1926 C.S. Lewis published Dymer, another book under the pseudonym Clive Hamilton.
C.S. Lewis won the Hawthornden Prize for his book The Allegory of Love, released in 1936.
C.S. Lewis wrote his first science fiction book titled Out of the Silent Planet which was published in 1938. It was the first book in a trilogy.
During World War II C.S. Lewis broadcast popular radio shows on the subject of Christianity. The speeches were published in the book Mere Christianity.
C.S. Lewis began publishing the series The Chronicles of Narnia in the 1950s. The first book The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, was published in 1950.
The rest of the books in the Narnia series include Prince Caspian (1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), The Silver Chair (1953), The Horse and His Boy (1954), The Magician's Nephew (1955), and The Last Battle (1956).
C.S. Lewis began teaching at Cambridge University in 1954 as a literature professor.
C.S. Lewis married Joy Gresham in 1956. She was an American English teacher.
C.S. Lewis' wife died in 1960 of cancer. His grief was shared in the book A Grief Observed, published under a pen name NW Clark.
Theologians and scholars have held C.S. Lewis' books Miracles and The Great Divorce in high regard.
C.S. Lewis became ill in 1961 with blood poisoning from inflamed kidneys. In 1962 his health began to improve.
On July 15th, 1963 C.S. Lewis fell ill and went to the hospital. He had a heart attack the next day.
After release from the hospital he resigned from his teaching position at Cambridge. On November 22, 1963 he passed away at the age of 64.
C.S. Lewis' death was overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Aldous Huxley, another famous author, died on the same day.
In 1979 The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was released in cartoon format and in 1989 the BBC released a film series.

Author Focus: Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler is a best-selling American adventure novelist. He was born on July 5th, 1931 in Aurora, Illinois, and grew up in Alhambra, California. Following two years at Pasadena City College he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served during the Korean War as a flight engineer and aircraft mechanic. After the war he was a copywriter and creative director at ad agencies and was writing commercials for TV and radio. He began writing fiction in 1965 and in 1973 his first novel was published. In addition to his writing career Clive Cussler founded the National Underwater & Marine Agency (NUMA), an organization that is devoted to naval and maritime history.

Clive Cussler and Barbara Knight were married in 1955 and had three children together: Teri, Dirk and Dayna. They were married for almost 50 years, until Barbara passed away in 2003.
Clive Cussler won an award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival while writing and producing TV and radio commercials for ad agencies.
Clive Cussler's first non-fiction book published, The Sea Hunters, earned him a Doctor of Letters degree. In 1997 the State University of New York Maritime College's Board of Directors accepted the book in place of a Ph. D thesis, and gave him the degree.
Because of Clive Cussler's dedication to marine exploration he was awarded the Naval Heritage Award in 2002 by the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation.
Clive Cussler began writing in 1965, after his children and gone to bed and while his wife was working.
Clive Cussler's most famous character in his books is Dirk Pitt. The first Dirk Pitt novel was titled The Mediterranean Caper and was published in 1973. He has written more than 20 books in the Dirk Pitt series.
Clive Cussler's son Dirk co-authored several book in the Dirk Pitt series including Black Wind (2004), Treasure of Khan (2006), Arctic Drift (2008), Crescent Dawn (2010), Poseidon's Arrow (2012), and Havana Storm (2014).
Clive Cussler's series The NUMA Files features a character named Kurt Austin, NUMAs team leader. They are adventure novels featuring NUMA, the organization founded by Clive Cussler. There are more than 11 books in this series including Serpent (1999), Blue Gold (2000), Fire Ice (2002), White Death (2003), Lost City (2004), Polar Shift (2005), The Navigator (2007), Medusa (2009), Devil's Gate (2011), The Storm (2012), Zero Hour (2013), and Ghost Ship (2014).
Clive Cussler has written several more book series including The Oregon Files (10 books), Isaac Bell Adventures (8 books), and Fargo Adventures (7 books).
Clive Cussler's non-fiction work includes The Sea Hunters, Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed, The Sea Hunters II, and Built for Adventure: The Classic Automobiles of Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt.
Clive Cussler is a classic car collector. He has a collection of more than 100 classic cars located in his museum near Golden, Colorado.
Clive Cussler has written children's books including The Adventures of Vin Fiz (2006), and The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy (2010).
Clive Cussler's books Raise the Titanic, and Sahara were made into movies.

Author Focus: J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, was born on July 31st, 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. She was born Joanne Rowling to Peter James Rowling and Anne Rowling. J.K. Rowling grew up in Chepstow, Gwent and later earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Exeter. She began writing the outline for the Harry Potter series while on a train from Manchester to London King's Cross. Following a brief marriage in which she has her first child, J. K. Rowling wrote her first book Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone. It was published in 1997, and soon became the first book in one of the most popular children's book series of all time.

For a brief period J. K. Rowling taught English in Portugal. There she met her first husband, and had a child.
After the marriage ended she returned to England, with three chapters of the first Harry Potter book complete.
J. K. Rowling was financially poor for a time, living on welfare. It was during this time that she completed the manuscript for the first Harry Potter book.
J. K. Rowling did not publish under her name Joanne Rowling because the publisher thought boys might not buy a book written by a woman. Her name was shortened to J. and the K. was added even though she had no middle name. The letter K was chosen because Joanne's grandmother's name was Kathleen.
The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets became No. 1 in adult hardcovers within 30 days of publication in July 1998.
In July 1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published and became a bestseller as quickly as the second book had the year before.
The Harry Potter series continued with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (2007).
J. K. Rowling wrote two more Harry Potter volumes titled Quidditch Through the Ages, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The proceeds went to Comic Relief after being published in 2001.
Because of J. K. Rowling's contribution to children's literature she has won several awards including the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, the Hans Christian Anderson Literature Award, and France's Légion d'Honneur.
J. K. Rowling published an adult novel titled The Casual Vacancy in 2012.
J. K. Rowling writes under a pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The first book was a crime novel titled The Cuckoo's Calling (2013). A second crime novel under her pseudonym is in the works.
In 2001 J. K. Rowling married Neil Murray. She has two daughters and one son.
J. K. Rowling established the Volant Charitable Trust in 2000. It has a budget of 5.1 million pounds and is meant to help combat child poverty as well as social inequality.
J. K. Rowling has received several honorary degrees from several universities including Harvard University, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Aberdeen, and St. Andrews University.
J. K. Rowling's net worth is estimated at more than $1 billion, with the majority of her money coming from the Harry Potter series and movies.

Author Focus: Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary, the author of the Ramona book series and the Henry Huggins books series, was born on April 12th, 1916 in McMinnville, Oregon. She was born Beverly Atlee Bunn, in a town so tiny there was not even a library. She took a librarian's advice to 'become a children's writer when she grew up'. Beverly attended Chaffey College in Ontario, California in 1934, and earned an Associate of Arts degree. She became a librarian and attended the University of California at Berkeley where she earned a B.A. in English in 1938. She went on to earn a library science degree in 1939 from the University of Washington. Her first book Henry Huggins was published in 1950.

Part of Beverly Cleary's passion for writing children's stories was due to her compassion for young people who struggle with their reading skills. She found many of the 'required' reading books boring, and wanted to write books that children would enjoy reading, and characters that children would identify with.
Beverly Cleary has said that she found inspiration for her characters from her real life experiences.
Beverly Cleary married Clarence Cleary in 1940. They eloped because her parents wanted her to marry someone else.
There are statues of several of Beverly Cleary's characters in Portland, Oregon's Grant Park. Beverly grew up nearby. Ribsy the dog, Henry Huggins, and Ramona Quimby statues were unveiled there in 1995.
The Ramona book series featured a little girl named Ramona, and characters such as Beezus, Mr. Robert Quimby, Mrs. Dorothy Quimby, Roberta, Beatrice, Howie, and Picky. There were eight books published in this series.
The Henry Huggins series, which came before Ramona Quimby, featured characters such as Ribsy the dog, Robert, Scooter McCarthy, Byron Murphy, Mary Jane, the Grumbles, and Beezus and Ramona Quimby. There were six books published in this series.
Beverly Cleary has said that she would often write while baking bread. She would use the bread's rising time to write.
There is a school named after her. It's called Beverly Cleary School. It is located in Oregon.
Beverly Cleary and her husband Clarence had two children together.
Beverly Cleary's husband Clarence passed away in 2004. They had been married since 1940.
April 12th is D.E.A.R. Day. The publisher Harper Collins recognizes this day, which means Drop Everything and Read Day, in honor of Beverly Cleary's birthday.
Beverly Cleary was declared a 'Living Legend' by the Library of Congress in 2000 because of her contributions to America's literature.
Beverly Cleary has won more than 35 awards including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the National Medal of Arts.
In 1984 Beverly Cleary was awarded the Newbery Medal for her book Dear Mr. Henshaw.
A 10 part mini-series was made in Canada in 1988 called Ramona. A movie titled Ramona and Beezus was made in 2010.
Beverly Cleary has said that she believes the best writing is simple writing. It was advice given to her by her mother.

Author of the day: Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter, the children's author and illustrator responsible for The Tale of Peter Rabbit and 22 more books in 'The Tale of' series. Beatrix Potter was born Helen Beatrix Potter on July 28th, 1866 in Kensington, London, England to Helen and Rupert Potter. Both of Beatrix's parents were talented artistically, and because of smart investments in the stock market by her father, the family was very wealthy. Beatrix and her younger brother Bertram were educated by governesses, and the family spent their summers on a Scottish estate and later at Wray Castle near Windermere, giving Beatrix her inspiration for future children's books' settings. Beatrix self-published but it was soon published commercially by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902. This was the beginning of a career that would continue until Beatrix Potter's death in 1943.


There are drawings by Beatrix Potter that she made when she was only nine years old, in Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.
In 1880 Beatrix was awarded the Art Student's Certificate by South Kensington Museum with 'excellent' in both drawing and freehand.
In 1885 Beatrix Potter got her first rabbit which she named Benjamin Bouncer.
In 1887 Beatrix Potter became very ill with rheumatic fever.
In 1890 Beatrix sold her first drawings. The drawings were used as greeting cards and for the illustrations for a book by Frederic E. Weatherly titled A Happy Pair.
In 1893 Beatrix sent drawings of her new pet rabbit Peter to her former governess' child Noel Moore.
Beatrix Potter drew many pictures of fungi and other botanicals, some of which were used in books and annuals.
Peter Rabbit died in January 1901. The following December Beatrix Potter privately published The Tale of Peter Rabbit in McGregor's Garden. She rejected an offer of publication by Frederick Warne a few months before because he wanted her to color her pictures.
In 1901 the first commercial printing of Beatrix's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published, by Frederick Warne.
In 1903 Beatrix Potter registered her Peter Rabbit doll with the patent office, following the publication of several more of her books.
In 1905 Beatrix Potter's editor, Norman Warne proposed, but died a month later.
Between 1905 and 1909 Beatrix Potter bought two farms.
In 1912 Beatrix Potter accepted a marriage proposal from William Heelis, a solicitor. They married almost a year later.
In 1936 Walt Disney made an offer to make a movie of Peter Rabbit but Beatrix refused.
Beatrix Potter became sick with bronchitis and heart issues in 1943, and died at the age of 77 at Castle Cottage. Her ashes were scattered on her land.
Two years later, when Beatrix Potter's husband died, their land and property was donated to the National Trust.
Beatrix Potter left most of her original drawings to the National Trust. Frederick Warne & Company received copyright to her stories and to the merchandise.
Beatrix Potter wrote 28 books, which have been translated into over 35 different languages. More than 100 million copies of her books have been sold, and she is one of the best-selling and most well-loved children's authors of all time.

Author of the day: Anne Rice

Anne Rice is the American author who wrote The Vampire Chronicles and many other books, which are estimated to have sold more than 100 million copies. She was born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien on October 4th, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Howard O'Brien and Katherine Allen O'Brien. Anne grew up in New Orleans in relative poverty, and New Orleans subsequently became the city where many of her novels are based.

Anne Rice's mother believed that by naming her Howard she would have an unusual advantage in life.
Anne legally changed her name from Howard to Anne in 1947.
Anne Rice's mother died when she was 15 and Anne was sent by her father to St. Joseph's Academy, a school Anne detested.
Anne's father remarried and moved the family to Texas, where Anne met her future husband.
Anne married Stan Rice on October 14th, 1961; she was 20 and he was almost 19.
Anne and Stan moves to San Francisco in 1962, where Anne obtained her B.A. in Political Science.
Anne and Stan's daughter and first child Michele was born in 1966, but developed leukemia and died in 1972. Their second child Christopher was born in 1978.
Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire was based upon one of her earlier short stories. She turned the short story into a novel in 1973. It sold in 1974 to Alfred A. Knopf. It was published in 1976.
Anne Rice's next two books were The Feast of All Saints and Cry to Heaven, which were historical novels.
The books that Anne Rice wrote as part of The Vampire Chronicles include Interview with the Vampire (1976), The Vampire Lestat (1985), The Queen of the Damned (1988), The Tale of the Body Thief (1992), Memnoch the Devil (1995), The Vampire Armand (1998), Merrick (2000), Blood and Gold (2001), Blackwood Farm (2002), Blood Canticle (2003), and Prince Lestat (2014).
Anne Rice wrote four erotic novels under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure including The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, Beauty's Release, and Beauty's Kingdom.
Anne Rice wrote two erotic novels under the pseudonym Anne Rampling including Exit to Eden and Belinda.
Anne Rice wrote two books in The Wolf Chronicles titled The Wolf Gift (2012), and The Wolves of Midwinter (2013).
Anne Rice wrote two novels under the series titled New Tales of the Vampires including Pandora (1998), and Vittorio the Vampire (1999).
Anne Rice has written many books under several different series including The Lives of the Mayfair Witches (three books), Vampire/Mayfair Crossover (three books), Songs of the Seraphim (two books).
Anne Rice wrote two books about Christ titled Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (2005), and Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana (2008). A third titled Christ the Lord: The Kingdom of Heaven is in progress.
In 2008 Anne Rice wrote a non-fiction book titled Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession.
Anne wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire.
In total Anne Rice has written more than 30 novels. Her novels have been adapted into movies and mini-series, as well as comics.
Anne Rice's son Christopher Rice also became a best-selling author.

Author Focus: Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was a British author best known for the book A Brave New World. Aldous Huxley was born in July 26th, 1894 to Julia Arnold and Leonard Huxley in Godalming, Surrey, England. His father was a schoolmaster and writer and his mother founded Prior's Field School. Aldous went blind as a teenager for two or three years, but his eyesight returned sufficient enough to study English at Balliol College, Oxford, but it was always poor for the rest of his life. He graduated with honors. Aldous Huxley's first published novel was Crome Yellow in 1921, a social satire. His published works include novels, short story collections, poetry collections, essay collections, screenplays, travel books, drama, articles, and even a children's book titled The Crows of Pearblossom.

Aldous Huxley's mother died when he was only 14. He became sick in 1911 and his sight was forever damaged.
Aldous Huxley's brother Noel committed suicide in 1914 after suffering from depression.
Aldous Huxley wrote a novel when he was 17 but it was not published.
Aldous Huxley's first novel Crome Yellow was a satirical look at life at the Garsington Manor where he had worked during World War I.
Aldous Huxley's works often addressed the potential harm to mankind by scientific progress.
Aldous Huxley developed a close friendship with the famous writer D.H. Lawrence while at Oxford. He eventually edited Lawrence's letters following his death in 1930.
Aldous novels included Crome Yellow, Antic Hay, Those Barren Leaves, Point Counter Point, Brave New World, Eyeless in Gaza, After Many a Summer, Time Must Have a Stop, Ape and Essence, The Genius and the Goddess, and Island.
Aldous Huxley moved to Hollywood in 1937 with his wife Maria, and son Matthew. He lived there for the rest of his life.
Aldous Huxley became spiritual soon after moving to the U.S. and meeting Jiddu Krishnamurti. He became a Vendatist.
Aldous Huxley wrote a satirical book After Many a Summer which featured Tarzana College, after spending a great deal of time at Occidental College in Los Angeles in 1939.
Aldous Huxley became a Hollywood screenwriter and began earning $3,000 a week, which in 1938 was a lot of money.
Aldous used a lot of the money he earned as a screenwriter to bring artist and writer refugees to the U.S. from Hitler's Germany.
Aldous Huxley wrote a letter to George Orwell, the author of Nineteen Eighty-Four, in 1949 to congratulate him on his book. He felt the book was 'profoundly important', and predicted that the government would become all-controlling in the years to come.
Aldous Huxley applied to become a citizen of the United States but because he would not agree to take up arms to defend the U.S. his application was denied several times. He eventually withdrew his application.
Aldous was married twice. His first marriage ended when his wife Maria died. His second marriage to Laura Archera ended when Aldous died of laryngeal cancer.
Aldous Huxley died at the age of 69, on November 22, 1963.
When he died, the author C.S. Lewis had also passed away. Both of their deaths were overshadowed by President John F. Kennedy' assassination.
Russian composer Igor Stravinsky was good friends with Aldous Huxley. Igor dedicated his final orchestral composition to Aldous.

Author Focus: Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie, the famous crime novelist, was born September 15th, 1890 in Torquay, England. At birth she was named Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller by her mother Clara Boehmer, a Belfast-born Englishwoman, and Frederick Alvah Miller, an American stockbroker. She grew up in a wealthy family, and was often quoted as saying that she had a very happy childhood. Agatha taught herself to read by the time she was five, despite her mother's wishes that she not learn until she was eight. As a child Agatha developed a love for children's stories, poetry and thrillers. By the age of 18 Agatha was writing short stories. During World War I Agatha began writing detective stories and shortly after the war ended her first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published.

Interesting Agatha Christie Facts:
Agatha Miller married Archibald Christie in 1914.
Agatha served in the Voluntary Aid Detachment during World War I at the hospital in Torquay.
When Archibald returned from the war they had one daughter Rosalind, born in 1919.
In 1922 Agatha Christie's novel The Secret Adversary was published.
In 1926 Archibald asked for a divorce, and shortly after Agatha disappeared for 11 days. She was found in the Swan Hydropathic Hotel in Yorkshire under an alias.
During her marriage to Archibald Agatha published six novels, a short story collection, and several stories in magazines.
Agatha Christie married Max Mallowan, an archaeologist, in 1930. The marriage lasted until Agatha's death in 1976.

The Agatha Christie books published in the 1920s include The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920), The Secret Adversary (1922), The Murder on the Links (1923), The Man in the Brown Suit (1924), The Secret of Chimneys (1925), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), The Big Four (1927), The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928), and The Seven Dials Mystery (1929).
Agatha Christie had 17 more novels published in the 1930s.
Characters in her early books included Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, and Hercule Poirot. These characters were used continuously in her novels until her death.
Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pen name of Mary Westmacott including Giant's Bread (1930), Unfinished Portrait (1934), Absent in the Spring (1944), The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948), A Daughter's a Daughter (1952), The Burden (1956).
Agatha Christie wrote in other mediums in addition to novels. She wrote many plays, short stories, radio plays, television plays, non-fiction, poetry, and several co-authored works.
Many of Agatha Christie's written works have been adapted into plays, television shows, and movies.
The last public appearance Agatha Christie made was in 1974, to attend the opening of the film Murder on the Orient Express. She thought that Poirot's moustache in the movie was not luxurious enough but she like the film.
At one time the British Intelligence agency MI5 as investigating Agatha Christie because of one of her characters, a spy, was believed to be real. Agatha laid their fears to rest and the case was closed.
In 1971 Agatha Christie was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
When her husband became a knight she could also be called Lady Mallowan.
Agatha Christie died on January 12th, 1976 and is buried in St. Mary's churchyard in Chosley.

2018 Zoo Snooze dates now on sale!

https://baltimore.org/events/zoo-snooze-family-overnight-0

The Zoo is where the wild things snore! Join us for an educational night under the stars or inside Penguin Coast! You can spend the night and enjoy the unique sights and sounds of the Zoo at night.

Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
1 Safari Place
Baltimore, MD 21217

Zoo Snooze Family Overnight
January 20, 2018 - January 21, 2018
6:00pm



2018 Zoo Snooze dates now on sale!
The Zoo is where the wild things snore! Join us for an educational night under the stars or inside Penguin Coast! You can spend the night and enjoy the unique sights and sounds of the Zoo at night.

Explore dates for family, scout and adult overnight below. Click the date you’re interested in to learn more and register.

FAMILY OVERNIGHTS
Join other zoo-loving families for an educational sleepover in Penguin Coast.

JANUARY 20TH – 21ST

MARCH 17TH -18TH

MAY 19TH – 20TH

AUGUST 18TH – 19TH

OCTOBER 27TH – 28TH

DECEMBER 8TH – 9TH  

Venn diagram (also called primary diagram, set diagram or logic diagram)

A Venn diagram (also called primary diagram, set diagram or logic diagram) is a diagram that shows all possible logical relations between a finite collection of different sets. These diagrams depict elements as points in the plane, and sets as regions inside closed curves. Now when we populate the Venn diagram, in the overlap: The overlap of the two circles is called the "intersection" of the two sets.


Venn Diagrams are named after British logician John Venn. He wrote about them in an 1880 paper entitled “On the Diagrammatic and Mechanical Representation of Propositions and Reasonings” in the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science.


But the roots of this type of diagram go back much further, at least 600 years. In the 1200s, philosopher and logician Ramon Llull (sometimes spelled Lull) of Majorca used a similar type of diagram, wrote author M.E. Baron in a 1969 article tracing their history. She also credited German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz with drawing similar diagrams in the late 1600s.


In the 1700s, Swiss mathematician Leonard Euler (pronounced Oy-ler) invented what came to be known as the Euler Diagram, the most direct forerunner of the Venn Diagram. In fact, John Venn referred to his own diagrams as Eulerian Circles, not Venn Diagrams. The term Venn Diagrams was first published by American philosopher Clarence Irving (C.I.) Lewis in his 1918 book, A Survey of Symbolic Logic.

Venn Diagrams continued to evolve over the past 60 years with advances by experts David W. Henderson, Peter Hamburger, Jerrold Griggs, Charles E. “Chip” Killian and Carla D. Savage.  Their work concerned symmetric Venn Diagrams and their relationship to prime numbers, or numbers indivisible by other numbers except 1 and the number itself. One such symmetric diagram, based on prime number 7, is widely known in math circles as Victoria.

Other notable names in the development of Venn Diagrams are A.W.F. Edwards, Branko  Grunbaum and Henry John Stephen Smith. Among other things, they changed the shapes in the diagrams to allow simpler depiction of Venn Diagrams at increasing numbers of sets.

Benjamin Franklin Museum FREE Visit

All visitors are admitted free to the Benjamin Franklin Museum on the following National Park Service fee-free entrance days in 2018: 
January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
April 21 - First Day of National Park Week
September 22 - National Public Lands Day
November 11 - Veterans Day

https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

Location
The museum is located in Franklin Court. Entrance to the courtyard is from Market or Chestnut Streets, between 3rd and 4th Streets.

Hours and Fees
Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
Closed at 3 pm on Christmas Eve. Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

$5.00 for adults
$2.00 for children, ages 4 through 16
Children ages 3 and under are FREE


Exhibits
Explore Benjamin Franklin's life and legacy through his character traits. The exhibit area is divided into five "rooms" with each room focusing on a particular trait: ardent and dutiful, ambitious and rebellious, motivated to improve, curious and full of wonder, and strategic and persuasive. There are videos, touch screen interactives, mechanical interactives, and artifacts in each "room." An additional area called the "Library" presents a video with excerpts from Franklin's Autobiography.


Location
The Franklin Court Printing Office is in Franklin Court. Enter the courtyard from either Market or Chestnut Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets. The entrance door for the Printing Office is in the courtyard, just to the west of the brick archway.

Hours and Fees
Through February 2018: Open daily 10am - 5pm (last printing demonstration at 4:30pm)
Check back for spring hours

The Printing Office is closed on all major federal holidays except Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. The Printing Office closes at 3pm on Christmas Eve.

Admission is FREE.

Antecedents

Antecedents
Antecedent is the grammatical term used to refer to the noun that a pronoun replaces.

An antecedent comes before a pronoun. A pronoun and its antecedent must agree in gender and number. For example, if the antecedent is singular and female, the pronoun must refer to a single female. If the antecedent is plural, then the pronoun must be plural as well.

It is important to make sure that your pronouns have clear antecedents. Sometimes the references are vague and the reader cannot figure out to whom a pronoun is referring.

Examples of Antecedents:
Examples of Pronouns and Antecedents:

1. Jennifer = she or her
2. Bob and Chris = they or them
3. Kevin = he or him

Examples of Pronouns and Antecedents in a Sentence:

1. Marcus put his book on the table.
2. Mr. and Mrs. Samuels are painting their house.
3. Do you know if Marie invited Leslie to her party?
4. Lois, Mark, and I would like for you to come with us.

Examples of Sentences with Unclear Pronoun-Antecedent References:

1. Jeff handed his father his glove. (Does the glove belong to Jeff or his father?)
2. The soldiers taught the farmers how to use their weapons. (Do the weapons belong to the soldiers or the farmers?)
3. Karen left Josie's book on her desk. (Whose desk-Karen's or Josie's?)

Gregor Mendel "father of modern genetics"

Gregor Mendel, known as the "father of modern genetics," was born in Austria in 1822. A monk, Mendel discovered the basic principles of heredity through experiments in his monastery's garden. His experiments showed that the inheritance of certain traits in pea plants follows particular patterns, subsequently becoming the foundation of modern genetics and leading to the study of heredity.

Early Life
Gregor Johann Mendel was born Johann Mendel on July 22, 1822, to Anton and Rosine Mendel, on his family’s farm, in what was then Heinzendorf, Austria. He spent his early youth in that rural setting, until age 11, when a local schoolmaster who was impressed with his aptitude for learning recommended that he be sent to secondary school in Troppau to continue his education. The move was a financial strain on his family, and often a difficult experience for Mendel, but he excelled in his studies, and in 1840, he graduated from the school with honors.

Following his graduation, Mendel enrolled in a two-year program at the Philosophical Institute of the University of Olmütz. There, he again distinguished himself academically, particularly in the subjects of physics and math, and tutored in his spare time to make ends meet. Despite suffering from deep bouts of depression that, more than once, caused him to temporarily abandon his studies, Mendel graduated from the program in 1843.

That same year, against the wishes of his father, who expected him to take over the family farm, Mendel began studying to be a monk: He joined the Augustinian order at the St. Thomas Monastery in Brno, and was given the name Gregor. At that time, the monastery was a cultural center for the region, and Mendel was immediately exposed to the research and teaching of its members, and also gained access to the monastery’s extensive library and experimental facilities.

In 1849, when his work in the community in Brno exhausted him to the point of illness, Mendel was sent to fill a temporary teaching position in Znaim. However, he failed a teaching-certification exam the following year, and in 1851, he was sent to the University of Vienna, at the monastery’s expense, to continue his studies in the sciences. While there, Mendel studied mathematics and physics under Christian Doppler, after whom the Doppler effect of wave frequency is named; he studied botany under Franz Unger, who had begun using a microscope in his studies, and who was a proponent of a pre-Darwinian version of evolutionary theory.

In 1853, upon completing his studies at the University of Vienna, Mendel returned to the monastery in Brno and was given a teaching position at a secondary school, where he would stay for more than a decade. It was during this time that he began the experiments for which he is best known.

Experiments and Theories
Around 1854, Mendel began to research the transmission of hereditary traits in plant hybrids. At the time of Mendel’s studies, it was a generally accepted fact that the hereditary traits of the offspring of any species were merely the diluted blending of whatever traits were present in the “parents.” It was also commonly accepted that, over generations, a hybrid would revert to its original form, the implication of which suggested that a hybrid could not create new forms. However, the results of such studies were often skewed by the relatively short period of time during which the experiments were conducted, whereas Mendel’s research continued over as many as eight years (between 1856 and 1863), and involved tens of thousands of individual plants.

Mendel chose to use peas for his experiments due to their many distinct varieties, and because offspring could be quickly and easily produced. He cross-fertilized pea plants that had clearly opposite characteristics—tall with short, smooth with wrinkled, those containing green seeds with those containing yellow seeds, etc.—and, after analyzing his results, reached two of his most important conclusions: the Law of Segregation, which established that there are dominant and recessive traits passed on randomly from parents to offspring (and provided an alternative to blending inheritance, the dominant theory of the time), and the Law of Independent Assortment, which established that traits were passed on independently of other traits from parent to offspring. He also proposed that this heredity followed basic statistical laws. Though Mendel’s experiments had been conducted with pea plants, he put forth the theory that all living things had such traits.

In 1865, Mendel delivered two lectures on his findings to the Natural Science Society in Brno, who published the results of his studies in their journal the following year, under the title Experiments on Plant Hybrids. Mendel did little to promote his work, however, and the few references to his work from that time period indicated that much of it had been misunderstood. It was generally thought that Mendel had shown only what was already commonly known at the time—that hybrids eventually revert to their original form. The importance of variability and its evolutionary implications were largely overlooked. Furthermore, Mendel's findings were not viewed as being generally applicable, even by Mendel himself, who surmised that they only applied to certain species or types of traits. Of course, his system eventually proved to be of general application and is one of the foundational principles of biology.

Later Life and Legacy
In 1868, Mendel was elected abbot of the school where he had been teaching for the previous 14 years, and both his resulting administrative duties and his gradually failing eyesight kept him from continuing any extensive scientific work. He traveled little during this time, and was further isolated from his contemporaries as the result of his public opposition to an 1874 taxation law that increased the tax on the monasteries to cover Church expenses.

Gregor Mendel died on January 6, 1884, at the age of 61. He was laid to rest in the monastery’s burial plot and his funeral was well attended. His work, however, was still largely unknown.

It was not until decades later, when Mendel’s research informed the work of several noted geneticists, botanists and biologists conducting research on heredity, that its significance was more fully appreciated, and his studies began to be referred to as Mendel’s Laws. Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns and Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg each independently duplicated Mendel's experiments and results in 1900, finding out after the fact, allegedly, that both the data and the general theory had been published in 1866 by Mendel. Questions arose about the validity of the claims that the trio of botanists were not aware of Mendel's previous results, but they soon did credit Mendel with priority. Even then, however, his work was often marginalized by Darwinians, who claimed that his findings were irrelevant to a theory of evolution. As genetic theory continued to develop, the relevance of Mendel’s work fell in and out of favor, but his research and theories are considered fundamental to any understanding of the field, and he is thus considered the "father of modern genetics."

Эй, ухнем! - sung by famed Russian bass singer Leonid Kharitinov

Traditional Russian ballad - Эй, ухнем! - sung by famed Russian bass singer Leonid Kharitinov


https://youtu.be/uNb54rwDQJM




The "Song of the Volga Boatmen" (known in Russian as Эй, ухнем! [Ey, ukhnem!, "yo, heave-ho!"], after the refrain) is a well-known traditional Russian song collected by Mily Balakirev, and published in his book of folk songs in 1866

In Team Fortress 2, a popular multiplayer first-person shooter created by video game developer Valve Corporation, the character Heavy can be heard singing the song at times.

Russian	Transliteration	(Poetic) English translation
Эй, ухнем! Эй, ухнем! Ещё разик, ещё да раз! Эй, ухнем! Эй, ухнем! Ещё разик, ещё да раз! Разовьём мы берёзу, Разовьём мы кудряву! Ай-да, да ай-да, Aй-да, да ай-да, Разовьём мы кудряву. Разовьём мы кудряву. Эй, ухнем! Эй, ухнем! Ещё разик, ещё да раз! Мы по бережку идём, Песню солнышку поём. Ай-да, да ай-да, Aй-да, да ай-да, Песню солнышку поём. Эй, эй, тяни канат сильней! Песню солнышку поём. Эй, ухнем! Эй, ухнем! Ещё разик, ещё да раз! Эх ты, Волга, мать-река, Широка и глубока, Ай-да, да ай-да, Aй-да, да ай-да, Волга, Волга, мать-река Эй, ухнем! Эй, ухнем! Ещё разик, ещё да раз! Эй, ухнем! Эй, ухнем!	Ey, ukhnyem! Ey, ukhnyem! Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz! Ey, ukhnyem! Ey, ukhnyem! Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz! Razovyom my byeryozu, Razovyom my kudryavu! Ai-da, da ai-da, Ai-da, da ai-da, Razovyom my kudryavu. Razovyom my kudryavu. Ey, ukhnyem! Ey, ukhnyem! Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz! My po byeryezhku idyom, Pyesnyu solnyshku poyom. Ai-da, da ai-da, Ai-da, da ai-da, Pyesnyu solnyshku poyom. Ey, Ey, tyani kanat silney! Pyesnyu solnyshku poyom. Ey, ukhnyem! Ey, ukhnyem! Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz! Ekh, ty, Volga, mat'-reka, Shiroka i gluboka, Ai-da, da ai-da, Ai-da, da ai-da, Volga, Volga, mat'-reka Ey, ukhnyem! Ey, ukhnyem! Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz! Ey, ukhnyem! Ey, ukhnyem!	Yo, heave ho! Yo, heave ho! Once more, once again, still once more Yo, heave ho! Yo, heave ho! Once more, once again, still once more Now we fell the stout birch tree, Now we pull hard: one, two, three. Ay-da, da, ay-da! Ay-da, da, ay-da! Now we pull hard: one, two, three. Now we pull hard: one, two, three. Yo, heave ho! Yo, heave ho! Once more, once again, still once more As we walk along the shore, To the sun we sing our song. Ay-da, da, ay-da! Ay-da, da, ay-da! To the sun we sing our song. Hey, hey, let's heave a-long the way to the sun we sing our song Yo, heave ho! Yo, heave ho! Once more, once again, still once more Oh, you, Volga, mother river, Mighty stream so deep and wide. Ay-da, da, ay-da! Ay-da, da, ay-da! Volga, Volga, mother river. Yo, heave ho! Yo, heave ho! Once more, once again, still once more Yo, heave ho! Yo, heave ho!