7 Author Shoutouts | Authors We Love To Recommend

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Here are 7 Author Shoutouts for this week. Find your favorite author or discover an author whose work you’ve not yet read.

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E. M. Forster

An Author Shoutout to E. M. Forster who was born in Marylebone, Middlesex, England. Primarily recognized for his satirical and intricately woven novels that explore social class disparities and hypocrisy in British society during the early 1900s, Forster’s notable works include Where Angels Fear to Tread, Howard’s End, A Room With a View, and A Passage to India. Several of these novels have been adapted into major films and TV series. Additionally, Forster collaborated in the creation of the opera Billy Budd in 1951.

He was deeply influenced by humanist principles, which is evident in his work. It is no wonder that he served as the President of the Cambridge Humanists for 11 years and was a member of the Advisory Council of the British Humanist Association from 1963 until his passing at the age of 91 in 1970.

Isaac Asimov

An Author Shoutout to Isaac Asimov, a renowned author, who was born in Petrovichi, Russia. At the age of 3, his family migrated to the United States, and by the age of 8, he had obtained American citizenship. As an incredibly prolific writer, Asimov authored or edited over 500 books, which encompassed notable works such as the revered Foundation series, I, Robot, and Fantastic Voyage. Notably, he played a significant role in popularizing the concept of androids with positronic brains and established a code of ethics for them. It is worth mentioning that Asimov himself coined the term robotics in 1941.

He passed away at the age of 72 in 1992 due to heart and kidney failure. Throughout his lifetime, he achieved numerous accolades, including 8 Hugo Awards, 2 Nebula Awards, and 14 honorary doctorate degrees.

J.R.R. Tolkien

An Author Shoutout to John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Tolkien, born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State (South Africa) to British parents (his father worked as a bank manager), journeyed to England at the age of three accompanied by his mother. Renowned for his expertise in Anglo-Saxon literature, he held a prestigious teaching position at Oxford University for an extended period and possessed exceptional linguistic abilities. He is affectionately regarded as the progenitor of contemporary high fantasy literature.

JRR Tolkien, who passed away in 1973 at the age of 81, remains a prominent figure in our world. His imaginative realm of Middle-earth, brought to life in The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, has captivated generations of readers. His characters have left an indelible mark on modern culture, making his influence in the literary world unparalleled.

Doris Kearns Goodwin

An Author Shoutout toDoris Kearns Goodwin, born in Brooklyn, New York, who deserves recognition as an esteemed author. She has penned six biographies of US Presidents, one of which is the award-winning No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II, honored with the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1995.

She achieved various notable achievements, such as serving as a White House Fellow during the Johnson administration, despite actively participating in the anti-war movement. Additionally, she holds the distinction of being the initial female journalist granted access to the Boston Red Sox locker room. Furthermore, she authored the biography of Lincoln, which was later adapted into Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed film in 2012. She also served as a valuable resource for Stephen King while he was writing his novel 11/22/63. Overall, she is an extraordinary individual.

Umberto Eco

An Author Shoutout to Umberto Eco, born in Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy, who was an esteemed scholar and author known for his work in academia. His notable achievements include the groundbreaking historical mystery novel The Name of the Rose published in 1980, along with four other fiction novels. Additionally, Eco wrote over 40 academic texts covering various subjects such as medieval aesthetics, anthropology, media culture, literary criticism, and semiotics (the study of signs and symbols). Sadly, he passed away in 2016 at the age of 84 due to pancreatic cancer.

Carl Sandburg

Poet Carl Sandburg, born in Galesburg, Illinois, deserves an Author Shoutout. Renowned as one of America’s most prominent modern poets, Sandburg achieved great recognition, winning three Pulitzer Prizes. Despite leaving school at the young age of 13, he embarked on a diverse range of occupations, working as a milk truck driver, railway porter, bricklayer, farm laborer, and coal-heaver.

He initiated his writing profession as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News. In addition to composing poetry, he authored literature for children, historical accounts, biographies, and critiques on films. He wholeheartedly advocated for the civil rights movement and achieved the remarkable distinction of being the initial Caucasian individual to be recognized by the NAACP. He passed away naturally in 1967, at the age of 89.

William Peter Blatty

William Peter Blatty, born in New York City, deserves an Author Shoutout. Although he authored 11 novels, he is most renowned for his 1971 masterpiece, The Exorcist. Blatty also penned the screenplay for the 1973 film adaptation, earning him an Academy Award. His vibrant life is evident through various adventures, like using game show winnings to kickstart his writing career and ghostwriting Dear Abby’s highly successful book, ultimately leading to her being honored as Mother of the Year.

You can read LitStack’s take on The Exorcist and the review of Nat Segaloff’s book about The Exorcist. William Peter Blatty died of multiple myeloma in 2017, just five days after his 89th birthday.

Other LitStack Resources

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