Walter Dean Myers Presents 'Scribble, Scribble, Scribble. A Life in Books'

Release date: March 24, 2011

Goucher College is launching the Athenaeum Library Series with an evening featuring award-winning, young-adult author Walter Dean Myers. His lecture, "Scribble, Scribble, Scribble. A Life in Books," will be held Thursday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Hyman Forum of the Athenaeum.

This event is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved in advance at tickets.goucher.edu. Books will be available for sale and signing.

Walter Dean Myers is regarded as one of the best contemporary American writers for children and teens. He the bestselling author of more than 85 books that span a wide variety of genres and formats, including historical fiction, mysteries, adventure stories, fantasies, nonfiction, poetry, and picture books.

Myers is often credited with helping to redefine the image of African Americans in juvenile literature. He stresses the more positive aspects of black urban life by depicting the strength and dignity of his characters without downplaying the harsh realities of their lives. His novels include Sunrise Over Fallujah, Fallen Angels, Monster, Somewhere in the Darkness, Slam!, Jazz, and Harlem.

Myers has also written several highly praised informational books for children and young people, in which he often outlines the fight for freedom by people of color. He has also written biographies of such figures as Toussaint L'Ouverture, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. Now Is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom, one of Myers' most well-regarded works of nonfiction, recounts the history of black Americans through both overviews and profiles of individuals.

Additionally, he has written poetry and compiled photo albums that feature historical photos of African American families that he has collected from rare-book dealers and antiques stores during his book tours across the United States.

Myers' works have won him both a devoted readership and dozens of book awards, including two Newbery Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, and an American Library Association Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a three-time finalist for the National Book Award — for Monster in 1999, Autobiography of My Dead Brother in 2005, and Lockdown in 2010.

This event is part of the Athenaeum Library Series, which provides an open community forum for occasional programs on topics related to libraries, books, and reading. Programs are supported by the Judith Evans, Nancy Patz, and Katherine Parker Scholl funds. This inaugural event was also made possible with support from the Isabelle Kellogg Thomas Fund, the Friends of the Goucher College Library and the Kratz Center for Creative Writing.  

Media Contact
Kristen Pinheiro
Media Relations Director
kristen.pinheiro@goucher.edu
410-337-6316