Tag Archives: The Coolest People in Books

Work • When young-people’s author Richard Peck was drafted to serve as a soldier during the Korean War (although he actually served in what was then West Germany), he soon discovered the value of literacy. He had a college degree, and … Continue reading →

War • David Thomson, the historian and critic and author of the New Biographical Dictionary of Film, was a child during World War II. He lived in London, but his mother tried to take him to live in the country because … Continue reading →

Problem-Solving • When novelist Walter Tevis (author of The Hustler, The Color of Money, and The Man Who Fell to Earth) was in the United States Navy, the sailors would wash their jeans by tying them to a rope, then dragging … Continue reading →

Politics • In France (at least until recently), politicians and civil-service workers were expected to be well read. In 2006, French President Nicholas Sarkozy got book lovers angry at him when he suggested that civil service entrance exams should not … Continue reading →

Nobel Prize • Through a fight, Pablo Neruda learned that his poetry was becoming popular. Two young men were arguing on a dance floor, so Mr. Neruda told them to stop arguing and let the other people enjoy themselves. As the … Continue reading →

Names • Elliot S! Maggin wrote many stories featuring Superman and Green Arrow. How did he get the exclamation point in his name? The first time it was a typo, but an editor named Julius Schwartz saw and liked the typo, … Continue reading →