Follows the popular children's author from her childhood years in Oregon through high school and into young adulthood, highlighting her family life and her growing interest in writing.

In this book, Angelou details what brought her mother to send her away, and unearths the well of emotions she experienced long afterward as a result. For the first time, she reveals the triumphs and struggles of being the daughter of Vivian Baxter, an indomitable spirit whose petite size belied her larger-than-life presence, a presence absent during much of the author's early life. When her marriage began to crumble, Vivian famously sent three-year-old...

The author of The Artist's Way and other classic works on the creative process reflects on the experiences that have fed her own art and inspired her dream of helping others, from her early writing career with Rolling Stone magazine and marriage to Martin Scorsese to her battles with alcohol and struggles to survive in Hollywood.

The author describes some of the dogs that have had special places in his life, including his first dog, Snowball, in the Phillippines; Dirk, who protected him from bullies; and Cookie, who saved his life.

An account of the 1963 death of the author's father against a backdrop of JFK's assassination describes how her mother, three sisters and she were financially dependent on her father's wages and how their loss and Catholic faith resonated the experiences of the nation.

Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder, Run, and Bel Canto, examines her deepest commitments--to writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husband--creating a resonant portrait of her life.

“Mornings with Mailer is a tender and affectionate view of the protean author at the end of the Big Novel that was his life. Dwayne Raymond’s book offers a uniquely intimate perspective on one of our literary giants. Applause.” — Tom Piazza, author of City of Refuge

“In this moving memoir, Dwayne Raymond provides an intimate look at the daily routine of a great writer in the last years of his life.”

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An account by the African-American author of her rise to a place of prominence among American writers.

John Cheever spent much of his career impersonating a perfect suburban gentleman, the better to become one of the foremost chroniclers of postwar America. Written with unprecedented access to essential sources—including Cheever’s massive journal, only a fraction of which has ever been published—Bailey’s Cheever is a stunning example of the biographer’s art and a brilliant tribute to an essential author.

A biography of the renowned American author explores the many adventures of his short, turbulent life and their reflection in his novels and stories.