1. Edmund Wilson (1895)

American Writer

An American non-fiction author and literary critic, he is best known for works such as Axel's Castle (1931) and Patriotic Gore (1962). He served as an editor for The New...

2. William Tenn (1920)

American Writer

An American science fiction author, he is known for Of Men and Monsters, A Lamp for Medusa, and other novels. Many of his works contain elements of satire.

3. Tristan Taormino (1971)

American Writer

Feminist speaker, author, radio host, activist, and sex educator who performed in and directed sex-positive feminist adult films.

4. Dave Barry (1947)

American Writer

An American author and journalist, he received a 1983 Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated Miami Herald humor column. His many works of humorous fiction and non-fiction include Homes and Other...

5. Jean Houston (1937)

American Writer

Known for her association with the Human Potential Movement of the 1960s, she penned such psychologically and sociologically-themed works as A Mythic Life: Learning to Live our Greater Story and...

6. Shanaya Fastje (1999)

American Writer

American writer whose career as a children's author and motivational speaker began during her childhood years. She published a nonfiction work, Bully In The Mirror, to accompany her anti-bullying campaign.

7. Sloan Wilson (1920)

American Writer

A twentieth-century American novelist, he is best known for The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and A Summer Place. The latter work was adapted into a 1959 film of...

8. Suzan-Lori Parks (1963)

American Writer

Received the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant in 2001 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Topdog/Underdog in 2002.

9. Caroline Kirkland (1801)

American Writer

Remembered for such American frontier-themed books as Forest Life, Western Clearings, and A New Home; Who'll Follow, this nineteenth-century writer also established several schools in New York and belonged to...

10. William Cullen Bryant (1794)

American Writer

American poet, editor, and journalist who is most famous for his 1817 poem, "Thanatopsis." His other well-known poetic works include "To a Waterfowl" and "The Ages."

11. John Greenleaf Whittier (1807)

American Writer

Nineteenth-century American Fireside Poet and abolitionist whose best-known poems include "Snow-Bound" and "The Brewing of Soma." He also wrote the lyrics to the popular hymn "Dear Lord and Father of...

12. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804)

American Writer

Renowned American novelist and short story writer who is best known for The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. His psychologically and morally complex works exemplify the...

13. William Gilmore Simms (1806)

American Writer

A nineteenth-century American poet, novelist, and historian, he published such works as The Yemassee, Vasconselos, and The Cassique of Kiawah. He also published a series of novels set in Revolutionary...

14. Susan Warner (1819)

American Writer

An American author of religious fiction and children's books, she is known for such novels as The Wide, Wide World and What She Could. The former work was translated into...

15. Alice Cary (1820)

American Writer

An Ohio-born poet, she collaborated with her sister and fellow author, Phoebe Cary, on an 1849 collection of poems. She also published articles in such notable literary periodicals as the Atlantic...

16. Phoebe Cary (1824)

American Writer

Spiritual, feminist poet who is remembered for her 1867 collection Poems of Faith, Hope and Love. Her later works include Ballads for Little Folk and The Last Poems of Alice...

17. Rebecca Walker (1969)

American Writer

Feminist writer and activist notable for winning the Women of Distinction Award from the American Association of University Women. Her books include To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing...

18. Edward Pollock (1823)

American Writer

American poet remembered for his 1857 work The Parting Hour. He was also a frequent contributor to Pioneer magazine.

19. Harriet E. Wilson (1825)

American Writer

Considered the first female African-American novelist, she earned this distinction by anonymously publishing her debut work, Our Nig, in 1859.

20. Celia Thaxter (1835)

American Writer

American poet known for such beloved nature poems as "The Sandpiper," "The Kingfisher," and "The Great White Owl." She was a prominent member of the nineteenth-century New England literary scene.

21. Maurice Thompson (1844)

American Writer

A late nineteenth-century American non-fiction author and novelist, he wrote about everything from local history to archery. His best-known works include Hoosier Mosaics and The Witchery of Archery.

22. Eugene Field (1850)

American Writer

A children's poet, short story writer, and essayist, he is best known for works such as "The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." Many of...

23. Owen Wister (1860)

American Writer

An author of popular fiction set in the American West, he is best known for his 1902 novel, The Virginian, which established the cowboy as the archetypical American folk hero....

24. Rodrigues Ottolengui (1861)

American Writer

An American novelist and short story writer, he published works such as Final Proof (short stories) and An Artist in Crime (novel). He also published two non-fiction works detailing his...

25. Madison Cawein (1865)

American Writer

American poet who is often compared to John Keats and is known for works such as The Garden of Dreams and Kentucky Poems. Over the course of his career, he published 1,500...

26. Mary Ingalls (1865)

American Writer

Older sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder and writer of the popular book series Little House on the Prairie. She suffered from blindness starting at a young age.

27. Vance Randolph (1892)

American Writer

Novelist who primarily wrote about folklore, especially surrounding the Ozarks region. He co-founded the Ozark Folklore Society, and saw his 1976 book Pissing in the Snow and Other Ozark Folktales become a...

28. Ridley Pearson (1953)

American Writer

American author of suspense and thriller novels, as well as children's adventure books. He is best known for his Peter and the Starcatchers series, as well as for works such...

29. Frank Norris (1870)

American Writer

An American naturalist author, he is best known for works such as The Octopus: A Story of California (1901) and The Pit (1903). His 1899 work, McTeague, was adapted into...

30. Susan Glaspell (1876)

American Writer

Co-founder of the first modern American theater company the Provincetown Players.

31. Julia Peterkin (1880)

American Writer

An American fiction writer, she penned the novel Scarlet Sister Mary and won the O. Henry Award for her short story Maum Lou. Her other works include Bright Skin, Black...

32. Johnston McCulley (1883)

American Writer

Screenwriter and children's author, most recognized for producing characters like Zorro and the character The Black Star from 1916's Detective Story Magazine.

33. Stark Young (1881)

American Writer

A longtime drama critic for the New Republic who was also a popular novelist, with his bestselling historical book being So Red the Rose.

34. Homer Croy (1883)

American Writer

Author and occasional screenwriter who wrote novels like When to Lock the Stable, 1918's How Motion Pictures Are Made, 1918's Boone Stop, and 1920's Turkey Bowman.

35. Scott Lynch (1978)

American Writer

Author best known for his Gentleman Bastard series of books. His debut novel titled The Lies of Locke Lamora was released in 2006.

36. John Gould Fletcher (1886)

American Writer

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author whose works include The Burning Mountain and The Black Rock. He was associated with both the Imagist school and the Southern Agrarians.

37. Conrad Richter (1890)

American Writer

A Twentieth-century American author, he is especially known for historical fiction novels that capture the spirit of life on the American frontier. His best-known works include The Sea of Grass...

38. Maxwell Bodenheim (1892)

American Writer

A modernist poet and novelist of the Jazz Age, he is known for works such as Against this Age (1923), Minna and Myself (1918), Crazy Man (1924), and Replenishing Jessica...

39. Elmer Rice (1892)

American Writer

American playwright best known for his Pulitzer Prize winning drama Street Scene.

40. Thorne Smith (1892)

American Writer

An American writer of fantasy fiction, he is best known for the Topper novels, which follow the misadventures of banker Cosmo Topper. His other works include Haunts and Bypaths (poems)...

41. Dorothy Parker (1893)

American Writer

Witty American poet, screenwriter, critic, and O. Henry Award-winning short story author who often published in the New Yorker. Her best known works include Enough Rope, Sunset Gun, and Star...

42. Laurence Stallings (1894)

American Writer

A World War I veteran and author, he became famous for his autobiographical work, Plumes, as well as for his 1924 play, What Price Glory (co-written with Maxwell Anderson). He...

43. Babette Deutsch (1895)

American Writer

American poet, translator, editor, and novelist best known for Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, a poetry collection published in 1954. Her other notable works include Coming of Age and Mask of Silenus....

44. Mari Sandoz (1896)

American Writer

An American novelist, biographer, and teacher, she wrote extensively about pioneer life and the Plains Indians. Her novels and non-fiction works include Cheyenne Autumn; The Beaver Men; Slogum House; and...

45. Betty Smith (1896)

American Writer

An American novelist and dramatist, she is most famous for her 1943 work, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Her other works include Tomorrow Will Be Better (1947) and Joy in...

46. Stringfellow Barr (1897)

American Writer

An American historian and author, he is known for works such as The Will of Zeus and The Mask of Jove. He also taught Classics at Rutgers College and served...

47. Paul Gallico (1897)

American Writer

An American fiction author and sports writer, he is best known for The Snow Goose and The Poseidon Adventure. The former work was his sole critical success, and the latter...

48. Dawn Powell (1896)

American Writer

A prolific novelist, short story writer, and playwright, she frequently set her literary works in Midwestern towns and/or created plots that involved the transplantation of Midwesterners to New York City....

49. Thornton Wilder (1897)

American Writer

A Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright, he is best known for his 1938 drama, Our Town. His other award-winning works include The Skin of Our Teeth (a play) and The...

50. Phil Stong (1899)

American Writer

An early twentieth-century American author and journalist, he is most famous for his 1932 novel, State Fair, which inspired three films and a musical of the same name.