AMERICAN WRITERS

♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

- Franklin had to drop out of school at ten years old because his father couldn't afford schooling, so he worked extra hard to  educate himself. He was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and in many ways was "the First American". As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. Benjamin Franklin was the sixth president of Pennsylvania and first US ambassador to France and Sweden. He is also the Founding Father and signer of the Declaration of American Independence.

Born	January 17, 1706 Boston, Massachusetts Bay
Died	April 17, 1790 (aged 84) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Deborah Read
Children	William Franklin Francis Folger Franklin Sarah Franklin Bache
Profession	Printer-Publisher Writer Politician Scientist

~ "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." (Poor Richard's Almanack)

~ "It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."

~ "Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle."

~"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

~ "Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor."

~ "Who is wise? He that learns from every one.
    Who is powerful? He that governs his passions.
    Who is rich? He that is content.
    Who is that? Nobody."

♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛

EDGAR ALLAN POE

- Edgar is the second child of English-born actress Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe. The Allans served as a foster family and gave him the name "Edgar Allan Poe"  after his father abandoned them and his mother died from sickness. Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

The Raven

Born	Edgar Poe January 19, 1809 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died	October 7, 1849 (aged 40) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Spouse	Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe

~ "Years of love have been forgot, In the hatred of a minute."
(Complete Tales and Poems)

~ "I have great faith in fools - self-confidence my friends will call it."

~ "Invisible things are the only realities." (Loss of Breathe)

~ "We loved with a love that was more than love."

♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛

          MARK TWAIN

- Samuel Langhorne Clemens  better known by his pen name "Mark Twain", was an American author and humorist. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the latter often called "the Great American Novel".  He was the son of Jane, a native of Kentucky, and John Marshall Clemens, a Virginian by birth. Twain was born two weeks after the closest approach to Earth of Halley's Comet. When he was four, Twain's family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, a port town on the Mississippi River that inspired the fictional town of St. Petersburg in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Twain was fascinated with science and scientific inquiry. He developed a close and lasting friendship with Nikola Tesla, and the two spent much time together in Tesla's laboratory.

Tom Sawyer

Born	Samuel Langhorne Clemens November 30, 1835 Florida, Missouri, U.S.
Died	April 21, 1910 (aged 74) Redding, Connecticut, U.S.
Pen name	Mark Twain
Occupation	Writer, lecturer
Nationality	American
Notable works	Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Spouse	Olivia Langdon Clemens (m. 1870–1904)
Children	Langdon, Susy, Clara, Jean

~ "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

~ "Books are for people who wish they were somewhere else."

~ "Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it."

~ "The fear of death follows from the fear of life.

A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."

♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛

          DR.SEUSS

 - Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist. He was most widely known for his children's books, which he wrote and illustrated under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss. He had used the pen name Dr. Theophrastus Seuss in college and later used Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone.  Geisel published 46 children's books, often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of anapestic meter. His most-celebrated books include the bestselling Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who!, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Geisel's birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.

The Lorax

Born	Theodor Seuss Geisel March 2, 1904 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	September 24, 1991 (aged 87) La Jolla, California, U.S.[1]
Pen name	Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg, Rosetta Stone, Theophrastus Seuss
Occupation	Writer, cartoonist, animator, book publisher, artist
Nationality	American
Genre	Children's literature
Notable works	Horton Hears a Who! (1954) The Cat in the Hat (1957) How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957) Green Eggs and Ham (1960) The Lorax (1971)
Years active	1927–1990
Spouse	Helen Palmer Geisel (1927–67) Audrey Stone Dimond (1968–91)

~ "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not."

(The Lorax)

~ "You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room."

~ "A person’s a person, no matter how small." (Horton Hears a Who)

~ "The more that you read, The more things you will know. The more that you learn, The more places you’ll go."

♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛ ♔ ♕ ♛

        MAYA ANGELOU

- Marguerite Annie Johnson was an African-American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences.

 With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. 

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Born	Marguerite Annie Johnson April 4, 1928 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	May 28, 2014 (aged 86) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Poet, civil rights activist, dancer, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress, professor
Language	English
Ethnicity	African American
Period	1969–2014
Genre	Autobiography
Notable works	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings "On the Pulse of Morning"
Spouse	Tosh Angelos (1951–54, div.) Paul du Feu (1973–81, div.)

~ "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

~ "No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."

~ "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."

~ "I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."