Philadelphia
Literary Legacy
It's Official ! I am now part of Philadelphia
History!
(I know, I know . . . I still can't believe it
myself!)
Since the writing of the nation’s Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution, Philadelphia has been home to many celebrated
authors. Fifty authors were selected by librarians from the Free Library of
Philadelphia who represent the breadth of the region’s literary creativity past
and present. –
(from the WaWa Welcome
America event announcement webpage)
The 50 authors picked to represent the Philadelphia
Literary Legacy, in the photo exhibit unveiled at the The Philadelphia
International Airport on Tuesday, July 2, 2013, are:
Louisa May Alcott, Lloyd
Alexander, L.A. Banks, Berenstains,
Ben Bova,
Sandra Boynton,
Charles Brockden Brown,
Rosellen Brown, Pearl S. Buck, Bebe Moore
Campbell, Lorene Cary,
Noam Chomsky, R. Crumb, Gardner Dozois, W.E.B. Dubois, Ben Franklin, Charles
Fuller, David Goodis, Carolyn Haywood,
Quiara Alegria Hudes,
Solomon Jones,
Ken Kalfus,
Beth
Kephart, George Lippard, Alain Locke,
Diane
McKinney-Whetstone, Margaret Mead, James Michener, Katherine Milhous,
Karen E. Quinones Miller, Thomas Paine, Richard Powell, Tom Purdom, Joe Queenan,
Anna Quindlen,
Deborah Kogan Ray,
Agnes Repplier,
Sonia Sanchez,
Judy Schachner,
Lisa Scottoline,
Sara Shephard,
Jerry Spinelli, I. F. Stone, Michael Swanwick,
Jennifer Weiner,
David Wiesner,
Owen Wister,
Teri Woods
Yes, that's
right I'm included. And no one is more surprised than me!.
In fact, I
was notified in February, but didn't let anyone know until May . . . because I
was sure it had to be a mistake. I mean, Louisa May Alcott was my mother's
favorite author! And now I was on the same list as her, Ben Franklin, W.E.B.
DuBois, and Sonia Sanchez! I was blown away; and sure that someone was going to
soon tell me that my placed was with these literary greats in error.
More than
half of the authors being honored were dead, but, sure enough, on Tuesday, July
2nd, at 10 a.m., there I was at the Philadelphia International Airport along
with Lorene Cary, Charles Fuller, Solomon Jones, Beth Kephart, Diane
McKinney-Whetstone, Sonia Sanchez, Judy Schachner, Michael Swanwick, and Teri
Woods . . .
. . . and Philadelphia
Mayor Michael Nutter
Yes, this really was one
of the memorable days of my life.
I opened the pages of
The Philadelphia Inquirer . . . and here is part of what they wrote:
More than 200 years of Philadelphia literary greats
were at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday.On the walls of the international Terminal A-East.
The exhibit, "Philadelphia's Literary Legacy," will display for one year the photographs, book covers, and biographies of 50 authors, playwrights, and poets from the time of the Declaration of Independence to the present day.
That evening, Lorene Cary, Solomon Jones, and I hosted a
Philadelphia Literary Legacy Celebration at Warmdaddy's, and more than 100
people came out to celebrate with us. We also used the occasion to pay special
tribute to Sonia Sanchez, Poet Laureate of Philadelphia.
For all those who were there on Tuesday
morning or evening to help me celebrate, I hope you all had a good time. And for
all my fans, readers, and those who have supported me throughout the years . . .
thank you!
Because without you, this wonderful honor would never have come to pass!
