Lucille Clifton

Lucille Clifton (June 27, 1936 – February 13, 2010) was an American writer and educator from Buffalo, New York. Born Thelma Lucille Sayles, she graduated from Fosdick-Masten Park High School in 1953. She went on to study on a scholarship at Howard University from 1953 to 1955, and after leaving over poor grades, studied at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Clifton remained employed in state and federal government positions until 1971, when she became a writer in residence at Coppin State College in Baltimore, Maryland, where she completed two collections: Good News About the Earth (1972) and An Ordinary Woman (1974). Her series of children's books about a young black boy began with 1970's Some of the Days of Everett Anderson. Everett Anderson, a recurring character in many of her books, spoke in authentic African-American dialect and dealt with real life social problems. Other books in the Everett series include, Everett Anderson's Goodbye, which won the 1984 Coretta Scott King Award, Everett Anderson's 1-2-3, One of the Problems of Everett Anderson, Everett Anderson's Christmas Coming, and Everett Anderson's Friend. Some of her other children's books include The Lucky Stone, The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring, and The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children.