Authors Born in September

August 30, 2012

"Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul" – Joyce Carol Oates

September is a popular month for birthdays, especially when it comes to famous authors.

H. G. Wells was born on September 21, 1866. He wrote many novels including The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Invisible Man. Many of you may recall the 1938 Mercury Theater broadcast of Orson Welles reading The War of the Worlds on a live broadcast. It created quite a stir because the public believed this was a news report and was actually happening at that very moment.

Upton Sinclair was born on September 20, 1879. He wrote almost 100 novels. The Jungle permanently changed the meat industry.

D. H. Lawrence was born on September 11, 1885. He was best known for his sexually-charged and often banned novel titled Lady Chatterly’s Lover.

Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890. The Queen of England appointed her with the title of "Dame." Patrons are still reading her mysteries today, and according to the Guinness Book of World Records, she is the best-selling author of all time.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896. One of his best known novels was The Great Gatsby, which was made into a movie starring Robert Redford. The remake of the movie will star Leonardo DiCaprio in 2013.

Richard Wright was born on September 4, 1908. He wrote the provocative novels Native Son and Black Boy and helped to shape race relations in America.

Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916. As children, you may have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach. Or maybe you have seen one of the movies taken from his books. Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp have starred in 2 separate movies of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Truman Capote was born on September 30, 1924. In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, two of his best known stories, were both made into movies.

Last, but not least, is Stephen King ( my daughter’s favorite author) born on September 21, 1947. Many of his novels have been made into movies, including The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, Carrie, and The Shining.

I could not tell you about just one of these famous authors, so I have given you a glimpse of several. MCPL carries many of these author’s writings and/or movies made from their writings. Just because someone wrote hundreds of years ago, does not mean they were not good authors. Times do change, but some things last forever.

Alberta S.
North Oak Branch