Author Walter Dean Myers (pictured) often writes from the perspective of troubled teens with uncanny flair and ease, perhaps due to his own tough upbringing in Harlem in the 1940s.
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Unbeknownst to his fellow street urchins at the time, Myers harbored a love for books that would eventually form the basis of his long and celebrated career. A high school dropout, Myers has penned 104 young adult and children’s books, winning several awards for a few of his titles.
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Myers was born in West Virginia. But as he explained in his bio on his website, he was given to a family from Harlem for reasons still unknown to him. Growing up in a loving household, he thrived in his neighborhood despite the hardships that surrounded him, using books as his means of escapism. It was a teacher’s advice that he should sharpen his skill as a writer that sparked his ambition to pursue a career in writing.
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One day after working on a construction job, his teacher’s advice came to mind and he began writing at night. He would write for small magazines during his time off and attended writing workshops. Myers supported himself with several odd jobs and even managed to win a contest for writing a picture book. Writing was cathartic for Myers, who was plagued by some of the troubles of his youth and crafted his tales while using his native Harlem as a backdrop. After his uncle and brother were killed in two separate events, his writing would inform the stories that were based on the turbulence of his life.
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