OT: Best American Author
- Thread starter Spectrumalaska
- Start date
S.E. Hinton
To this day, The Outsiders sells 500,000 copies per year. It is THE American middle school book.
Books, like movies, have become part of pop culture and because of that are treated poorly by "critics" because there is this weird idea that if a lot of people like/understand something that it must not be "good"
She was 15ish when she started that book.
I bet there is not a poster on this site that can't quote that book (or movie).
Kurt Vonnegut is on the list as well.
But, I taught middle school reading for years and later HS sociology, and that book captivates 12-18 year olds like nothing I have ever seen. The Outsiders is amazing and her writing on that book is perfection.
The casting of the movie is amazing as well and maybe the hottest cast ever (if I was a girl)
To this day, The Outsiders sells 500,000 copies per year. It is THE American middle school book.
Books, like movies, have become part of pop culture and because of that are treated poorly by "critics" because there is this weird idea that if a lot of people like/understand something that it must not be "good"
She was 15ish when she started that book.
I bet there is not a poster on this site that can't quote that book (or movie).
Kurt Vonnegut is on the list as well.
But, I taught middle school reading for years and later HS sociology, and that book captivates 12-18 year olds like nothing I have ever seen. The Outsiders is amazing and her writing on that book is perfection.
The casting of the movie is amazing as well and maybe the hottest cast ever (if I was a girl)
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Bill Watterson, James Hunter, Jon Gordon and Dave Ramsey … when you gotta lot of problems, you need a lot of help!
Stephen king (only when coked out of his mind). His sober stuff sucks balls.. his kid is pretty good too. Under appreciated horror writers are Peter Clines & David Wong.
Interesting comment…my late father was goood friends with Hemingway in Key West. Fished all day with him and drank all night in the Garden of Roses. He was a strange guy…especially when he had what he and those around him called “The Black ***”. He wouldn’t talk to anyone and just stayed holed up trying to write. One moody and troubled individual. When he shot himself my dad’s comment was that he wasn’t surprised at all.
Several of different genres
David Pietruzca
Jay Winik
John Grisham( go ahead and laugh)
Tim Keller
David Pietruzca
Jay Winik
John Grisham( go ahead and laugh)
Tim Keller
Id still like to have a drink with him… had a drink with the pirate in key west. Super good dude
Stephen King and I don't want to hear about politics. I grew up reading him before I knew what politics was (not that I know now). Most of the garbage that is critically acclaimed I'm pretty sure is just people saying how great it is because they want to sound smart.
However... Jack London is pretty great.
However... Jack London is pretty great.
Spitting truth here. King by a reasonable margin, and I’m a fan of classic lit as well, but to deny his place as a legendary American author wreaks of political nonsense.
Flannery O'Connor.
Eudora Welty.
William Faulkner.
Clearly, I have a type.
Oh, and for short stories, Ray Carver.
Eudora Welty.
William Faulkner.
Clearly, I have a type.
Oh, and for short stories, Ray Carver.
I love Jack London AND Stephen King. London was not the most stand up dude, but I still love his books. Helped shape my love for the mountains and outdoors. Ive only read NOS4A2 by Joe Hill so far but it was stellar. I've read a little Hemmingway and it was fine. I think a list like this needs to include Lovecraft and Herman Melville as well (even though Moby Dick is boring as hell, but the way he went about getting the story is a great story in itself).
Michael Crichton blew my mind when I was in HS and Jurassic Park came out, more recently I have really enjoyed Andy Weir's books like the Martian, Artemis and Hail Mary Project.
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Vonnegut for sure. Others who broke ground:
- Rita Mae Brown
- James Baldwin
- Richard Wright
- Toni Morrison
- Alice Walker
- Zora Neale Hurston