L. Frank Baum (1856-1919).  Born on May 15, 1856 in Chittenango, NY, to oil magnate Benjamin Ward Baum.  He was the seventh of nine children.  His mother was a women’s rights activist.  He was privately tutored at home.  Over the years, he did a variety of things, including writing for New York Farmer and Dairyman, opening an opera house in which he acted and toured with his own repertory company, and trying his hand at various employments, including the family oil business and owning a general store. However, he was never very successful at these various employments; it was only after he had moved back to Chicago, and failed again in sales, that he finally discovered his true talent lay in writing.

            Inspired early in life to create likable characters in order to teach character and values to children, rather than using scary creatures, he once wrote it was worthy to write to please children, and that so doing brings its own reward…better than that of fame.   

In 1882, he married Maud Gage, and they had four children.  His first novel was Mother Goose in Prose (1897).  In the last chapter, he introduces a girl named Dorothy who lives on a farm.  He next produced Father Goose: His Book, which was immensely popular, selling 175,000 copies.  He then composed the work he is most noted for, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published at his own expense.  During his lifetime, he wrote over 60 books and a few plays.  He had a frail heart for most of his life and he died on May 6, 1919.  His famous Oz series include:

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861).  Born on March 6, 1806, in Durham, England, she was the  eldest of 12 children.  Elizabeth was educated at home by private tutors, learning Latin, Greek, and French.  Her father published her first work when she was 14.  (An interesting side note: her father forbade his children to marry!)  She wrote amid bouts of lung conditions, probably tuberculosis, which she fought all her life, beginning with a serious illness at age 15.  Browning became quite popular by the 1840’s. 

In 1845, she met another poet, Robert Browning.  Because of her father, they courted secretly and eloped in 1846.  She was 40, he was 34.  While courting, Elizabeth wrote the sonnets that were published as Sonnets from the Portuguese, intimating they were translations, when actually, “Portuguese” was the pet name Robert had given Elizabeth.  They had a happy marriage and had one child, Robert Wiedemann, born in 1849.  Elizabeth died in her husband’s arms on June 29, 1861.  This romantic, Victorian woman penned those infamous first lines, “How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.”  Her works include:

Lewis Carroll (1832-1989).  Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, in Daresbury, Cheshire.  He was the third child of eleven.  In his early years, he was educated at home. At age 7, he was reading Pilgrim’s Progress.  At age 12, he was sent to school, where he seemed to be happy, but at 13, he changed schools, and was no longer happy.  He went to Oxford in 1851, spending the rest of his life there.  His favorite subject was mathematics. He was ordained and he did sometimes preach, although he did not follow this as a lifetime career. (After reading several short biographies, each differing slightly in presentation of his religious beliefs, I am unsure what his actual religious beliefs were. Also, too, various biographers present differing opinions regarding his morality – what is truth and what is fictitious, I am unable to determine.)  He developed quite an interest in photography and apparently enjoyed this as a hobby. Preferring to use the pen-name Lewis Carroll, which some believe he created using the letters in his given name, he is most noted for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  He also wrote poetry. His other works include:

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895).  Born a slave, he educated himself, escaped, and became one of the foremost leaders of abolition in America.  He was an eloquent speaker.  He wrote three autobiographies in addition to his articles and speeches.  He is famous for:

George Eliot (1819-1880).   George Eliot was the penname for Mary Ann Evans, born in Warwickshire.  Like many female writers, she preferred to use a male penname. Some women felt they would be taken seriously as an author if their gender were not known.  Mary Evans was educated at home.  After her father’s death, she edited for the Westminster Review.  Her first novel was Adam Bede.  Her works include:

Anna Sewell (1820-1878).  Born in Norfolk, England.  Anna was schooled mostly at home.  She did attend a school briefly, but upon returning home, fell and injured both ankles, leaving her an invalid.  She never married.  Anna edited her mother’s evangelical children’s books and helped teach Sunday school.  Because of her ill health, it took her seven years to complete her one and only novel, Black Beauty.  Sadly, she died five months after publication.

Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892).  Born in Somersby, Lincolnshire.  His father was a clergyman.  Alfred attended school briefly, after that, he was taught at home.  At college, he joined a literary club.  He is most noted for his poetry.  Some of his works are:

Charlotte Yonge (1823-1901).  Born in Otterborne, England.  Educated at home by her father.  She loved history and literature.  Charlotte published her first book when she was just 15 years old.  She edited books for 30 years.  Miss Yonge published over 100 books.  She is noted as a Christian writer.  Her works include: