Dan Simmons, 77, award-winning author of 31 novels and short story collections, passed away on February 21, 2026 in Longmont, Colorado. Many of his books won honors ranging from the Hugo Award, science fiction’s most prestigious award, to two World Fantasy Awards, three Bram Stoker Awards for horror, a dozen Locus Awards, and the Shirley Jackson Award. His titles have been translated into at least 20 languages and published in 28 foreign countries. Read more
Tag: American Authors
Edward Hoagland, Lyrical Chronicler of the Natural World, Dies at 93
Widely considered one of the country’s foremost essayists and often described as an heir to Thoreau, Mr. Hoagland was famed for transforming the modern nature essay into a vehicle for autobiographical introspection. Read more
Ohio Prepares for Yearlong Celebration of Toni Morrison
The yearlong initiative, coordinated by Literary Cleveland in partnership with Ohio Humanities, the Ohioana Library Association and the Toni Morrison Society, officially launches Feb. 18, which would have been Morrison’s 95th birthday. Read more
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James Sallis, 81, Dies; Novelist Whose ‘Drive’ Became a Hit Movie
A storyteller of modern America’s underbelly with a literary, ruminative style, he inspired a Ryan Gosling movie and earned critical acclaim. Read more
Upton Sinclair’s California Hideaway Hits the Market
These days, the 1920s house, situated in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, a permanent record of the outsized role the home had in Sinclair’s life. Coodley says that Sinclair intended for his home to be repurposed as a learning center following his death, but it’s been in the hands of private ownership since his passing in 1968. In a rare move, though, the home has just been listed for sale, 15 years since it last went on the market. It’s asking $1,999,000. Read more
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Fern Michaels, Prolific Author of Romance Novels, Dies at 92
Fern Michaels, a mother of five in suburban New Jersey who responded to her husband’s request to get a job by taking up writing, only to blossom into a best-selling author of more than 200 romances and thrillers, died on Nov. 12 at her home in Summerville, S.C. Read more
Daniel Woodrell, ‘Country Noir’ Novelist of ‘Winter’s Bone,’ Dies at 72
Daniel Woodrell, a novelist known for prose as rugged and elemental as the igneous rock of the Ozark Mountains, his birthplace, which he returned to just as his artistic craftsmanship peaked, died on Friday at his home in West Plains, Mo. Read more
‘Languages of Home’ by John Edgar Wideman
Novelist, essayist, and critic Wideman delivers a profound, career-spanning collection of essays on literature, sports, and culture … Incisive and enthralling, the collection puts Wideman’s keen critical eye and cultural awareness on full display. The result is an essential chronicle of the American experience. Read more
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Anne Rice Fans Flock to New Orleans for a Memorial Tribute to the Horror Literature Legend
Fans lined up from Orpheum Theater’s entrance all the way down the block to the VooDoo Mart liquor store on Canal Street Saturday, awaiting an opportunity to finally bid farewell to the late Anne Rice, the New Orleans-born queen of Goth literature. No one since Marie Laveau contributed more to New Orleans’ supernatural mystique than she. Read more
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Thomas Perry Dies at 78; Writer of Popular, Unconventional Thrillers
Thomas Perry, a best-selling, critically acclaimed novelist whose 32 inventive thrillers were known for their intricate plots, unexpectedly sympathetic villains and intriguing heroes, among them a Native American woman who helps people take on new identities, died on Sept. 15 in Los Angeles. Read more
