Walter Dean Myers

Terry Novak (Johnson and Wales University)
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Walter Dean Myers, an African-American writer born on 12 August 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, lost his mother when he was only three. This traumatic event led to the youngster's being handed over to the Dean family to be raised as their foster son. Myers took the Dean family name as part of his own when he began his writing career. With the Dean family, young Myers moved from West Virginia to Harlem, in New York City. Myers had a good childhood and was an avid reader from an early age. Despite being a good student, Myers knew his foster family would be unable to send him to college. Unhappy with this reality, Myers dropped out of high school and joined the army. After being discharged from the Army, Myers worked at a series of jobs, including a stint at the post office. He also…

834 words

Citation: Novak, Terry. "Walter Dean Myers". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 January 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3280, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3280 Walter Dean Myers 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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