Laurie Halse Anderson - Award Winning Young Adult Author

Laurie Halse Anderson - Award Winning Young Adult Author When Laurie Halse Anderson was Born: October 23, 1961 in Potsdam, New York Her Background: Anderson grew up in Northern New York and from an early age loved to write. She attended Georgetown University and graduated with a degree in languages and linguistics. After graduation she worked several different jobs including cleaning banks and working as a stockbroker. Anderson did some writing as a freelance reporter for newspapers and magazines and worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She published her first book in 1996 and has been writing ever since. Anderson is married to Scot Larabee and together they have four children. (Source: Scholastic) Laurie Halse Anderson’s Books: Anderson’s writing career is prolific. She’s written picture books, fiction for young readers, nonfiction for young readers, historical fiction, and young adult books. Here are some of her most well-known books for teens and tweens. Speak (Speak, 2006. ISBN: 9780142407325) Read Speak Review Twisted (Speak, 2008. ISBN: 9780142411841) Fever, 1793 (Simon and Schuster, 2002. ISBN: 9780689848919) Prom (Puffin, 2006. ISBN: 9780142405703) Catalyst (Speak, 2003. ISBN: 9780142400012) Wintergirls (Turtleback, 2010. ISBN: 9780606151955) Chains (Atheneum, 2010. ISBN: 9781416905868) Forge(Atheneum, 2010. ISBN: 9781416961444) For a complete list of all her books, including out of print books, visit the Laurie Halse Andersons  Web site. Awards and Recognition: Anderson’ s award list is long and continues to grow. Besides being a New York Times bestselling author and having her books listed multiple times on the American Library Association’s many teen lists, she has received starred reviews from the Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. Her most prestigious awards are the following: Speak 1999 National Book Award Finalist2000 Printz Honor bookEdgar Allan Poe Award Finalist Chains   2008 National Book Award Finalist2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction   Catalyst  Ã‚     2002 Odyssey Book Award   (Source: Authors 4 Teens Web site) In 2009 Anderson received the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for significant and lasting achievement in young adult literature. The award focused specifically on Anderson’s books Speak, Fever 1793, and Catalyst. Censorship and Banning Controversies: Some of Anderson’s books have been challenged based on their content. The book Speak is listed by the American  Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between the years 2000-2009 and has been banned from some middle and high schools for sexuality, situations of suicidal thoughts in teens, and gritty teenage situations.  School Library Journal interviewed Anderson about Speak after a Missouri man tried to get it banned.  According to Anderson, there was a huge outpouring of support with people  posting comments and stories.  Anderson also received several requests for interviews and comments.  (Source: School Library Journal) Anderson takes a strong stance against censorship and discusses the topic along with her books on her Web site. Movie Adaptations: A movie adaption of Speak was made in 2005 starring Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame. The Author Online: Anderson stays in touch with her fans and provides materials for teachers and librarians on her Web site. Laurie Halse Anderson Trivia: Anderson milked cows and worked on a dairy farm to earn money for college.She loves listening to Mozart’s’ Requiem.A motto that Anderson lives by is: When life gets tough, pick up a book and read. (Source: Simon and Schuster Web site)

Definition and Examples of Reported Speech

Definition and Examples of Reported Speech Reported speech is the report of one speaker or writer on the words spoken, written, or thought by someone else. Also called reported discourse. Traditionally, two broad categories of  reported speech  have been recognized: direct speech  (in which the original speakers words are quoted word for word) and indirect speech (in which the original speakers thoughts are conveyed without using the speakers exact words). However, a number of linguists have challenged this distinction, noting (among other things) that theres significant overlap between the two categories. Deborah Tannen, for instance, has argued that [w]  hat is commonly referred to as reported speech or direct quotation in conversation is  constructed dialogue. Observations Reported speech is not just a particular grammatical form or transformation, as some grammar books might suggest. We have to realize that reported speech represents, in fact, a kind of translation, a transposition that necessarily takes into account two different cognitive perspectives: the point of view of the person whose utterance is being reported, and that of a speaker who is actually reporting that utterance.(Teresa DobrzyÅ„ska, Rendering Metaphor in Reported Speech, in Relative Points of View: Linguistic Representation of Culture, ed. by Magda StroiÅ„ska. Berghahn Books, 2001) Tannen on the Creation of Dialogue I wish to question the conventional American literal conception of reported speech and claim instead that uttering dialogue in conversation is as much a creative act as is the creation of dialogue in fiction and drama.  The casting of thoughts and speech in dialogue creates particular scenes and charactersand . . . it is the particular that moves readers by establishing and building on a sense of identification between speaker or writer and hearer or reader. As teachers of creative writing exhort neophyte writers, the accurate representation of the particular communicates universality, whereas direct attempts to represent universality often communicate nothing. (Deborah Tannen, Talking Voices: Repetition, Dialogue, and Imagery in Conversational Discourse, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Goffman on Reported Speech [Erving] Goffmans work has proven foundational in the investigation of reported speech itself. While Goffman is not in his own work concerned with the analysis of actual instances of interaction (for a critique, see Schlegoff, 1988), it provides a framework for researchers concerned with investigating reported speech in its most basic environment of occurrence: ordinary conversation. . . .Goffman . . . proposed that reported speech is a natural upshot of a more general phenomenon in interaction: shifts of footing, defined as the alignment of an individual to a particular utterance . . . ([Forms of Talk,] 1981: 227). Goffman is concerned to break down the roles of speaker and hearer into their constituent parts. . . . [O]ur ability to use reported speech stems from the fact that we can adopt different roles within the production format, and it is one of the many ways in which we constantly change footing as we interact . . ..(Rebecca Clift and Elizabeth Holt, Introduction. Reporting T alk: Reported Speech in Interaction. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Reported Speech in Legal Contexts ​[R]eported speech occupies a prominent position in our use of language in the context of the law. Much of what is said in this context has to do with rendering peoples sayings: we report the words that accompany other peoples doings in order to put the latter in the correct perspective. As a consequence, much of our judiciary system, both in the theory and in the practice of law, turns around the ability to prove or disprove the correctness of a verbal account of a situation. The problem is how to summarize that account, from the initial police report to the final imposed sentence, in legally binding terms, so that it can go on the record, that is to say, be reported in its definitive, forever immutable form as part of a case in the books. (Jacob Mey, When Voices Clash: A Study in Literary Pragmatics. Walter de Gruyter, 1998)

The korean War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The korean War - Essay Example Member states were called on to deploy military aid, and this was followed by the first US troops landing in South Korea. The Korean conflict lasted for three years until a truce and agreement was reached in 1953 Based on the literature I have read with regards to this subject and my logical interpretation of the events preceding and following the Korean conflict, I am convinced that Truman was totally justified in relieving General MacArthur of his duties. MacArthur (as recognized by many scholars) was a fighting man; he did not know how to quit and even viewed a stalemate as a loss (Halberstam, 2007). I cannot fault General MacArthur for his reasoning, but the time was very wrong for an international nuclear war considering that it had been only 5 years since the end of World War II. I therefore believe that Truman was totally justified in relieving General MacArthur of his duties and hence promoting the greater

Case Study - HR Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

- HR - Case Study Example This project report would deal with a UK based growing company, Vitamond which manufacturers a range of non alcoholic drinks which has positioned as a healthy life style. The company has decided to set up a manufacturing plant in France. Therefore the report would deal with the HR practises and policies of France as compared to UK. The HRM practises usually vary to a great extend between different nationality and it was mainly due to the changing practise of HR policies and practises due to acquisition or expansion. To a great extent, HRM penetration reflects the complex interaction between the difference in between the culture and globalization (Price, 2007, p.593). There exists a huge difference between the human resource practise in UK and that of France. The regulatory factors in UK and France differ in number on aspects. France ranks high in terms of employment protection legislation among the OECD countries. UK employers tend to face minimum legal restriction on firing of an employee and hiring of an employee. A high rate of difference exists between the two countries is in the area of employee representation and performance pay (See Appendix A). It can be seen that performance pay is 19.9% in UK whereas in France it is 72.6% (Lorenz, et.al, n.d, p.5). In UK, additional incentives from the standard pay scales are paid to the employees based on the performance of the individual, but however gender gaps still prevails in UK. However in case of France, the French are the champions for individualisations of compensation which might turn equity into key issues. France has the willingness to increase its compensation flexibility taking into consideration the important and necessary benefits. Therefore the HR professionals experience difficulty in linking the design and implementing its compensation with the structure of the organisation (ÄÅ'esynienÄâ€", 2008,

Generational Differences in the Workforce

Generational Differences in the Workforce Workforce in todays organisations fall into four broad categories and it has been well established that individuals growing up in different times has affected their values, behaviours and viewpoints. These generational differences present a significant challenge for current organisations. This topic of Generational differences at work place has been immensely researched over the past decade. There has been a spawning number of consulting reports, magazine articles, academic literature produced and replicated in-order to conclude these differences in perceived and actual values between four generations of workforce (Lyons, Urick, Kuron, Schweitzer, 2015). Costanza Finkelstein (2015) reported that the evidence presented in majority of research about this topic is controversial and lacks the depth and rigor (Costanza Finkelstein, 2015). An appraisal of vast majority of systematic and critical reviews provide documented evidence that the perceived differences across the generations might exist, but do these generational cohorts actually have different wishes in a work context or is it perceived commonly held biases that needs to be investigated empirically (Lyons et al., 2015). This question has been addressed in a research conducted by (Lester, Standifer, Schultz, Windsor, 2012) in the article titled as Actual Verses Perceived Generational Differences at Work; An empirical Examination. (Lester et al., 2012) have discussed generational differences in detail, with emphasis on why the nature of these values may lead to the generational misconceptions and its impact on the workplaces. This study thus provides an articulate discussion about the perceived and actual differences in the organisations with multigenerational workforce and its impact on workplace. This summary briefing will share the salient features of the article by (Lester et al., 2012) and will provide the insight of this research paper concluding with application of the key concepts to my current workplace. Literature Review Generational cohort theory established by Inglehart (1997) merely states that the behaviour and values of the generations born in the same era are shaped by the internal and external events of that era. The generations who are affected by the comparable issues, impacted by the same events and share similar experiences are likely to have similar underlying work values. According to (Lester et al., 2012) currently there are four different generational cohorts in the American workforce; Traditionalists, Boomers, Generation X and Generation X based on the era they were born. This board categorization has been reasoned throughout the literature, traditionalist include individuals born prior to 1946, boomers between 1946 and 1964, Generation X between 1965 and 1981 and Generation Y between 1981 and 2000. Literature suggests that these generational cohorts possess a unique set of distinctive and unique characteristics that distinguish their workplace tendencies (Hill Stephens, 2003). This study only includes three generational cohorts due to the reason Traditionalists (65 years of age) is commonly viewed as the benchmark age for the retirement (Lester et al., 2012). Boomers This generational cohort is viewed as consensus seekers, who are competitive micromanagers and possess a moderate level of disrespect for authority. Preference of Face-to-face interaction and conventional mail are other characteristics of this generational cohort, additionally they are presumed to open in using online tools are resources in their work (Reynolds et al., 2008, cited in Lester et al., 2012, p. 342). Generation X This generational cohort is viewed as sceptical individuals who prefer relatively informal work climate with weaker work ethics. They crave autonomy, challenge authority and believe in work-life balance, where personal activity takes priority. Additionally, they prefer technology based interactions in comparison to face -to-face meetings and value direct feedback form the leaders (Twenge., 2010; Reynolds et al., 2008, cited in Lester et al., 2012, p342). Generation X This generational cohort is viewed as technology driven, multitasking individuals who prefer working with peers in a team oriented work environment. They strongly value fast paced technological interactions and regard work-life balance important and where engagement with friends and family take priority over work commitments (Sessa et al., 2007; Steele Gordon, 2006; Crumpacker Crumpacker, 2007; Myers Sadaghiani, 2010, cited in Lester et al., 2012, p342). The literature review suggested although there are many assumptions and perceptions for each of the generational cohort but very little empirical evidence exists to substantiate these differences (Twenge, 2010). Lester et al. (2012) selected 15 specific aspects of ones work context; and the reasoning was based on the generational cohort theory. They also expected greatest actual disparity in generational preferences with respect to technology; e-mail communication; social media; technology; formal authority and fun-at-work. On the basis of generational cohort theory, the generations are likely to differ across generational lines in technological means of communication. This is rational on the basis that Boomers generation grew up without the significant exposure to the technology compared to Generation X. The other end of the spectrum is Generation Y who have been exposed to digital world throughout their entire lives; would be expected to place highest value on technology (Lester et al., 2012). The generational theory also suggests that when Boomers entered workforce communicating was predominantly by phone, face-to-face and through traditional mail; by the time Generation X cohort joined employment early use of internet and email had arrived. However, the communication for Generation X has been drastically changed by social media like (Facebook, Twitter Texting etc.). Another area of difference between the generation cohorts will be the preference regarding work culture due to ones view of formal authority and its association with leadership (Crampton Hodge, 2007., cited in Lester et al.,2012). On the other hand, perceived differences in what generational cohorts desire in their work context are expected in far greater number. Firstly, from the attribution theory perspective that proposes in order to understand the cause of our or someone else human behaviour, individuals have tendency to link these traits to internal or external causes rather than assuming the behaviours are random in nature (Bell, 2008). Due to this reason it will not be surprising to see generational cohorts have different perception of work values across with respect to each generation lines (Buss, 1978). According to Lester et al (2012) generational stereotyping is another reason for expected perceptual differences across three generational cohorts in the study. Immense research in the area of negative and positive stereotyping exit in literature. No statistical significant differences exist yet age stereotyping exist in all organisations with multigenerational workforce. Literature suggests older employees are more likely to contemplate they have stronger work ethics then younger employees of an organisation and younger employees are likely to think they are better at multi-tasking and creativity compared to older employees (Blauth, McDaniel, Perrin, Perrin, 2011). Additionally, authors suggest that in expecting generational value differences regarding technology, views of authority, communication and work culture, these actual value differences will influence perceived generational differences (Lester et al., 2012, p344). Hypothesis 1 Actual generational differences exist regarding the extent to which technology, face-to-face communication, e-mail communication, social media, formal authority and fun-at-work are valued (Lester et al., 2012, p 344). Hypothesis 2 There are more perceived value differences between generations than actual value differences (Lester et al., 2012, p 344). Methods This study was conducted in United States from a Midwestern organisation. The sample size was 466, with a response received form 263 employees. Female participants formed 84% of the workforce with 16% being male. Participants ranged from 17 to 65 years of age with 4 % having a graduate degree, 30% with bachelors degree, 19% 2-year associate degree, 30% had attend some college and 17% reported of having completed high school. The data was gathered though online survey using a 6-point Likert-type scale (Lester et al., 2012). Measures Participants were placed in the four generational categories on the basis of their age where 62 categorised as Generation Y, 102 Boomers and 99 Generation Y respectively. Three or four participants fell into Traditionalist but were included into Boomers category due to their small number (Lester et al., 2012). Participants were asked about the how they personally valued already selected 15 different items (table 1) that could represent their work content I Value and then they were asked to rate the same items based on the extent to which they believed each if the three generations valued the items (Lester et al., 2012). Table 1 (15 specific aspects of ones work context and I value measure grouping Table 1. I Value Measure Groupings Engagement Nature of Job Technology Structure Teamwork Autonomy Technology Formal authority Face-to-face communication Security E-mail communication Structure Participation Professional Social media Continuous learning Flexible Fun at work Recognition (Lester et al., 2012, p346). Results Multivariate statistical analysis was conducted to test the relationship between generational designation and 15 I Value items. Control variables of gender, educational level, ethnicity and generational design were entered as fixed factors and 15 I Value items were entered as dependent variables. Table 2. Hypothesis 1: Actual Differences Between Generations on I Value Items Mean Value Generation Y Generation X Boomers Differencea Interpretation E-mail communication 4.90 4.19 0.71** Generation Y reports valuing it more than Boomers report valuing it Social media 3.90 2.74 1.16*** Generation Y reports valuing it more than Generation X reports valuing it 3.90 2.40 1.50*** Generation Y reports valuing it more than Boomers report valuing it Fun at work 5.48 4.79 0.69** Generation Y reports valuing it more than Generation X reports valuing it 5.48 4.82 0.66** Generation Y reports valuing it more than Boomers report valuing it Continuous learning 5.33 4.82 0.51* Generation Y reports valuing it more than Boomers report valuing it Professionalism 5.06 5.43 0.38* Boomers report valuing it more than Generation X reports valuing it a. The values represent absolute difference mean scores. *p à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ .05. **p à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ .01. ***p à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ .001 (Lester et al., 2012, p347). References Bell, E. E. (2008). Exploring employee perception of the work environment along generational lines. Performance Improvement, 47(9), 35-45. Blauth, C., McDaniel, J., Perrin, C., Perrin, P. (2011). Age-based stereotypes: Silent killer of collaboration and productivity. No. M01360). Tampa: AchieveGlobal. Buss, A. R. (1978). Causes and reasons in attribution theory: A conceptual critique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(11), 1311. Costanza, D. P., Finkelstein, L. M. (2015). Generationally based differences in the workplace: Is there a there there? Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 8(03), 308-323. Hill, R. P., Stephens, D. L. (2003). The compassionate organization in the 21st century. Organizational Dynamics, 32(4), 331-341. Lester, S. W., Standifer, R. L., Schultz, N. J., Windsor, J. M. (2012). Actual versus perceived generational differences at work an empirical examination. Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies, 19(3), 341-354. Lyons, S., Urick, M., Kuron, L., Schweitzer, L. (2015). Generational Differences in the Workplace: There Is Complexity Beyond the Stereotypes. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 8(03), 346-356. Twenge, J. M. (2010). A review of the empirical evidence on generational differences in work attitudes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(2), 201-210.

Greek literature

During the time of Homer, Greek literature was saturated in laws and rituals carefully presented through the thrilling plots of adventure and drama. This way, a storyteller could keep the interest of his audience by relating a fantastic episode to the everyday occurrences of an oikos and give the reader both the extraordinary and the familiar. The Odyssey is an assemblage of these episodes whose cloaked intentions were to represent a distinct theme in Ithacan culture. Each story presented in the Odyssey allows the reader to further understand the true state of Ithaca and how it compares in civility to other cultures, on the basis of laws, rituals and social conduct. A passage of particular interest is found in Book IX, lines 105-141. It is when Odysseus sits in the palace of the Phaiakians and recalls his encounter with the culture of the Cyclopes. The obvious purpose of this recount is to give the audience another adventure, a new idea which will keep their attention. Yet his journey to the land of the Cyclopes has a greater purpose. It allows the audience to consider another culture with much different civil standards than their own oikos (which in many ways is similar to Ithaca). The Cycloptic culture is that of great indolence and barbarism. Its inhabitants are extremely lazy and live off the livelihood provided to them by Zeus. â€Å"[The Cyclopes'] neither plow with their hands no plant anything, but all grow for them without seed-planting, without cultivation, wheat and barley and also grapevines, which yield for them wine of strength, and it is Zeus' rain that waters it for them† (Book IX. ll. 108-111). They do no take part in any of the food making process, so it isn't even as though Zeus is helping them out, he is just doing it for them; this shows how lethargic these creatures truly are. The culture of the Cycloptic civilization has a striking resemblance to the situation in Ithaca. Although during Odysseus' reign of Ithaca's, we are lead to believe that it is a great city with hard working citizens, this is not the case all the time. While Odysseus is gone, the situation Telemachos must face reflects an environment with a similar social conduct. The suitors that have come to court Penelope have completely overtaken the oikos. All of Ithaca's goods and services are at their disposal, of which they did not work or pay for in any manner. â€Å"[The suitors'] heralds poured water over their hands for them to wash with, and the serving maids brought them bread heaped up in baskets, and the young men filled the mixing bowls with wine for their drinking† (Book I. ll. 44-149). Just as the Cyclopes relied on the gods, the suitors did not earn any of their food, but rather they relied on the (one-sided) hospitality of the Ithacans. The political order of the Cyclopes is a very sketchy, undefined one. There is no central government and it is as though they are in constant competition in order to maintain their survival. They do not necessarily look out for each other, but rather have their own personal goal to take care of themselves and their families by any means necessary. â€Å"These people have no institutions, no meetings for council†¦ and each one is the law for his own wives and children and cares nothing about the others† (Book IX. ll. 110-115). Again, this is similar to the way the suitors treat the situation they are put in. Each man is out for himself, to win Penelope's hand in marriage. Telemachos is fully aware of this fact and tells the assembly of their misconduct. â€Å"For my mother, against her will, is beset by suitors, own sons to the men who are the greatest hereabouts. These shrink from making the journey to the house of her father Ikarios, so that he might take bride gifts for his daughter and bestow her on the one he wished, who came as his favorite; rather all their days, they come and loiter in our house and sacrifice our oxen and our sheep and our fat goats and make a holiday feast of it and drink the bright wine recklessly† (Book II. ll. 50-58). Telemachos tells of how the suitors have no respect for Penelope or the oikos and how they do not care about whether or not the food will run out. They are only out for themselves. In fact, they did not even go to Penelope's father's home to pay gift because they are too lazy and selfish. They is no order in the oikos, it just an unruly chaos in which every man is out to get the grand prize for the lowest price possible. Homer has a very ingenious style of story telling, in which he compares and contrasts Ithaca with the civilizations Odysseus encounters during his many years away. Each of these civilization is a reflection of what Ithaca is, was, or could be. In the case of the land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus has a glimpse of what is going back home without even being there. Because Odysseus goes through these journeys, he is able to better understand his own country, and gain a new appreciation for the social rituals which are common during his reign in Ithaca.

The Novel Mayflower By Nathaniel Philbrick - 1220 Words

In the novel Mayflower, by Nathaniel Philbrick, the author educates us on how the New World was discovered and created. It all started with a group of roughly 100 men and women who originated from England known as the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were sick and tired of the lack of religious freedom and work/economic opportunities. There was no future for the Pilgrims in England. This was all until the group set sail on the Mayflower in order to find new land. After a rough journey, they came across a piece of land now known as New England. The Pilgrims settled here because it was relatively empty. They believed that in New England they would be able to create a godly city or a place where they wouldn’t be criticized for their religious views.†¦show more content†¦In reality, if it were not for the Native Americans, the Pilgrims would have been wiped out in a short period of time. The first relationship dealt with economics. In the Pilgrims first winter, many died from disea se and starvation because they had no idea about how bad the winters are in New England. They didn’t understand how to grow crops successfully until the Native Americans helped them out, resulting in less death from starvation. Since the Pilgrims were in need of food fast in order to survive, they would have no choice but to steal corn from the group called the Nausets. â€Å"The snow made it difficult to find the corn, but eventually they located 10 catches of it.† They educated the Pilgrims about some of their practices such as how to build warm and protected shelters. But in a short period of time this ended up hurting the Native Americans. There was a native man by the name of Squanto who did not mind helping out the Pilgrims at all. Squanto showed the Pilgrims everything he knew about building crops, fishing, building shelters and basically how to survive. Squanto was a very talented eel fisherman and he provided eels to the Pilgrims so that they would have someth ing to eat. â€Å"That night the Pilgrims at the eels with relish, praising them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He also explained to the Pilgrims that if you plant fish in the soil next to your crops, the soil will get richer and the plants will grow better. Even though the Native AmericansShow MoreRelatedMayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, Essay on Pt. One903 Words   |  4 PagesMayflower: Part One The novel Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick has a long list of things to teach us about the New World. The fact that it’s showed us that the very first pilgrims had no idea what they were in for was crucial. They were hit with the realization that the Natives would be wild and ferocious instead of calm and tame. They’d known they would be introduced to new ways of life, and disease, but they didn’t suspect that it’d be the most destructive part to the goodwill of the newly bornRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Philbrick s Mayflower 1521 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Philbrick is an American author and novelist. He was born June 11, 1956 in Boston, Massachusetts but spent most of his early life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he grew up. He attended Brown and Duke Universities where he earned a BA in English and an MA in American Literature. Where he was born, what he studied in school, and where he currently resides (Nantucket, MA along with his wife Mel issa) contribute greatly to his career. Philbrick used his acquired knowledge and experience from