Short Story Writers
Raphael, Lev
May 19, 1954 –
Place of Birth: New York, New York
Place of Principle Residence: Okemos, MI
Biography:
The son of two Holocaust survivors, Lev Raphael grew up in New York, New York surrounded by Jewish culture and his parent’s tragic past. Raphael later described his childhood experience as one being a constant fear of saying the wrong thing and sparking a horrible memory for his parents. A self-proclaimed bookworm, Raphael devoured books as a child, partly as a way to escape into different worlds. In college he was encouraged to pursue writing, which became an outlet for him to express his knowledge and experience with the Holocaust. He published his first short story about children of Holocaust survivors in 1978. Since then Raphael has written seventeen books, many of which explore the Holocaust and its effects. He earned an M.F.A. at the University of Massachusetts 1978 and a Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 1986. After getting his doctorate, Raphael worked as an assistant professor of American Thought and Language and Michigan State for two years before retiring to be a full time writer.
Selected Works:
- Dancing on Tisha B’Av (1990)
- Edith Wharton’s Prisoners of Shame (1991)
- Winter Eyes (1992)
- Journeys & Arrivals (1996)
- The German Money (2003)
Awards:
- 1990 Lambda Literary Award
- 1978 Harvey Swados Fiction Prize
- Reed Smith Fiction Prize, Amelia Magazine
- International Quarterly’s Crossing Boundaries Prize
Critical Reception:
Raphael has won several awards for his work, including the Lambda Literary Award for Dancing on Tisha B’Av. For his book German Money Raphael received rave reviews.
“What a gift for a writer to be able to sustain unflagging, sweaty-palm suspense in a novel almost through character alone. This is what the prodigious Lev Raphael pulls off in The German Money, a mystery whose shocking denouement is so organic to the whole thing that it feels as if a boiling volcano has finally let loose.”
-The Washington Post Book World
“Raphael applies his talents as a suspense writer to this unconventional Holocaust novel… The sharpness of the family portrait and the appeal of the romantic subplot make this an engaging read.”
-Publishers Weekly
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Raphael attributes his move to Michigan (to get his Ph.D. at Michigan State) as an experience that brought out his enthusiasm for his Jewish heritage. According to Raphael, in New York he was simply one of the crowd, but in Michigan, a decidedly non-Jewish environment, he felt himself more tied to his roots. Before moving to Michigan, Raphael experienced a five to six year period of frustration, being unable to get anything published. This helped him again publish his work in Jewish magazines and his book Dancing on Tisha B’Av.
Toombs, Jane
Dec. 27, 1926—
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, CA
Place of Principal Residence: Ontonagon, MI and Lakeland, Florida
Biography:
Jane Toombs was born to James and Francis Jamison in Los Angeles, CA on Dec. 27, 1926. Her family soon moved to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan where she spent most of her childhood. Her father played a key role in encouraging her as a writer, who was, himself, a history writer. Toombs attended Michigan State University, College of the Sequoias and Northern Michigan University. She has been a registered nurse as well as a Cadet nurse. Toombs has published over 80 books, including eBooks, as well as some articles. She has used a few pseudonyms in the past: Ellen Jamison, Diana Stuart, Olivia Sumner and Jane Anderson. Her writing covers various romance genres such as gothic, suspense, contemporary, historical, paranormal, mystery, fantasy and horror. Toombs is now a widow with five children; James, Ellen, Bobbie, and Robert as well as two step-children, Michael and Leslie. She spends her summers in Michigan and escapes to Lakeland, Florida during the winter.
Selected Works:
- Dangerous Medicine (2003)
- Detective Daddy (2004)
- Hugger Doll (2005)
- Ladies Of The Lakes (2007)
Awards:
- Two-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America Golden Medallion Contest
- The Prism Award for Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA
- Bookrak Award for Best-Selling Series Romance
- Sapphire Award finalist for paranormal short story
- Two Eppie winners (EPIC)
Critical Reception:
There have been a number of different reviews to many of her books throughout the years. For the most part her books serve their purpose of being entertaining and diverting, but not every one of her works has been a jewel.
For Harte’s Gold:
“Jane Toombs brings her considerable award-winning skills to bear and enhances the main romance with the insightful secondary love story of the young-hearted grandmother.”
- Romantic Times Book Reviews
“Harte’s Gold is a sweet and simple story but it’s not sweet, simple and completely silly, which is what the publisher’s summary – incorrectly – suggests.”
- The Romantic Reader
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Quite a few of her works refer to and are drawn from the Upper Peninsula area. Her most significant book in this area is Ladies of the Lakes, which takes place in the Great Lakes region.
Whelan, Gloria
1923—
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Place of Principal Residence: Detroit, MI
Biography:
Gloria Whelan was born in 1923 in Detroit, Michigan. At age nine, she had rheumatic heart disease and was forced to spend a whole year on bed rest, which was considered to be the only cure at the time. Her escape from the monotony came in the form of reading, and, since it was during the Great Depression and books were scarce, she often read the same books multiple times. Whelan began making up stories before she could write and dictated them to her baby sitter. She began writing poetry in elementary school, and was the editor of her high school’s paper. Whelan graduated from the University of Michigan and didn’t become a full-time writer until she and her husband moved to the woods of northern Michigan, where they spent thirty years. Whelan enjoys writing about her home state, as well as places overseas, and particularly thrives on the research involved with her writing. She and her husband now live in Detroit, MI and have two children, Joseph and Jennifer.
Selected Works:
- Angel on the Square
- The Impossible Journey
- Chu Ju’s House
- Mackinac Bridge: The Five Mile Poem
- Listening for Lion
Awards:
- 1998 Michigan Author Award
- 2000 National Book Award
- ALA Notable Children’s Book
- LA Best Books for Young Adults
- Great Lakes Booksellers Award
- Society of Midland Authors Juvenile Fiction Award
- Friends of American Writers Award
- Best Books of the Year Bank Street College
- Distinguished Achievement Award from the Educational Press Association of America
- Mark Twain Award
- Young Hoosier Master List
- National Outdoor Book Award
Critical Reception:
Gloria Whelan is the best-selling author of countless novels, short stories, and poetry. Her work encompasses the genres of children’s literature, young adult literature, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and short stories and poems for adults. Children and adults alike praise her works.
For Summer of the War:
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“Beautifully measured writing captures the smell of lake breezes, the feel of sand between the toes and emotional ache of growing up when change is not a choice. An exception portrayal of how war becomes personal.”
-Kirkus Reviews
For Listening for Lions:
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“Gentle, nostalgic, and fueled with old-fashioned girl power, this involving orphan story will please fans of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic The Secret Garden (1912) and Eva Ibbotson’s The Star of Kazan.”
- Booklist
For St. Petersburg novels:
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“The book’s uncomplicated language and sensitive treatment of political issues make it an excellent, vibrant introduction to the cause and effects of Tsar Nikolai’s fall.”
- Publisher’s Weekly
Relevance of Place to Work:
Many of Gloria Whelan’s adult novels include wilderness setting and images and metaphors of nature. She is drawn by the mystery of nature and the characters it affects. Several of her books take place in Whelan’s favorite Michigan locations such as Mackinac Island.
Zadoorian, Michael
February 26, 1957 -
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Biography:
Michael Zadoorian was born to Rosemary and Normon (a photographer for an electric company) and grew up in the northwest side of Detroit, MI. He attended Wayne State University and achieved both a B.A. and a M.A. in English. He has worked as a copywriter for Michael Floral & Associates, Doner Advertising, and Campbell-Ewald Advertising, where he remains today. Zadoorian has published short stories in a number of literary magazines (both at home and abroad) and released his first, much-praised book, Second Hand, A Novel in 2000.
Selected Works:
- Second Hand, A Novel (2000)
- To Sleep (American Short Fiction, 1997)
- Mystery Spot (Panurge, 1996)
- Traffic Reports (Staple, 1995)
- The Underground (Wisconsin Review, 1991)
Awards:
- 2000 Second Hand, Official Selection, “Discover Great New Writers” Program, by Borders.com Finalist for 2000 Discover Award
- 2000 Second Hand, Official Selection, Book Sense 76 List for March/April 2000; American Booksellers Association
- 2000 Second Hand, selected as one of the “Best of 2000, Fiction and Literature” by Borders
- One of “The Best” of 2000 by the Detroit Free Press
- 2000 One of the “Favorite Books of 2000” by the Chi. Tr.
- 1995 Recipient, Pre-Press Award, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs/ Pre-Press Publishing of Michigan
- 1991-92 Recipient, Loughead-Eldredge Creative Writing Scholarship; Wayne State University, Detroit
- 1991 Recipient, Tompkins Award; Wayne State University, Detroit, 1st place for Fiction; 1st place for Essay; 3rd place for Fiction
Critical Reception:
Zadoorian’s novel Second Hand has been hailed as an extraordinary work. Judi Clark of Mostly Fiction wrote, “Zadoorian is a crisp and humorous writer. It’s one of those novels where every line in quotable and often profound. The characters are fallible, yet likable, in a human kind of way … in writing this review, I’ve nearly reread the entire novel and will probably do so again. What can I say? Every writer writes their first novel, but not every writer gets it right.” Critic Deborah Straw of Sun Oasis playfully commented “reading Second Hand made me jealous. Jealous of its author…for having such a great idea.”
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Zadoorian demonstrates his knowledge and affection for his hometown by making the setting of his highly acclaimed first book, Second Hand, A Novel, Detroit, MI.