5 Pisces Authors You Can Find at the BPL
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| Read a book from one of these authors. Graphic design by Cheyenne Trujillo. |
The Sun is moving out of Aquarius and into Pisces this Saturday, February 19! Take some time this Pisces season to read a book by one.
Keep reading to learn more about this water sign and the five writers who share it.
Pisces Traits
Pisces season lasts until Sunday, March 20. It is the 12th and final sign of the zodiac calendar before the new zodiac year begins with the spring equinox.
They are known to be:
- Empathetic
- Artistic
- Intuitive
Their negative traits tend to be the flipside of their positive ones, like being overtly emotional, lacking boundaries, and self-sacrificing.
A Pisces' symbol depicts two fish swimming in a circle, right behind the other one's tail. Some say this is emblematic of the Pisces trying to swim away from itself or reality.
Although it may not sound like it, Pisces go with the flow just like their symbol. They are mutable signs, which mark the end and beginning of a season, making them adaptable and flexible since they constantly live in this liminal space.
All of these qualities make for an understanding and introspective person—someone you might imagine as the perfect writer.
Find these Pisces authors at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL).
Ralph Waldo Ellison
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| Portrait of Ralph Waldo Ellison. By Stephen Winick from the Library of Congress. |
Ralph Waldo Ellison was born on March 1, 1914. His father loved literature and named him after the abolitionist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Unfortunately, his father died during Ellison's childhood and never saw his son's rise to literary fame.
Ellison's writing career thrived off of one novel, Invisible Man (not to be confused with The Invisible Man), and numerous essays and short stories. He never finished his second novel Juneteenth but it did get published posthumously.
Ellison received many awards and recognitions for his writing even though his books now have annual spots on several banned book lists. Check out his only novel and collections of short stories from the BPL:
W. E. B. Du Bois
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| Portrait of W. E. B. Du Bois. By James E. Purdy, restored by Adam Cuerden. |
W. E. B. Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868. He is the founder of modern American sociology, a historian, activist, and writer. Du Bois spent his life writing about racism and championing full civil rights for black people in the United States.
He is one of the most prominent African American activists and leaders of the first half of the 20th century. Du Bois had a part in creating the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was the editor for its historical magazine, The Crisis.
The Civil Rights Act was enacted one year after his death in 1964.
Learn more about this groundbreaking author by reading some of Du Bois' most influential works:
Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez
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| Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez with a wide smile. Photo by Jose Lara. |
Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez was born on March 6, 1927. Affectionally known as Gabo, the Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos memorialized him as "the greatest Colombian who ever lived" upon the news of his death in 2014.
GarcÃa Márquez started off as a journalist before he became famous for his fiction novels and popularized the literary style magical realism. Throughout his life, he held steadfast to his political beliefs and moral convictions, stirring the pot with his writings as he spoke out against what he believed was wrong.
While One Hundred Years of Solitude won him the Nobel Prize in Literature, check out some of his other works, like:
Gillian Flynn
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| Flynn at the New York Film Festival 2014. From Wikipedia. |
Gillian Flynn was born on February 24, 1971. She has three novels that have all been adapted for film or television. Her short story (what is now The Grownup) won the Edgar Award for Best Short Story.
Despite the dark nature of her stories, Flynn has lived a very normal life and attributes her writing skills to her 15 years of experience in journalism. She simply has a love for methodical female villains and a curious imagination.
Dive into one of her twisted tales at the BPL.
Antoni Porowski
Antoni was born on March 14, 1984. He is a Canadian citizen born to two Polish emigrants, often feeling ostracized in the cities he grew up in. Antoni learned to fully love himself after becoming the new "food guy" in the award-winning reboot, Queer Eye.
He worked with Ted Allen, the original food expert on Queer Eye and current host of Chopped, where he developed his cooking skills. Being a part of the show allowed Antoni to help others and use the same advice to accept himself.
Try one of his wholesome recipes tonight to see how transformative they are!
You can find these Pisces writers at any member of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC), including all BPL locations!
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Our next blog is on Aries writers!
By Cheyenne Trujillo | Library Assistant Ⅲ, Public Relations
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