Ernest Hemingway

1. Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway’s first book, In Our Time, was first published in Paris and then in the United States in 1925. It is a collection of various short stories that are focused around World War I. Its main setting is on the Italian front, where Hemingway spent most of his time. Each chapter is comprised of a vignette that relates to the following stories. This was Hemingway’s first American debut. This was the first book that showed Hemingway’s influential writing style that made him famous in the early twentieth century. Michael Berte Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. After completing high school, Hemingway did not go to college and became a reporter for the Kansas City Star. Later, he became part of the Red Cross Ambulance Corps and entered World War I in 1918. After the war, Hemingway moved back to Oak Park and then later to Paris where he created several of his early works. His first work, In Our Time, was published in 1925. Hemingway enjoyed traveling, bullfighting, skiing and hunting. In 1953, he received the Pulitzer Prize for his novel, The Old Man and the Sea. On July 2, 1961, Hemingway took his own life at his house in Ketchum, Idaho. I was born on June 27, 1990 in New Haven, Connecticut. My mother’s name is Gail and I have an older sister, Beverly. I moved to Florida when I was two and have lived here ever since. I went to catholic school for six years before attending Charlotte High. I have enjoyed playing soccer and baseball. Next year I am attending Florida State University and I am majoring in biological sciences. After college I plan to go on to medical school to become a doctor, but I am still unsure what kind of doctor I want to be.

2. William Faulkner’s novel “The Sound and The Fury” propelled Faulkner into Literary merit in 1929. It is widely considereda classic piece of southern literature. The story revolves around ht Compson family deep in the heart of Mississippi. One of the unique characteristics he embodies this novel with is the narrative conjunction of Benjy ( a mentally challenged adult), Quentin ( a trouble Harvard student), and Jason ( a cynical father). The development of these characters, or lack theorof, gives the reader a glimpse into the nature of the human mindset. We see the limits an individual can be pushed and the contrasting viewpoints they take on life, as their environment evolves around them. Many critics assume the novel a classic because it is one of the few which takes an in-depth analysis on the South and the psuedo religious attitude they have taken on. Faulkner warns the reader of the perils the South can face if they turn their back on the foundation of the region, religion. Raymond Simons was born on December 11th, 1989 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. At the age of one he moved to Savannah Georgia and attended Dolphins Elementary. At the age of six, after returning home from Pizza Hut he and his family found that his house had set fire, they were forced to live in a separate house for a year. In 1997 he and his family moved to Wellington, Florida where he attended grade, middle and high school. He is a self-proclaimed good student and always had an interest in the sciences and arts. As a child he played baseball and basketball in a hometown league before moving to Punta Gorda Florida in 2005. In 2005 his father left his job to start a business in Port Charlotte, Florida (Colour Tile). Raymond now resides in Cape Coral, Florida where he attends Chartotte High School. He is widely considered one of the best men alive. William Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi. He joined the Canadian Air Force during WW1, but never saw any combat. He returned to the University of Missisippi where he worked as a postmaster. He eventually was fired for reading on the job. With the support of Sherwood Anderson Faulkner wrote his first novel Sartoris. He moved to Hollywood to become a screenwriter in the late 1930’s. He eventually settled down in Oxford with a family and in 1929 he wrote one of his first masterpieces, The Sound and The Fury.In 1949 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He died on July 6, 1962 with a total of 20 novels and several poems and short stories under his belt. He is widely considered one of the greatest authors of all-time.

3. Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. His father was a diplomat with the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother taught Farsi and History at a large high school in Kabul. In September of 1980, Hosseini's family moved to San Jose, California. Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Biology in 1988. The following year, he entered the University of California-San Diego's School of Medicine, where he earned a Medical Degree in 1993. Hosseini began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner, in March of 2001. In 2003, The Kite Runner, was published and has since become an international bestseller, published in 38 countries. In 2006 he was named a goodwill envoy to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency.  His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns was published in May of 2007. He lives in northern California. Brandon Lieb was born in Akron, Ohio on November 11th, 1989. He moved with his familt to Punta Gorda, Florida in 1990. He has been involved in sports most of his life and is currently about to attend the State Weightlifting meet for his second time. Currently he is ranked 5th in the state for his weight class. He is a senior at Charlotte High School and hopes to attend Florida Gulf Coast University after graduating. He currently lives in Punta Gorda and enjoys going to his AP Literature class.

4. Meredith Coward was born on July 18th of 1990 on a warm summers night in North Carolina. Anthony & Sandee Coward were ecstatic to welcome their 3rd child and first baby girl into the world. She grew up in the mountains and loved sneaking outdoors as a young toddler. In 1995 she moved to Florida where the rest of her family resided in the small town of Punta Gorda. Here is where she would spend most of her childhood. Meredith spent most of her time playing with her two older brothers and cousins, swimming or drawing as she matured into a young adult. She always has had a strong passion for art and still loves drawing today. Meredith hopes to continue utilizing her artistic skills by majoring in Advertising at UCF and working as a creative designer/photographer for a fashion magazine after graduation. John Steinbeck Born to John (Sr.) & Olive Steinbeck in 1929, John Steinbeck acquired his love for literature at a very young age. With the encouragement of his mother, who was a school teacher, he loved reading and decided as a young adult that he would like to peruse a career in writing. John did whatever it took for him to get to the Big Apple where he hoped he could jump start his career. John used his detailed knowledge and experiences from his hometown of Salinas, CA often in his novels. In fact, most of them take place in the Salinas Valley or somewhere near there. Literary success did no come easy for Steinbeck. It took him many novels & short stories to ever put him on the map and once he gained credit for his works, he suffered much criticism. Mean while, Steinbeck went through three marriages and found his greatest inspiration from his sons. East of Eden was actually written for his sons so they could get to know him and where he came from through the novel. John has a very simple writing style mixed with a plotline that always teaches a moral or is based on a biblical story. Meredith Coward

5. Krishna Patel Krishna Patel was born in Fort Pierce, Florida on April 2, 1990. She moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, where she currently resides in 2003. She attends Charlotte High School and will be graduating in May of 2008. She is involved in Tarpon Leadership. She will be attending the University of Florida and is still undecided on her major. Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. His father worked for the Afghanistan foreign ministry and his mother was a professor at a high school in the area. As war broke out in Afghanistan, and the communists seized power of the country, the Hosseini’s moved from Kabul to Tehran, to Paris, and finally settled in California. They eventually became financially stable and Khaled became a doctor. He wrote The Kite Runner while he was practicing medicine. The book became a best seller. Hosseini was influenced by Persian poetry and experiences from his childhood that were used in the book. Khaled Hosseini

6. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” MARK TWAIN Audrey Becnel Mark Twain’s real name is Samuel L. Clemmens. He was born in Florida, Missouri but then moved to Hannibal, Mississippi to become a steamboat pilot. His time on the Mississippi River inspired his most popular piece “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Twain is famous for his use of satire, profanity, and realistic dialect to bring his characters and stories to life. Audrey is 18 and a senior at Charlotte High School. She has lived in Punta Gorda. College, Audrey plans to attend the University of Florida, in Gainesville. Her favorite book is “The Catcher in the Rye”, by J.D. Salinger. But Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has always been a close second. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is considered one of the great American novels. It is about a young boy, Huck Finn, overcoming adversity and society. He befriends a runaway slave named Jim and he must decide whether to turn him in or follow his own moral compass. This story has received almost as much criticism as praise. Some critics call is crude and racist. Although Twain’s words out of context may seem prejudice, true readers know that it is all a part of setting the tone of Southern life before the Civil War. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is the ultimate American classic because it is still relevant in modern society. Huck Finn is not only entertaining but he is relatable to every reader as a boy trying to grow up and find his place in society. “High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water.”

7. Kate Chopin Sofonie Luinord

8. B B orn on March 1, 1914, Ralph Ellison grew up in Oklahoma City. In 1933, Ellison entered the Tuskegee Institute on a scholarship to study music. After his third year, Ellison moved to New York City to earn money for his final year. He decided to study sculpture. Ellison met Richard Wright, who after Ellison wrote a book review for, encouraged Ellison to pursue a career in writing, specifically fiction. During WWII Ellison joined the Merchant Marine, and in 1946 he married his second wife, Fanny McConnell. She supported her husband financially while he wrote Invisible Man, and typed Ellison's longhand text. Ralph Ellison died of pancreatic cancer on April 16, 1994. rittany was born on January 2, 1990 to Clifford and Maureen. During her early childhood, Brittany lived in Smithtown, New York. At the age of five, she moved to Florida. Brittany is an honor student and enjoys extra curricular activities. She is a member of Drama Club, Tarpon Leadership Academy, and danced for seven years. Brittany also competes in pageantry and competed in a national competition last year, winning for academic achievement. She is an active member of her church, assisting in teaching religious education classes for first graders as well as being a lector. Brittany enjoys time with friends and family and will attend the University of Florida this coming fall as a pharmacy major. Invisible Man Invisible Man explores the theme of man’s search for his identity and place in society, as seen from the perspective of an unnamed black man in the New York City of the 1940’s. At its appearance in 1952, Invisible Man was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. A work both epic and richly comic, it won the National Book Award for its author, Ralph Ellison. Invisible Man has been translated into fourteen languages and has never been out of print. A 1965 Book Week poll of two hundred writers and critics selected it as the most distinguished novel of the previous twenty years. Invisible Man deals with themes of individuality, identity, history, and responsibility. The protagonist is repeatedly pressed to look beneath the surface.

9. JANE AUSTEN. KELLEY HOLLEY. Miss Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 at her family’s house of Steventon. Miss Austen had six brothers and one sister, Cassandra, who she was particularly close to. Miss Austen began writing near 1787 and continued Miss Kelley Holley was born on December 12, 1989 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Miss Holley has two brothers and a sister, all her seniors. Miss Holley currently resides in Punta Gorda, Florida and enjoys theatre and film. her practice until her death. Her first novel Pride and Prejudice was completed in 1797 and was not published until 1813. Her first published novel was Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811. Miss Austen died on July 18, 1817 in Winchester. She is buried in Winchester Cathedral. CLASSIC. The classic novel Persuasion is one of the first penned works to address the failure of love, and dealing with such consequences. Cliques that exist today in the genre are created by such works as this. Winning the lover back in the end is an example of such a clique that was established. The style of the novel, using Austen’s familiar wit, to relay social messages of the time as well as by making an impressively accurate commentary of society at the time add to the novel’s value. Themes addressed in the novel include love and vanity which become abundant in more modern works, remain universal and consequently define such a novel that is a precursor to the uproar of use as a classic. PERSUASION.

10. Voltaire Alex Pomykacz Candide The only thing hindering Candide’s glory is the book’s short length. Even so, a case of quality over quantity truly presents itself. Through its commentary on and satire of various barbaric aspects of society, government, and religion, Candide turns into a perfect representation of the Enlightenment and Enlightenment ideals itself. Its highly important philosophical background and arguments speak against Optimist philosophy. These two levels to the book carry tremendous depth, and are why Candide can easily be considered a classic. • - Voltaire was born François-Marie Arouet, Nov 21, 1694 in Paris. • He studied law from ages 17-19, and then worked as a secretary to the French ambassador in the Netherlands • Began his writing career with poetry. • Fiercely critical of the French government and Catholic Church, which led to him being imprisoned for a while. He wrote his first play while in the Bastille. • Gained popularity among aristocratic circles. • Traveled all over Europe, in note he stayed in England and was highly impressed with the Enlightened government and society there. • Returned to France and lived out the rest of his life in Ferney. • -Died May 30, 1778 in Paris. • - Born Randy Alexander Pomykacz, Feb 6, 1990 in Cape May, New Jersey. • - Grew up under legal guardians. • - Did extremely well in k-8. faltered in highschool due to lack of respect for the educational system and standardized tests. • Discovered a knack for math while in school. • Discovered a love for astronomy at this time. • Skilled with electronics and computers. • Noted to be an exceptional driver. • Had considered careers in film, music production, politics, law, various branches of the government &c. Finally decided to go into Astrophysics.

11. Carrie By Stephen King Carrie is Stephen King’s first published work and arguably his best. Carrie is easily a classic and will live on in American history for as long as people are willing to tell it. The book changed American culture and left a mark that Washington himself would have trouble leaving. Though disliked by some, as all great novels are, King captured a time and age when people are most vulnerable and susceptible to peer pressure. Born in 1947 Steven King was raised by his mother after his father left the family when King was a toddler. During his youth King and his family moved around a lot and finally settled down in Maine where his mother could care for his grandparents. King wrote short stories in high school and worked for the school newspaper as well. Few of his works were published and none generated revenue. After college King was an English teacher for a local high school until he sold Carrie. That book launched his career and made him into the best selling author that we know today. King continues to write to this day despite being hit by a car in ‘99. After his near death experience King took a break from writing to recover but ended up using writing as a recovery method. King still produces best selling books and has the potential to for a long time. James Markgraf was born in 1989 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to an upper-middle class family. He spent the first 9 years of his life living in Cedarburg, Wisconsin until his family decided to move him and his life moved to Punta Gorda, Florida. James has been in honor to college level classes since he started school. James spends some vacation time in the Florida Keys where he enjoys kite boarding, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, and playing his new Wii. James has also has gone to both Latin America and Europe where he will go again in summer. James enjoys reading, swimming, and having fun with his friends and family. James will be attending UCF in Fall of 2008 with an undecided major, but looking forward to it nonetheless.

12. The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner, was published in 1929. The novel is noted for its utilization of the “stream of consciousness” technique, in which reality and narration are limited and multiple views and times are represented simultaneously. It is set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County in Mississippi, Faulkner’s home for most of his life and the source of most of his literary inspiration. The novel is significant for its mastery of telling a similar story about the formerly prominent Compson family from four very different points of view. Daniel Coward 1989- William Faulkner 1897-1962 Daniel was born in Cape Coral, Florida, near where he still currently lives. He resides in Punta Gorda with his parents and older sisters. He attended Sallie Jones Elementary School, Punta Gorda Middle School, and is now being educated at Charlotte High School. After high school will receive an undergraduate education at the University of Miami, where he intends to major in biomedical engineering. He hopes to one day settle with a family and a career in medicine in Florida, where he grew up. Most recently, Daniel has been working with and enjoying William Faulkner’s classic novel, The Sound and the Fury. William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi (name then spelled “Falkner” but it later changed when he tried to appear more British while applying to the Royal Air Force in Canada during WWII). While much of his life was spent writing screenplays for films, his true passion was for the short stories and particularly the novels for which he is still remembered today. His influences include James Joyce and Mark Twain and a synthesis of their styles in his works earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949 before his death in 1962. The Sound and the Fury 1929-eternity

13. Jane AustenPersuasion Jane Austen- Born Dec. 16, 1775 Jane wrote her fist novel at age 14. She lived in a variety of places throughout her life, finally returning to her birth place of Hampshire where she would die of Addison's Disease at age 41. She saw 4 of her novels published in her lifetime with 2 being published by her brother shortly after her death. She never married. Leah Alessandroni is a native of Florida and is currently a senior at CHS. She enjoys riding horses, theatre, traveling and writing and has been publish in local newspapers. She will attend the University of Kentucky after graduating High School to peruse a career in the Equine Industry. Jane’s last completed novel, Persuasion, was published after her death in 1817. This classic novel provides a unique inside look into English society in the 1800’s and is bold in its presentations of its flaws. In true Austen style the failures of the class system are brought to light with wit and sarcasm all the while relaying themes and emotions that have proven to transcend every generation. Persuasion offers something for everyone and can be viewed as a simple love story or, for the more in tuned reader, a unique social commentary from the view of a women and quite unlike any of its time. Jane Austen in a classic English writer and Persuasion is no exception and leaves nothing to be desired. By: Leah Alessandroni