Julius Lester

Author profile

born

January 27, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri, The United States

gender

male

website

http://members.authorsguild.net/juliuslester

About this author

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I was born on January 27, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri. From 1941-1954 I lived in Kansas City, Kansas, and from 1954-1961 in Nashville, Tennesse. I received a B.A. in English from Fisk University in 1960.

In 1961 I moved to New York City where I had a talk radio show on WBAI FM from 1966-1973, hosted a television talk show on WNET from 1969-1971.

Since 1968 I have published 43 books. Among the awards these books have received are the Newberry Honor Medal, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, National Book Award Finalist, National Jewish Book Award Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, Coretta Scott King Award. Numerous titles have also appeared on the New York Times Outstanding Book list and American Li...more I was born on January 27, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri. From 1941-1954 I lived in Kansas City, Kansas, and from 1954-1961 in Nashville, Tennesse. I received a B.A. in English from Fisk University in 1960.

In 1961 I moved to New York City where I had a talk radio show on WBAI FM from 1966-1973, hosted a television talk show on WNET from 1969-1971.

Since 1968 I have published 43 books. Among the awards these books have received are the Newberry Honor Medal, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, National Book Award Finalist, National Jewish Book Award Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, Coretta Scott King Award. Numerous titles have also appeared on the New York Times Outstanding Book list and American Library Association Notable Book list.

I've also published over 200 hundred essays and reviews in such publications as the New York Times Booko Review, New York Times Op-Ed Page, Boston Globe, Village Voice, The New Republic, Forward, and the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

I've recorded two albums of original songs, which are available on iTunes. During the civil rights movement I was a photographer and my photographs from that time were included in an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution and are part of the permanent collection at Howard University. I've also had photographs in group shows at Pivot Media, Florence, Mass., Valley Photographers, Springfield, Mass., State House, Boston, Mass., as well as solo shows at the University of Massachusetts, Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass., & Valley Photo Center.

After teaching for two years at the New School for Social Research in New York (1968-70), I joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts in 1971 where I was a professor in the Judaic and Near Eastern Studies Department, and adjunct professor of History.
I have been honored with all three of the university's most prestigious faculty awards: The Distinguished Teacher's Award, the Faculty Fellowship Award for Distinguished Research and Scholarship, and the Chancellor's Medal, the university's highest honor. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education selected me as the Massachusetts State Professor of the Year in 1988. I retired from the university at the end of 2003. For ten years I served as lay religious leader of Beth El Synagogue in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

I have five children - 2 male, 3 female - who range in age from 28 to 43. I live with my wife and two cats on a secluded twelve acres in a small town in western Massachusetts.

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Books by Julius Lester

Average rating: 3.88 · 4,023 ratings · 982 reviews · 61 distinct works

	Day of Tears 4.13 avg rating — 932 ratings — published 2005 — 6 editions	My rating:
	To Be a Slave by Julius Lester, Tom Feelings (Illustrator) 3.85 avg rating — 444 ratings — published 1968 — 17 editions	My rating:
	Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire 3.41 avg rating — 384 ratings — published 2007 — 7 editions	My rating:
	When Dad Killed Mom 3.69 avg rating — 360 ratings — published 2001 — 8 editions	My rating:
	John Henry by Julius Lester, Jerry Pinkney 3.97 avg rating — 304 ratings — published 1994 — 10 editions	My rating:
	Pharaoh's Daughter: A Novel of Ancient Egypt 3.66 avg rating — 265 ratings — published 2000 — 7 editions	My rating:
	Guardian 3.90 avg rating — 174 ratings — published 2008 — 5 editions	My rating:
	Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit by Julius Lester, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator) 4.09 avg rating — 207 ratings — published 1987 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Sam and the Tigers: A Retelling of 'Little Black Sambo' by Julius Lester, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator) 3.91 avg rating — 122 ratings — 8 editions	My rating:
	The Autobiography of God: A Novel 3.75 avg rating — 91 ratings — published 2004 — 3 editions	My rating:

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Quotes by Julius Lester

“How can I love you if I don't know what hurts you?”
― Julius Lester, The Autobiography of God: A Novel

tags: hurt , love

59 people liked it

“Silence was not the absence of sound but was itself a sound that could be loud or soft, soothing or disturbing, complex or simple.”
― Julius Lester, The Autobiography of God: A Novel

tags: silence

17 people liked it

“I'm tired of thinking and I'm really tired of Feeling.

—Jenna Richards”
― Julius Lester, When Dad Killed Mom

13 people liked it

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Polls

Which Newberry Honor book would you like to read in June?

The Great Wheel by Robert Lawson

4 votes 40.0%

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

2 votes 20.0%

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

2 votes 20.0%

Honk the Moose by Phil Stong

2 votes 20.0%

To Be a Slave by Julius Lester

0 votes 0.0%

10 total votes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Newbery Award...: 1969 Honor - To Be a Slave	1	10	Feb 06, 2010 04:55pm
Wild Things: YA G...: Well hello there!	10	41	May 16, 2010 08:45am
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread)	3072	2869	Aug 31, 2010 10:39pm
Children's Books: Brer Rabbit/Uncle Remus Tales????	21	20	Dec 06, 2010 10:10am
Me Time: FEBRUARY'S multi challenge	13	10	Feb 03, 2011 08:50am
Reading with Style: General Challenge Questions & Answers	131	66	Feb 10, 2011 07:07am
Serious About Books: February Challenge	13	22	Feb 21, 2011 06:26am
Novel Ladies: February 2011 Challenge	27	28	Feb 28, 2011 07:02pm
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2010-2011 Completed Tasks (do not delete any posts)	2596	666	Feb 28, 2011 09:05pm
Reading with Style: RwS Completed Tasks - Winter	715	274	Mar 01, 2011 09:19am

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Julius Lester

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Quotes by Julius Lester

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Topics Mentioning This Author

combine editions
Books by Julius Lester