Meet the Masterminds Behind the Most Influential Books with High-Quality Author Summaries

David Foster Wallace, widely-acclaimed American novelist, essayist, and short story writer.

Sylvia Plath was an influential American poet and novelist known for her razor-sharp poetry and candid exploration of depression.

Emily Dickinson was a 19th century poet renowned for her experimental and passionate verses on Romanticism, mortality, and the nature of love.

Leslie Marmon Silko is a Native American writer, poet and photographer, best known for her novel "Ceremony".

Colm Tóibín is an Irish novelist and short-story writer, renowned for his lyrical stories of family traditions and memories.

German writer and literary critic, known for his unconventional and mysterious works on memory and displacement.

William Makepeace Thackeray was an English author known for biting satire and brilliant storytelling.

Romantic poet and leading figure of the Romantic Movement, Lord Byron is renowned for his lyrical poems and satirical works.

Ovid is a prolific poet, author, and dramatist from ancient Rome whose writings still influence literature today.

Don DeLillo is an acclaimed, award winning American novelist known for tackling themes of modern culture.

Sherwood Anderson: Iconic 20th century American author of "Winesburg, Ohio" and "Dark Laughter."

A renowned French literary figure of the 19th Century, Émile Zola wrote of the human condition with a masterful blend of realism and naturalism.

Author Elie Wiesel is a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate whose works bring attention to human suffering and injustice.

Christina Stead is an influential Australian writer, known for her complex and compelling works of fiction.

Italo Calvino is an Italian author and essayist famous for his narrative works of playful imagination and philosophical complexity.

E.M. Forster is an acclaimed author of classic novels exploring themes of class, morality, and human connection.

Jean Toomer (1894-1967): Early 20th century poet and novelist, best known for modernist classic "Cane".

Iconic American author whose works capture the beauty and poignancy of life in the pioneer Midwest.

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was a Pulitzer-Prize-winning American novelist and short story writer.

Giovanni Boccaccio was a 14th century Italian author and poet renowned for his works of comedy, satire, and moral philosophy.

Katherine Ann Porter, Pulitzer-winning and National Book Award-winning author of short stories and novels.

Edward P. Jones is an acclaimed American author known for works exploring African-American life in the U.S.

Shirley Hazzard is an internationally acclaimed author, noted for her moving and erudite novels of love, loss, and redemption.

Sena Jeter Naslund is an award-winning American novelist known for explorations of history, literature, and spirituality.