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Obituary: Duvall Hecht, 91
Duvall Hecht, audiobook pioneer and founder of Books on Tape, died on February 10 at his home in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 91.
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Obituary: Lani Forbes
Rising YA sci-fi and fantasy author Lani Forbes died on February 3 in Boise, Idaho, following a nine-month battle with neuroendocrine cancer. She was 35.
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Valerie Boyd, Author and Zora Neale Hurston Biographer, Dies at 58
Valerie Boyd, who wrote 'Wrapped in Rainbows: the Life of Zora Neale Hurston' and edited the forthcoming 'Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker,' died on February 12.
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Tom Dupree, Former Bantam and HarperCollins Editor, Dies at 72
Tom Dupree, who was a senior editor at Bantam for much of the 1990s and later an executive editor at HarperCollins, died in his New York home on February 7.
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Obituary: Ashley Bryan
Award-winning children's book author and illustrator, fine artist, and educator Ashley Bryan, widely known for his passion for poetry and vibrant retellings of folktales rooted in the Black oral tradition, died peacefully on February 4; he was 98.
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Jason Epstein, Legendary Editor and Book Biz Innovator, Dies at 93
The longtime Random House editor, who combined a deep passion for books with a shrewd business mind and, as a result, made multiple major contributions to 20th century literary and publishing history, died on February 4.
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Women in Publishing Co-Founder Dona Munker Dies at 77
The veteran editor, who spent stints at Little, Brown and other publishers, died on January 6.
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Obituary: Steve Jenkins
Award-winning children’s author and illustrator Steve Jenkins, widely praised for his distinctive and detailed cut- and torn-paper collages depicting animals and the natural world, died on December 26 at age 69.
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Joan Didion, Revered Journalist and Novelist, Dies at 87
Joan Didion, one of the most widely respected journalists and writers of the latter half of 20th century, has died due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. She was 87.
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Acclaimed Black Feminist bell hooks Dies at 69
bell hooks, the activist, author, groundbreaking intersectional feminist theorist, and professor, died on December 15 at her home in Berea, Ky. She was 69.
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Africanist Scholar Robert Farris Thompson Dies at 88
Robert Farris Thompson, the celebrated Yale art historian whose scholarship highlighted the diverse cultural complexity of the African diaspora— largely through his bestselling 1983 book 'Flash of the Spirit'—died November 30 in New Haven, Ct. He was 88.
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Greg Tate, Celebrated Author, Critic, Musician, Dies at 64
Greg Tate, acclaimed author, journalist, cultural critic, musician, activist, and professor, died on December 7 in New York City. He was 64.
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'Interview with a Vampire' Author Anne Rice Dies at Age 80
Rice, whose books have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, died of complications from a stroke on December 11.
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Obituary: Charlie Conrad Dies at 61
Longtime editor and publishing executive Charlie Conrad died on November 21. He was 61.
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Obituary: Big Apple Founder Luc H.M. Kwanten
Kwanten, a Belgian scholar and the joint founder and executive director of the Big Apple Agency, died November 22, at his home in Shanghai, China. He was 78.
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Obituary: April Pulley Sayre
April Pulley Sayre, known for her many books for children spotlighting the wonders of science and nature, died on November 6 of metastatic breast cancer; she was 55.
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Obituary: Jerry Pinkney
Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney, acclaimed for his picture books honoring his Black heritage as well as for his richly detailed retold fairy and folktales, died on October 20 at 81.
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Obituary: Gary Paulsen
Award-winning and prolific author Gary Paulsen, best known for his novels and nonfiction for young people about self-reliance and the transformative power of the wilderness, died suddenly on October 13 in New Mexico. He was 82.
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Obituary: Evelyn Loeb Beilenson, 83
Evelyn Loeb Beilenson, former publisher of Peter Pauper Press, died on October 4. She was 83.



