Joyce Carol Thomas, an Influential Writer

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Joyce Carol Thomas is an influential African American author. Her stories speak to the young readers, providing themes of faith and persistence. The inspiring works have attracted many readers from around the world. Thomas has earned many awards and is also a motivational speaker. This author has written many inspiring stories, and accomplished much in her life.
Joyce Carol Thomas was born on May 25, 1938 in Ponca City, Oklahoma (“Thomas, Joyce Carol”). In 1948 she moved to Tracy, California (Balkin). Thomas attended San Francisco City College, University of San Francisco, and San Jose State College, and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1966. Then, she completed a master’s degree at Stanford University. Until 1972, Thomas was an African American studies professor at San Jose State and had also served in the English departments at Purdue University and University of Tennessee-Knoxville (“Thomas, Joyce Carol”). She became fluent in Spanish and French then traveled to Australia, China, Ecuador, Guam, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, and Nigeria (Balkin). She married twice, and had four children (“Thomas, Joyce Carol”).
In the 1970’s, she began to write poetry exploring the experience of African Americans in the United States. Some of the works include Bittersweet, Crystal Breezes, and Blessing. During this time she also produced four plays and was editor of “Ambrosia” [a black women’s magazine] (Thomas, Joyce Carol).
In 1982, Thomas wrote Marked by Fire, her first novel taking place in her hometown of Ponca City Oklahoma (Thomas, Joyce Carol). It follows the story of the young Abyssinia [Abby] Jackson, who was born to a cotton picking mother and barbershop working father. She was burned by an ember as an infant, symbolizing the story’s ...

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...14. .
"Joyce Carol Thomas." Bookish.com. Bookish LLC, 2012. Website. 10 February 2014. .
"Marked By Fire ~ Joyce Carol Thomas." FictionDB.com. FictionDB, 2014. Website. 10 February 2014. .
"Marked By Fire." Bookish.com. Bookish LLC, 2012. Website. 10 February 2014. .
"Marked by Fire." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, 2014. Website. 9 February 2014. .
"Thomas, Joyce Carol." OKState.edu. Oklahoma State University, 2007. Website. 9 February 2014. .

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