Dorothy Straight

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Dorothy Straight
Born
Dorothy Elmhirst Straight

(1958-05-25) May 25, 1958 (age 65)
NationalityAmerican
Known forYoungest author
WorksHow the World Began
Parent(s)Michael Whitney Straight
Belinda Booth Crompton
RelativesWillard D. Straight (grandfather)
Dorothy Payne Whitney (grandmother)

Dorothy Elmhirst Straight[1] (born May 25, 1958, in Washington, D.C.) is an American author who wrote How the World Began in 1962 at the age of 4[2] for her grandmother, Dorothy Payne Whitney,[3] making her among the youngest published authors in history.[4]

Early life

Dorothy Straight was born on May 25, 1958, in Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of Michael Whitney Straight (1916–2004) and Belinda Booth Crompton (1920–2015).[1] Her siblings include David Straight, Michael Straight Jr., Susan Straight, and Dinah Straight.[5]

Straight was named after her paternal grandmother,

Charles Tobey (1880–1953).[1]

Career

In 1962, Straight, in response to her mother's question of "Who made the world?", wrote and drew her response all in one evening.[9] Her parents loved it so much that they sent it to Pantheon Books which published it in 1964, making her the youngest published author.[10][11] Kirkus Reviews praised her work as a child, writing:[9]

Her art work is in the mainstream of the Kindergarten approach to paint and paper -- totally refreshing use of color and a wild approximation of shape. Her concept of God's activities during the Creation are nothing if not complete -- after inventing the jungle and its wild animals, he went on to pins and thread, birds and bees. The importance children place on the familiar and the furniture of their surroundings comes through in Dorothy's words and pictures.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Dr. Belinda Straight, Civil Rights Activist". The Vineyard Gazette. December 15, 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  2. ^ "10 Youngest Child Authors in History". mom.me. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Straight, Dorothy". WorldCat Identities. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  4. . Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b Lehmann-haupt, Christopher (5 January 2004). "Michael Straight, Who Wrote of Connection to Spy Ring, Is Dead at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  6. ^ Newspaper Enterprise Association (1914). The World Almanac & Book of Facts. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 662. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  7. ^ MAJ. W.D. STRAIGHT IS DEAD IN PARIS - Financier and Diplomat Victim of Pneumonia While on War Mission with Col. House. BEGAN LIFE AS A POOR BOY Son of Missionary to Japan and China, He Won International Fame—Tributes Here. Chosen by E.H. Harriman Associated With J.P. Morgan & Co. - The New York Times December 2, 1918; accessed Dec 6, 2015
  8. . Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  9. ^ a b c "HOW THE WORLD BEGAN by Dorothy- Illus". kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  10. ^ "Kids' Stuff: A Monthly Feature" (PDF). Washington Post. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Child Authors". The Wee Web. Archived from the original on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 4 April 2010.