A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith. Illustrated by Charles Robinson. First Edition.
Doris Buchanan Smith's, A Taste of Blackberries (HarperCollins, 1973), earned critical acclaim as well as comparisons with Charlotte's Web (HarperCollins, 1952).[4] In the early 1970s, along with authors such as Katherine Paterson and Judy Blume, Smith established "a solid reputation for accessible fiction with serious themes."[5]A Taste of Blackberries "deals honestly and emphatically with the range of emotions," wrote Cynthia Westway in The Atlanta Journal, 1973, "... the story is not, however an elegy; but a celebration of the continuity of the life-death cycle."[6]David Rees, in The Times Literary Supplement, 1975, declared, "It will be difficult to find a children's book this autumn by a new author as good as Doris Buchanan Smith's A Taste of Blackberries."[7] "It blazed the way for the many other grief books that quickly followed, but few have approached the place of honor this one holds," wrote Jim Trelease in The Read-Aloud Handbook (Penguin, Sixth Edition, 2006).[8]
Doris Jean Buchanan was born June 1, 1934 in Washington, D.C. to parents Charles A. and Flora R. Buchanan. At age two she began memorizing nursery rhymes her mother read to her and then inventing stories of her own. At nine, her family moved from the nation's capital, to Atlanta, Georgia. Noticing that she had a flair for storytelling, a sixth-grade teacher, Miss Pruitt (to whom A Taste of Blackberries would later be dedicated), asked Doris if she planned on becoming a writer one day. The suggestion resonated and a "closet" writer was born. The next year her parents divorced, leaving Doris and her brothers Bob and Jim to be reared by their mother. While attending South Georgia College, Douglas, Georgia, Doris met R. Carroll Smith. Neither of them completed their courses, and in December 1954 they were married. The Smiths settled in Brunswick, Georgia, where they raised four children of their own and cared for dozens of foster children, including one whom they reared from age 12 to adulthood.
After the author's youngest child entered public school, Smith began to focus on her writing, joining a writers group and attending writers conferences while honing her craft. Smith's first completed novel was never published, but her second, A Taste of Blackberries, became a children's classic, which has remained in print since 1973. Smith's marriage ended in divorce in 1977, and she remained single until meeting her second husband, Dr. William J. "Bill" Curtis, an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, while at a writer's conference in Hawaii. They were married from 1990 until Curtis' death in 1997[11] from ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). Doris Buchanan Smith succumbed to cancer in August, 2002.
Of her 17 books, only A Taste of Blackberries remains in print. When Publishers Weekly asked children's editors to name a book they wish they had published, Deborah Brodie, former Executive Editor of Roaring Brook Press, named A Taste of Blackberries, remembering its impact; "Near the end of the book, when Jamie's mother accepts the basket of blackberries his friend has picked, she says, 'I'll bake a pie. And you be sure to come slam the door for me now and then.' The slam of that door reverberates still."[12][13][14]
References
^Derrick, Henry (14 August 2002). "Obituaries: Hayesville, NC: Doris Buchanan Smith, 68, Wrote for Adolescents". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. C6. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
^"Doris Smith dies (slj news)". School Library Journal. 48 (10): 24. October 2002. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
^"Doris Buchanan Smith". St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers. Gale Biography In Contex. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
^Rees, David (1980). The Marble in the Water: E. B. White and Doris Buchanan Smith. The Horn Book. pp. 66–77. ISBN0-87675-281-4.
^Smith, Doris Buchanan. "KIRKUS REVIEW". Return to Bitter Creek. Viking. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
^Westway, Cynthia (August 5, 1973). "How a Child Responds to Facts of Death". Atlanta Journal.
^Rees, David (September 19, 1975). "The most difficult problem". Times Literary Supplement.
^Trelease, Jim (2006). The Read-Aloud Handbook. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. p. 236. ISBN0-14-303739-0.
^Welton, Ann (December 2002). "Buchanan Smith, Doris Un sabor a moras (A Taste of Blackberries)". School Library Journal. 48 (12): S60. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
^Martin, Wendy (March 4, 1980). "Children's Books". New York Times. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
^"William J. "Bill" Curtis". The Gazette Colorado Springs, CO. 22 November 1997.
^Brodie, Deborah (February 12, 2001). "Would that it were mine..." Publishers Weekly. Vol. 247, no. 7. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
^"Doris Buchanan Smith". Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults. Gale Biography In Context. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
Doris Buchanan Smith Papers Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library University of Georgia
Doris Buchanan Smith Papers University of Minnesota
Georgia Center for the Book Honors Doris Buchanan Smith
New York Times Book Review March 4, 1990 of "Voyages"
Zilveren Griffel - Dutch Award
Zilveren Griffel Library Thing
March 03, 2023
doris, buchanan, smith, june, 1934, august, 2002, american, author, award, winning, children, books, including, taste, blackberries, harpercollins, 1973, born, 1934, june, 1934washington, diedaugust, 2002, 2002, aged, jacksonville, floridaoccupationnovelistnat. Doris Buchanan Smith June 1 1934 August 8 2002 was an American author of award winning Children s books including A Taste of Blackberries HarperCollins 1973 1 2 3 Doris Buchanan SmithBorn 1934 06 01 June 1 1934Washington D C DiedAugust 8 2002 2002 08 08 aged 68 Jacksonville FloridaOccupationNovelistNationalityAmericanPeriod1973 2002GenreChildren s literatureNotable worksA Taste of Blackberries 1973 Return to Bitter Creek 1986 Last Was Lloyd 1981 Voyages 1989Notable awardsALA Notable Children s Book Georgia Children s Author of the Year Georgia Children s Book Award Georgia Author of the Year Josette Frank Award Parents Choice Award Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year School Library Journal Best Book of the Year Zilveren GriffelSpouseR Carroll Smith 1954 1977 divorced 5 children dozens of foster children Dr William J Bill Curtis 1990 1997 his death Websitewww wbr dorisbuchanansmith wbr com Contents 1 Works 2 Biography 3 References 4 External linksWorks Edit A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith Illustrated by Charles Robinson First Edition Doris Buchanan Smith s A Taste of Blackberries HarperCollins 1973 earned critical acclaim as well as comparisons with Charlotte s Web HarperCollins 1952 4 In the early 1970s along with authors such as Katherine Paterson and Judy Blume Smith established a solid reputation for accessible fiction with serious themes 5 A Taste of Blackberries deals honestly and emphatically with the range of emotions wrote Cynthia Westway in The Atlanta Journal 1973 the story is not however an elegy but a celebration of the continuity of the life death cycle 6 David Rees in The Times Literary Supplement 1975 declared It will be difficult to find a children s book this autumn by a new author as good as Doris Buchanan Smith s A Taste of Blackberries 7 It blazed the way for the many other grief books that quickly followed but few have approached the place of honor this one holds wrote Jim Trelease in The Read Aloud Handbook Penguin Sixth Edition 2006 8 A Taste of Blackberries won the Josette Frank Award the Georgia Children s Book Award and the Best Children s Book Prize of a translated work in the Netherlands Zilveren Griffel It is an ALA Notable Children s Book a Newbery Medal finalist and has been translated into Dutch Danish French Spanish and Japanese In a review for the School Library Journal 2002 Ann Welton wrote that Smith s book is rightfully viewed along with Katherine Paterson s Bridge to Terabithia 1977 as one of the seminal children s books on the subject of death 9 Return to Bitter Creek 1986 received the Parents Choice Award and was named a School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year Last Was Lloyd 1981 was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year Smith also wrote Voyages 10 1980 The First Hard Times 1983 and The Pennywhistle Tree 1991 all named ALA Notable Children s Books by the American Library Association Smith s last published work was Remember the Red Shouldered Hawk in 1994 Biography EditDoris Jean Buchanan was born June 1 1934 in Washington D C to parents Charles A and Flora R Buchanan At age two she began memorizing nursery rhymes her mother read to her and then inventing stories of her own At nine her family moved from the nation s capital to Atlanta Georgia Noticing that she had a flair for storytelling a sixth grade teacher Miss Pruitt to whom A Taste of Blackberries would later be dedicated asked Doris if she planned on becoming a writer one day The suggestion resonated and a closet writer was born The next year her parents divorced leaving Doris and her brothers Bob and Jim to be reared by their mother While attending South Georgia College Douglas Georgia Doris met R Carroll Smith Neither of them completed their courses and in December 1954 they were married The Smiths settled in Brunswick Georgia where they raised four children of their own and cared for dozens of foster children including one whom they reared from age 12 to adulthood After the author s youngest child entered public school Smith began to focus on her writing joining a writers group and attending writers conferences while honing her craft Smith s first completed novel was never published but her second A Taste of Blackberries became a children s classic which has remained in print since 1973 Smith s marriage ended in divorce in 1977 and she remained single until meeting her second husband Dr William J Bill Curtis an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs while at a writer s conference in Hawaii They were married from 1990 until Curtis death in 1997 11 from ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig s disease Doris Buchanan Smith succumbed to cancer in August 2002 Of her 17 books only A Taste of Blackberries remains in print When Publishers Weekly asked children s editors to name a book they wish they had published Deborah Brodie former Executive Editor of Roaring Brook Press named A Taste of Blackberries remembering its impact Near the end of the book when Jamie s mother accepts the basket of blackberries his friend has picked she says I ll bake a pie And you be sure to come slam the door for me now and then The slam of that door reverberates still 12 13 14 References Edit Derrick Henry 14 August 2002 Obituaries Hayesville NC Doris Buchanan Smith 68 Wrote for Adolescents Atlanta Journal Constitution p C6 Retrieved 19 April 2011 Doris Smith dies slj news School Library Journal 48 10 24 October 2002 Retrieved 20 April 2011 Doris Buchanan Smith St James Guide to Young Adult Writers Gale Biography In Contex Retrieved 29 April 2011 Rees David 1980 The Marble in the Water E B White and Doris Buchanan Smith The Horn Book pp 66 77 ISBN 0 87675 281 4 Smith Doris Buchanan KIRKUS REVIEW Return to Bitter Creek Viking Retrieved 26 October 2013 Westway Cynthia August 5 1973 How a Child Responds to Facts of Death Atlanta Journal Rees David September 19 1975 The most difficult problem Times Literary Supplement Trelease Jim 2006 The Read Aloud Handbook New York Penguin Group USA Incorporated p 236 ISBN 0 14 303739 0 Welton Ann December 2002 Buchanan Smith Doris Un sabor a moras A Taste of Blackberries School Library Journal 48 12 S60 Retrieved 20 April 2011 Martin Wendy March 4 1980 Children s Books New York Times Retrieved 24 November 2013 William J Bill Curtis The Gazette Colorado Springs CO 22 November 1997 Brodie Deborah February 12 2001 Would that it were mine Publishers Weekly Vol 247 no 7 Retrieved 6 October 2012 Doris Buchanan Smith Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults Gale Biography In Context Retrieved 24 April 2011 Maughan Shannon June 28 2012 Obituary Deborah Brodie Publishers Weekly Retrieved 4 December 2018 External links Edit Children s literature portalDoris Buchanan Smith Papers Hargrett Rare Book amp Manuscript Library University of Georgia Doris Buchanan Smith Papers University of Minnesota Georgia Center for the Book Honors Doris Buchanan Smith New York Times Book Review March 4 1990 of Voyages Zilveren Griffel Dutch Award Zilveren Griffel Library Thing Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Doris Buchanan Smith amp oldid 1118826268, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
