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Doris Buchanan Smith (June 1, 1934 – August 8, 2002) was an American author of award-winning Children's books, including ''
A Taste of Blackberries ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'' (
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
, 1973).


Works

Doris Buchanan Smith's, ''
A Taste of Blackberries ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'' (HarperCollins, 1973), earned critical acclaim as well as comparisons with '' Charlotte's Web'' (HarperCollins, 1952). In the early 1970s, along with authors such as
Katherine Paterson Katherine Womelsdorf Paterson (born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for children's novels, including '' Bridge to Terabithia''. For four different books published 1975-1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Aw ...
and
Judy Blume Judith Blume ( née Sussman; born February 12, 1938) is an American writer of children's, young adult and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 25 novels. Among her best-known works are '' Are You There God? It's ...
, Smith established "a solid reputation for accessible fiction with serious themes." ''
A Taste of Blackberries ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'' "deals honestly and emphatically with the range of emotions," wrote Cynthia Westway in ''
The Atlanta Journal ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
'', 1973, "... the story is not, however an elegy; but a celebration of the continuity of the life-death cycle."
David Rees David or Dai Rees may refer to: Entertainment * David Rees (author) (1936–1993), British children's author * Dave Rees (born 1969), American drummer for SNFU and Wheat Chiefs * David Rees (cartoonist) (born 1972), American cartoonist and televis ...
, in ''
The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication i ...
'', 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 ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
''." "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 James Joseph Trelease (March 23, 1941 – July 28, 2022) was an American educator and author who stressed reading aloud to children to instill a love of literature. Life Jim Trelease was born on March 23 in Orange, New Jersey, Orange, New Jerse ...
in ''The Read-Aloud Handbook'' (Penguin, Sixth Edition, 2006). ''
A Taste of Blackberries ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'' won the
Josette Frank Award The Josette Frank Award is an American children's literary award for fiction given annually by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. It "honors a book or books of outstanding literary merit in which children or young peo ...
, 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 American Library Association Notable lists are announced each year in January by various divisions within the American Library Association (ALA). There are six lists, part of the larger ALA awards structure. * ''ALA Notable Books for Adults'' (est ...
, a
Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
finalist, and has been translated into Dutch, Danish, French, Spanish and Japanese. In a review for the ''
School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
'' (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." ''Return to Bitter Creek'', 1986, received the
Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...
, and was named a ''
School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
and
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' Best Book of the Year. ''Last Was Lloyd'', 1981, was a ''School Library Journal'' Best Book of the Year. Smith also wrote ''Voyages'', 1980, ''The First Hard Times'', 1983 and ''The Pennywhistle Tree'', 1991, all named
ALA Notable Children's Books American Library Association Notable lists are announced each year in January by various divisions within the American Library Association (ALA). There are six lists, part of the larger list of ALA awards, ALA awards structure. * ''ALA Notable Book ...
by the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
. Smith's last published work was ''Remember the Red Shouldered Hawk'', in 1994.


Biography

Doris Jean Buchanan was born June 1, 1934 in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
to parents Charles A. and Flora R. Buchanan. At age two she began memorizing
nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From t ...
s 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 Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. Noticing that she had a flair for storytelling, a sixth-grade teacher, Miss Pruitt (to whom ''
A Taste of Blackberries ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'' 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 Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,722. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which ...
, Doris met R. Carroll Smith. Neither of them completed their courses, and in December 1954 they were married. The Smiths settled in
Brunswick, Georgia Brunswick () is a city in and the county seat of Glynn County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As the primary urban and economic center of the lower southeast portion of Georgia, it is the second-largest urban area on the Georgia coastline after Sa ...
, where they raised four children of their own and cared for dozens of
foster children Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family me ...
, including one whom they reared from age 12 to adulthood. After the author's youngest child entered
public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
, 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 ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'', 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 Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
of Education at the
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is a public research university in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is one of four campuses that make up the University of Colorado system. As of Fall 2017, UCCS had over 12,400 undergraduate a ...
, while at a writer's conference in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. They were married from 1990 until Curtis' death in 1997 from
ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...
(Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as
Lou Gehrig's disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...
). Doris Buchanan Smith succumbed to
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
in August, 2002. Of her 17 books, only ''
A Taste of Blackberries ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'' remains in print. When ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' 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 ''A Taste of Blackberries'' (HarperCollins, 1973) is a children's book by Doris Buchanan Smith. Background and reception ''A Taste of Blackberries'' was initially rejected by publishers who thought the subject was too dark for young readers. Mort ...
'', 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."


References


External links


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


* Zilveren Griffel - Dutch Award
Zilveren Griffel Library Thing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Doris Buchanan 1934 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers American children's writers American women novelists Deaths from cancer in Florida Writers from Washington, D.C. American women children's writers