Robbie Branscum

Robbie Branscum
Born Robbie Nell Tilley
June 17, 1934
Big Flat, Arkansas
Died May 24, 1997 (aged 59)
San Pablo, California
Occupation author, farmworker
Nationality American
Period 1971-1991
Genre children's literature
young adult fiction
Notable awards Edgar Award, Friends of American Writers Award, PEN Award
Spouse Dwane Branscum (1949; divorced)
Leslie Carrico (1974; divorced)
Children Deborah Branscum

Robbie Nell Tilley Branscum (June 17, 1934 — May 24, 1997) was an American writer of children's books and young adult fiction. Her books were awarded with a Friends of American Writers Award (1977) and an Edgar Award (1983).[1][2]

Robbie was born on a farm near Big Flat, Arkansas. Her father died when she was only four years old and she grew up with her poor grandparents on another farm. Branscum dropped out from school after the seventh-grade. She continued to read books and write poetry and songs[3] and provided for her livelihood through work at dirt farms.[1] At the age of 15 she married Dwane Branscum. She gave birth to a daughter and divorced at the age of 25.[4]

Her life took a major turn after the newsletter of her church, the Southern Baptist, printed an article she had written. Subsequently she decided to become an author. Her first book was Me and Jim Luke (1971). Branscum published 20 books in 20 years time (not one each year). Several of her books were translated into Danish, Italian, Japanese, and Swedish. Branscum worked with literary agent Barthold Fles.[5] She died from a heart attack in 1997 in her home in San Pablo, California.[1]

Books

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Obituary - Robbie Branscum", Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, Virginia, May 31, 1997, p12
  2. "Robbie Tilley Branscum". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
  3. "Something about the author", vol. 72, pp. 19-21.
  4. Robbie Tilley Branscum in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
  5. Branscum R: "Cheater and Flitter Dick". Viking Press, 1983
  6. Woods, George A. (November 30, 1982). "Books Of The Times". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  7. Kuskin, Karla; Reflects, She (October 23, 1983). "Children's Books". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  8. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X7kLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5FUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2756,2799532&dq=robbie-branscum

External links