Chicago Public Schools Salutes Book Author Alums on National Author’s Day

CHICAGO – As Chicago Public Schools (CPS) celebrates National Author’s Day today, the District recognizes some of its many graduates who have produced standout work in the literary realm. CPS alums have written books over the years about feminism, education, sports, photography, history and architecture, among other areas of expertise, as well as works of drama, poetry, and novels.

“Our District alumni contribute to make our world a better place in so many ways and that includes through their words on the page,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “In some cases, their writing is influenced by the time they spent at CPS schools and our great city, and their legacy is bound to inspire current students to share their own voice and stories.”

There is a long list of published alums, including the following authors: 

• Kayla Ancrum (Lincoln Park High School), Darling

• Lee Bey (Chicago Vocational Career Academy), Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side 

• Eve Ewing, (Northside College Prep), 1919 and Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side

• Carlos Jiménez Flores (Roberto Clemente Community Academy), From the Other Side of the Tracks: A Collection of Poetry From the Depths of Poverty

• Neal Gabler (Lane Tech College Prep High School), Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination

• Manierre Elementary School/Ferguson Child Parent Center assistant principal Shelagh Jackson (Lincoln Park High School),  This Night Belongs to You and All in the Name of Love

• Jim Jacobs (Taft High School), Grease: A New '50's Rock'n' Roll Musical

• Vashon Jordan Jr. (Gwendolyn Brooks Preparatory Academy), Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution

• Mikki Kendall (Kozminski Community Academy), Hood Feminism: Notes From the Women That A Movement Forgot

• Richard C. Lindberg (Taft High School), Total White Sox:The Definitive Encyclopedia of the Chicago White Sox and Tales of Forgotten Chicago

• King Academy of Social Justice Assistant Principal Marlena Little (Whitney Young Magnet High School), I Choose You

• Nate Marshall (Whitney Young Magnet High School), Finna and Wild Hundreds

• Evan F. Moore (Morgan Park High School), Game Misconduct: Hockey’s Toxic Culture and How to Fix It

• Natalie Moore (Morgan Park High School), The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation  and The Billboard

• Sherman School of Excellence Assistant Principal Jeanine A. Rogers (Morgan Park High School),  Don't Smell Like Smoke

• Joey Soloway (Lane Tech College Prep High School), She Wants It: Desire, Power, and Toppling the Patriarchy

• Ben Strauss (Whitney Young Magnet High School),  Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA

• Dawn M. Turner (Hyde Park Academy High School), Three Girls from Bronzeville: A Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood