Linda Ashman is the author of many critically acclaimed books for children. Her books have been included on the "Best of the Year" lists of the New York Times, Parenting, Child, and Cookie magazines, Bank Street College of Education, the New York Public Library, and others. As a children's poet, she's been compared to Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian, and Jack Prelutsky; Kirkus called her poetry "as pithy and clever as Ogden Nash at his best."
Linda was born in Schenectady, New York, the youngest of four children (two sisters and one brother), and grew up mostly in Flemington, New Jersey. She earned a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, and worked for eight years as a real estate market analyst in New York City and Los Angeles before returning to school to get a Master's Degree in Urban Planning at UCLA. She then worked for social and environmental organizations before deciding to write children's books.
In 2003, Linda moved from Los Angeles to Denver with her husband Jack Hicks and their son Jackson. They live in an old house in an old neighborhood with their two dogs, Sammy and Stella. When not writing, she is often found digging in the dirt or picking up dog hair.
"How I Got My Agent" joint interview with my wonderful agent, Jennifer Mattson, on
Julie Hedlund's blog (October 2011).
"Creative Spaces" interview with writer
Jenn Bertmann, a great spot to peek at writers' and illustrators' work spaces (August 2011), including NO DOGS ALLOWED illustrator Kristin Sorra's.
Interview at
J. Aday Kennedy's blog (April 2010)
Interview at
Broomfield Macaroni Kid
Interview at
Abby the Librarian's blog (May 2009)
"Poetry Makers" interview at
The Miss Rumphius Effect (April 2009)
Visit
KRISTY DEMPSEY'S website for interviews with Linda and other authors and editors.
Visit the
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE NETWORK for more about Linda and other authors, as well as other great information.
To read the entry in Gale Publication's
Something About the Author series, go to
ANSWERS.COM.
