Bio:

Sally Hobart Alexander is the author of 8 award-winning books for children and teens, plus various personal essays and monographs. Six of her books have been Junior Library Guild selections, and one, "Taking Hold: My Journey into Blindness," won the Christopher Medal for artistic excellence and for affirming the highest values of the human spirit. Becoming blind at the age of twenty-six, Sally has gradually developed a substantial hearing loss, requiring hearing aids. Despite her dual disability, Sally teaches in Chatham University's M.F.A. pprogram and leads two writing groups out of her home. She also speaks to elementary, middle, and high school students about writing, disability, as well as persevering, and starting over. In these talks, she is ably and often humorously aided by her guide dog, Flossie, and other visual aids, plus audience participation. In addition to writing, teaching, and speaking, Sally swims, tandem kayaks, hikes, plays piano, and fights aging. Most of the time she negotiates ordinary life without courage or struggle, but occasionally ordinary life requires both. Sally lives with her husband, Bob, the co-author of "She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman: Deaf-blind Pioneer" and two goofy German shepherd guide dogs, the new and the retired. She and Bob have two grown children.

Writer
PAL
Member since 1992
Region: Pennsylvania: West

Contact Information

Website:  http://personal.chatham.edu/faculty/salexander

Published In Children's Market: Yes
Available for Speaking Engagements? Yes