Diane McKinney-Whetstone facts for kids

Diane McKinney-Whetstone (born August 14, 1953) is an American author. She is also a teacher in the Creative Writing program at the University of Pennsylvania. Her fiction books have won many important awards, like the BCALA Literary Award for Fiction in 2005 and 2009.

About Diane McKinney-Whetstone

Diane McKinney-Whetstone is an African American writer. She was born on August 14, 1953. She is one of five daughters. Her father, Paul McKinney, was a State Senator in Pennsylvania. This means he helped make laws for the state.

Diane went to the University of Pennsylvania. In 1975, she earned a BA degree in English. She is married to Greg Whetstone. They have two children, twins named Taiwo (a daughter) and Kehinde (a son).

Diane started writing when she was 39 years old. She joined a group called the Rittenhouse Writer's Group. This group was started by James Rahn, who taught at the University of Pennsylvania. Diane received a special grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. This grant helped her write her first book. Her first novel, Tumbling, was published in 1996.

Diane McKinney-Whetstone's Books

Here are some of the books Diane McKinney-Whetstone has written:

• Tumbling, 1996
• Tempest Rising, 1998
• Blues Dancing, 1999
• Leaving Cecil Street, 2004
• Trading Dreams at Midnight, 2008
• 'Philadelphia Blues'
• Lazaretto, 2016

Awards and Special Recognition

Diane McKinney-Whetstone has received many awards for her writing. These include:

• The Athenaeum Literary Award from the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
• A grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
• She was a finalist for the Pew Fellowship in the Arts
• The Zora Neale Hurston Society award for her creative writing
• A special Citation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• The Author of the Year Award from the Go On Girl Book Club
• The American Library Association Black Caucus Award for Fiction in both 2005 and 2009