Michael Patrick Hearn facts for kids
Michael Patrick Hearn is an American expert on books, especially children's literature and its pictures. He is known for his "annotated" books, which means they have lots of extra notes and information. Some of his famous annotated books include The Annotated Wizard of Oz (first published in 1973), The Annotated Christmas Carol (1977), and The Annotated Huckleberry Finn (2001).
He believes that three of the most important American novels are Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
An Expert on The Wizard of Oz
Michael Patrick Hearn is a leading expert on L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He is currently writing a book about Baum's life. This new biography aims to correct mistakes found in older books about Baum.
As a scholar of Oz and L. Frank Baum, he has done many important things. He edited a special version of The Wizard of Oz called The Critical Heritage Edition. He also wrote the introduction for the first published script of The Wizard of Oz (1939 film).
Hearn has appeared in documentaries like Oz: the American Fairyland. He was called an "Authority on L. Frank Baum" in these films. He also gave a main speech at the 100-year celebration for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This event was organized by The International Wizard of Oz Club. He often gives talks about L. Frank Baum to the public.
His College Years
Michael Patrick Hearn went to Hamilton College in 1968. He then moved to Bard College and finished his studies there in 1972. At Hamilton College, one of his teachers, Alex Haley, encouraged him to become a writer. His very first book, The Annotated Wizard of Oz, was finished while he was still a student at Bard.
Other Books by Michael Patrick Hearn
Besides his famous annotated books, Michael Patrick Hearn has written or edited many other works. These books often focus on children's literature and its history.
- 50 years of Wanda Gág's Millions of Cats: 1928-1978 (1978)
- McLoughlin Brothers, publishers, 1828-1978 (1980)
- Victorian Fairy Tales (1980)
- Peter Newell, American Comic Illustrator (1983)
- The Chocolate Book: A Sampler for Boys and Girls (1983)
- The Best of the Andrew Lang Fairy Tale Book (1986)
- The Porcelain Cat (a children's picture book, 1987)
- The Wizard of Oz: The Screenplay, (1989)
- W.W. Denslow: The Other Wizard of Oz, (1996)
- The Victorian Fairy Tale Book (1990)
- 65 years of Wanda Gág's Millions of Cats: 1928-1993 (1992)
- Native American Legends : Lakota (1995)
- Myth, Magic, and Mystery: One Hundred Years of American Children's Book Illustration (1996)
- From the Silver Age to Stalin: Russian Children's Book Illustration (in preparation, 2008)
He has also written articles for magazines like Horn Book and The Baum Bugle. He also wrote notes for music albums released by Caedmon Records.
