Mignon Holland Anderson facts for kids

Mignon Holland Anderson (born 1945) is an American writer and a professor. She is known for writing short stories. Her stories often focus on the lives of African Americans living in the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Early Life and Education

Mignon Holland Anderson was born in Cheriton, Virginia. Her parents, Frank and Ruby Holland, owned a business called a funeral home. She went to Fisk University and earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts, in 1966. Later, in 1970, she graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Fine Arts. She also worked as a research assistant for the famous writer Arna Bontemps.

Writing Career

Mignon Holland Anderson writes many short stories. A lot of her stories are set in the Eastern Shore of Virginia. They often explore the lives and experiences of African Americans.

One of her stories, Mostly Womenfolk and a Man or Two, is set after slavery in the United States ended. It looks at how African-American people began to adopt parts of white culture. Another story, The End of Dying, was published in 2001. This story also talks about issues of racism in the middle of the 20th century.

Teaching and Awards

Anderson teaches English at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. This is a special kind of school known as a historically black college.

She has received important awards for her teaching. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore gave her the President's Teacher of the Year award. She was also named one of the President's Top Ten Teachers of the Year. For a time, she was an associate editor for a magazine called the Maryland Review.

Published Works

• The End of Dying. Baltimore: American House (2001).
• "In the Face of Fire I Will Not Turn Back." Negro Digest: 17 (1968), pp. 20–23.
• Mostly Womenfolk and a Man or Two: A Collection. Chicago: Third World Press (1976). ISBN: 0-88378-075-5.