Photo: Jason Stemple

Called both the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century, Jane Yolen, with her first publication, the non-fiction book about women pirates PIRATES IN PETTICOATS (1963), began an amazing career of over three hundred and fifty books (and counting). Her impressive and acclaimed output includes children’s fiction, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, nonfiction, fantasy, and science fiction. Her best-known publications include OWL MOON, THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC, BRIAR ROSE, and SISTER LIGHT, SISTER DARK.

Among her many honors are the Caldecott Medal (OWL MOON [1988]), Christopher Medal (THE SEEING STICK [1977], HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOODNIGHT? [2000]), Nebula (“Sister Emily’s Lightship” [1998], Lost Girls [1999]), World Fantasy (FAVORITE FOLKTALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD [1987]), Mythopoeic (CARDS OF GRIEF [1985], BRIAR ROSE [1993], THE YOUNG MERLIN TRILOGY [1998, PASSAGER, HOBBY, and MERLIN]), Golden Kite (THE GIRL WHO CRIED FLOWERS & OTHER TALES [1974]), and National Jewish Book Award (THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC [1989]). Yolen received the World Fantasy Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Rhysling Science Fiction Poetry Grand Master Award, and the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award.

Many of Yolen’s shorter works have been collected in numerous works including THE GIRL WHO CRIED FLOWERS AND OTHER TALES, THE HUNDREDTH DOVE AND OTHER TALES, DREAM WEAVER, THE WHITETHORN WOOD AND OTHER MAGICKS, STORYTELLER, TWELVE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST, SISTER EMILY’S LIGHTSHIP AND OTHER STORIES, ONCE UPON A TIME (SHE SAID), THE LAST SELCHIE CHILD, and THE EMERALD CIRCUS. Her editorial works include the anthologies ZOO 2000, FAVORITE FOLKTALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, WEREWOLVES: A COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL STORIES, 2041: TWELVE SHORT STORIES ABOUT THE FUTURE BY TOP SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS, THE HAUNTED HOUSE: A COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL STORIES (with Martin H. Greenberg), FEARLESS GIRLS, WISE WOMEN, AND BELOVED SISTERS: HEROINES IN FOLKTALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD (with Kathleen Ragan), GRAY HEROES: ELDER TALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, and MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD: WORLD FOLKTALES FOR STRONG BOYS.

Because she apparently never sleeps, Yolen is also a teacher of writing and a book reviewer. She lives in Western Massachusetts and St. Andrew, Scotland.

All of us at Tachyon, wish the incredible Jane a happy birthday. May your mythic travels never end.

For more info on THE EMERALD CIRCUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story