Author Profiles
Ohio has a rich literary heritage as well as some wonderful contemporary authors. Learn more about them here! You can sort by various categories and see who has participated in our annual book festival by using the category search on the left, or search by keyword (including partial author names) by using the search field on the right.
- You are searching within category(ies): Nonfiction
Delores L. McCollum
NATIVE OF
Ann Arbor, Michigan
RESIDENT OF
Cleveland, Ohio
EDUCATION
John F. Kennedy High School – Cleveland, Ohio
Spelman College – Atlanta, Georgia – BA/History
3rd of Five Generations of Spelman Graduates
Cleveland State University – Cleveland, Ohio – MA/History
CAREER
Social Studies Teacher – Grades 7-12 – Public Schools of Cleveland – 27½ Years
Mentor – High School Teachers New to the Profession – Public Schools of Cleveland – 4 Years
Adjunct Instructor – Ursuline College – Pepper Pike, Ohio – 2 Semesters
Masters Apprentice Program – Teacher Candidates
Field Supervisor – Cleveland State University – Cleveland, Ohio – 2 Semesters – Pre-Service Teachers
Consultant/Presenter – Successful Classroom Management LLC
AUTHOR/CO-AUTHOR
IF . . . Bible Stories Were Reported in Today’s Headlines
Your First 30 Minutes – The ABC’s of Successful Classroom Management (Red Ribbon Edition)
Do You Know? A Survey of the Black Experience in America
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Member – Teacher Education Curriculum Re-design/CREATE Team of Cleveland State University 2011-2012
Member – The City Club of Cleveland
Creator – Release Your Power: VOTE!® – A Voter Awareness & Education Project
Founder – Successful Classroom Management Initiative®
Creator – Happy Birthday Dr. King!” © Birthday Card Contest
Founder – The Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast Celebration – Cleveland, Ohio
Volunteer – Election Protection Initiative – Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Volunteer – Food Bank Ministry – Bethany Baptist Church – Cleveland, Ohio
Volunteer (former) – Food Bank Ministry – Forest Hill Presbyterian Church – Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Volunteer – Stop the Hate® Essay Reader – Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage – Beachwood, Ohio
Proponent Testimony – The Education Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives
At the Invitation of The (late) Honorable Claudette J. Woodard – Bill to create “Teacher Appreciation Day”
HONORS, AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Woman of Excellence Award from the Great Lakes Region of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Community Leadership Honoree – Beth-el AME Zion Church – Cleveland, Ohio
“In the Footsteps of Dr. King” Honoree – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Scholarship Committee –
Cleveland, Ohio
Delores L. McCollum Scholarship – Established by the MLK Holiday Scholarship Committee – Cleveland, Ohio
Citation Award Honoree – Alpha Xi Chapter of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc.
Educational Excellence Award – Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission
Community Service Award – Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Gamma Chapter
Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers®
Fulbright Scholar – The State of Israel
Armonk Scholar – Federal Republic of Germany
Letter of Commendation – The (late) Honorable Louis Stokes – Member of the United States Congress
Outstanding Young Woman of America®
Jim McCormac
Jim McCormac worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for thirty-one years, first as a botanist and then on special projects involving animals, primarily birds, for the Division of Wildlife. He is the author or coauthor of several books, the “Nature” columnist for the Columbus Dispatch, and an avid, frequently published photographer. https://www.ohioswallow.com/book/Gardening+for+Moths
Hal McCoy
Hal McCoy is a native of Akron, Ohio and an honors graduate from the Kent State University School of Journalism. He lives with his wife, Nadine, and two dogs, Cooper and Paige, in Englewood, Ohio.
McCoy has been an award-winning sports journalist for 53 years and has covered major league baseball and the Cincinnati Reds for 43 years. He has won 48 state and national writing awards and has been named Ohio sportswriter of the year 13 times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In 2002, McCoy was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. and is the only non-Cincinnati resident who is a member of the Cincinnati Journalists Hall of Fame.
Laura McDermott
Laura published her first book, Lessons from a Birdbrain: Summer, Ohio in November 2020. She is an avid birdwatcher, videographer, kitten foster mom and student of mindfulness in her free time. Her other career is in Information Technology Program Management, and she is also passionate about building technology solutions to solve business problems. Let’s just say, these two careers help balance the right and left sides of Laura’s brain.
Tanny McGregor
Internationally-known teacher and conference speaker Tanny McGregor brings over 30 years of professional experience to her popular sessions. Her workshops are known for their creative and engaging style. Originally an elementary school teacher, Tanny has served as a literacy coach, gifted intervention specialist, and preK-12 staff developer. She is the author of three books, Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading (Heinemann, 2007), Genre Connections: Lessons to Launch Literary and Nonfiction Texts (Heinemann, 2013), and her newest release, Ink & Ideas: Sketchnotes for Engagement, Comprehension, and Thinking (Heinemann, 2019). Tanny was also a contributor to the seminal work, Comprehension Going Forward: Where We Are/What’s Next (Heinemann, 2011). In addition to writing and consulting, Tanny serves as a teacher on special assignment for West Clermont Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her husband Miles have four daughters and four grandsons. Follow her on Twitter @TannyMcG!
Thomas Scott McKenzie
Raised on a thoroughbred horse farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, Thomas Scott McKenzie received a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Mississippi. He is the author of Power Chord: One Man’s Ear-Splitting Quest to Find His Guitar Heroes and the co-author of The Man Behind the Nose: Assassins, Astronauts, Cannibals, and Other Stupendous Tales. McKenzie’s work has appeared in Tin House, Laptop, Premier Guitar, Stuff, The Aethlon: Journal of Sport Literature, Columbus Monthly, Salon.com, MTV’s The Hive, and others. He has been a reviewer for PopMatters.com, a staff writer for the longest running internet drama Crimescene.com, and a contributor to TechCrunch.com. He founded and runs Slushpile.net, a books and publishing blog.
Laura Meckler
Laura Meckler is national education writer for the Washington Post, where she covers education across the country as well as national education policy and politics. She previously reported on the White House, presidential politics, immigration, and health care for the Wall Street Journal, as well as health and social policy for the Associated Press. Her honors include a Nieman Fellowship and Livingston Award for National Reporting, and she was part of a team that won the George Polk Award for Justice Reporting. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two sons. Learn more: https://www.laurameckler.com/
Linda Mercadante
Linda Mercadante is the B. Robert Straker Professor of Historical Theology at The Methodist Theological School in Ohio and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church.
Gary Meszaros
Gary Meszaros, a retired teacher, has been a nature photographer for more than 35 years. His work has appeared in several books and magazines, including Smithsonian, National Wildlife, National Parks Magazine, Natural History, and Timeline. Previous books include four titles on various facets of Ohio’s natural history.
David Meyers
A graduate of Miami University and The Ohio State University, David Meyers can’t seem to keep from writing stuff. His lifelong interest in history has led him to turn out a number of non-fiction books on a variety of topics, especially those neglected by others. He frequently collaborates with his daughter, Elise Meyers Walker. He has also authored several novels and a handful of works for the stage, including two full length musicals. In 2019, he was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame for his contributions to Ohio history. Learn more at: https://www.explodingstove.com/