Beverly Cleary (born Beverly Atlee Bunn; April 12, 1916) is an award-winning American writer of more than 30 books for young adults and children. As one of America's most successful living authors, she's sold 91 million copies of her books worldwide.^[1] Some of her best-known characters are Henry Huggins, Ribsy, Beatrice ("Beezus") Quimby, her sister Ramona, and Ralph S. Mouse. She has won many literary awards, including the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw and the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother.^[2] Educated at colleges in California and Washington, she worked as a librarian before writing children's books.

Life and work[link]

Early years[link]

Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon. Until she was old enough to attend school, Cleary lived on a farm in Yamhill, a town so small it had no library. Still, Beverly learned to love books, due largely to her mother's arrangement with the Oregon State Library to have books sent to Yamhill.^[3]

When Cleary was six years old, her family left the farm and moved to Portland, Oregon, where she attended elementary and high school. She blamed her struggle with reading in this new school setting partly on her dissatisfaction with the books she was required to read and partly on an unpleasant first-grade teacher. Also, after six years of living in the country, on a farm, the city life in Portland took a toll on her health, and she was frequently ill, which set back her schoolwork and reading skills further.

In the second grade, Cleary studied under her favorite teacher, and by the third grade, she had greatly improved her reading ability and found new joy in books. She read The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins, and became a frequent visitor to the library. As a young girl her favorite book was Dandelion Cottage by Caroll Watson Rankin.^[4]

The grammar school librarian was largely responsible for developing her love of reading. She encouraged Cleary to check out books about subjects to which she could relate. The librarian not only encouraged her to read but also to write her own books, and instilled in her the belief that she, too, could write for children some day.^[5]

In 1934, age 18, Cleary moved to Ontario, California, to attend Chaffey College, from which she earned an Associate of Arts degree. She worked as a substitute librarian at the Ontario City Library. After graduating with a BA in English in 1938 from the University of California at Berkeley, she studied at the School of Librarianship at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she earned a degree in library science in 1939.

Because attending college during the Great Depression was expensive, Cleary worked through the university's cooperative education program to earn money. One afternoon, during a break from her chores at work, she found herself having a sandwich with a young gentleman named Clarence Cleary, her future husband.^[5]

In 1940 she married Clarence, and they moved to Oakland, California. They eloped because her parents, who were Presbyterians, did not approve of the union with the Roman Catholic Cleary, even after it occurred. The Clearys had two children, Marrienne Elizabeth and Malcolm James, twins, born in 1955. Clarence Cleary died in 2004. Beverly Cleary now lives in Carmel, California.^[6]

Career[link]

The library science degree allowed her to work with young children and develop relationships with them at all socioeconomic levels. Her first full-time job as a librarian was in Yakima, Washington, where she met many children who were searching for the same books that she had always hoped to find as a child herself. Cleary sympathized with children who felt that there were no books written about children like themselves.^[7] Their pleas convinced her to help provide children with stories to which they could relate.

In response to this experience, she later wrote her first book, Henry Huggins, which was published in 1950. It was about a boy, his dog and their friends, all of who lived on Klickitat Street in Portland (a street only a few blocks from where Cleary grew up as a child). According to Cleary, Henry Huggins and his friends represented all the children she grew up with, and the ones who sat in front of her during library story hours.

As she crafted her first book, she recalled advice from her mother and incorporated her beliefs that the best writing was simple and filled with humor. She also remembered advice from a college professor who emphasized writing about universal human experience. Beezus and Ramona, Cleary's first book to center a story around the Quimby sisters, was published in 1955, although Beezus and Ramona made frequent appearances in the Henry Huggins series as supporting characters.

Working with children as a librarian opened new doors for Cleary. She wanted to write books for children but was unsure if she had the experiences needed to write what she wanted. A publisher wanted her to write a book about a kindergarten student. Cleary felt that she could not write about this because she had not attended kindergarten. She later changed her mind after the birth of her twins. She learned to add a little wit and charm to her writing for children, with the hope that it would spark an interest in reading among her students and encourage them to read more books like it. She is now an international favorite among children’s authors.^[8]

She has also written two autobiographies, A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet.

Critical Reception[link]

Pat Pflieger, professor of children's literature at West Chester University commented: "Cleary's books have lasted because she understands her audience.She knows they're sometimes confused or frightened by the world around them, and that they feel deeply about things that adults can dismiss."^[1] Eliza Dresang, Beverly Cleary Professor in Children and Youth Services at the UW Information School notes: "Those books don't seem so radical now, but they were when she was writing them." She suggests that the areas they cover are portrayed with honesty and accuracy.^[9] Twentieth-Century Children's Writers says "Beverly Cleary's impact as a children's writer cannot be overestimated." It goes on to cite "her extraordinary talent in creating memorable young characters whose exuberant spirit and zest for life attract young and old readers alike."^[6]

Honors and legacy[link]

Cleary’s books have been published in 20 different languages and have earned many awards. A few examples of awards she has won include a Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw (1984); Newbery Honors for Ramona and Her Father (1978); and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1982); the 1981 National Book Award in category Children's Fiction (paperback) for Ramona and Her Mother; a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the Association for Library Services to Children of the American Library Association (1975); the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal (1980); and the Children's Book Council's Every Child Award (1985).^[10] Cleary’s books have been read on PBS and ABC-TV.^[8] She received the Library of Congress Living Legends award in the Writers and Artists category in April 2000 for her significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the United States.^[11] She received the National Medal of Arts in 2003.

Her birthday, April 12, is recognized as National Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day, in promotion of sustained silent reading.^[12]

In Portland, Oregon, the Hollywood branch of the Multnomah County Library, near where she lived as a child, commissioned a map of Henry Huggins's Klickitat Street neighborhood that resides on its lobby wall.^[13] Statues of her beloved characters Henry Huggins; the Huggins's dog, Ribsy; and Ramona Quimby can be found in Portland's Grant Park.^[13] In June 2008, the two-campus K–8 school of the same neighborhood, Hollyrood-Fernwood, was officially renamed Beverly Cleary School. As a child, Cleary attended the former Fernwood Grammar School, one of the two buildings that makes up the school that now bears her name.^[14]

In 2004, the University of Washington Information School completed fund-raising for the Beverly Cleary Endowed Chair for Children and Youth Services to honor her work and commitment to librarianship. In 2008, the school announced that she had been selected as the next recipient of the University's Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award, the highest honor the University of Washington can bestow on a graduate.^[15]

Cleary has a 220-student residential hall at the University of California, Berkeley named after her.^[16]

Cleary has been mentioned as a major influence by other authors, including Laurie Halse Anderson, Judy Blume, Lauren Myracle and Jon Scieszka.^[17]

Bibliography[link]

Adaptations[link]

• Ramona (1988): 10-part Canadian TV series starred Sarah Polley as 8-year-old Ramona Quimby.^[18]
• Ramona and Beezus (2010): Movie starring Joey King as Ramona and Selena Gomez as Beezus.^[19]

See also[link]

Children's literature portal

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Grant Park statues
• Beverly Cleary, Age 90 (2006 Newsweek Interview)
• "Beverly Cleary, Getting the Best Out of Her 'Pest'" (2006 NPR Interview)
• "The Girl fromYamhill". Kids Library Point. http://kids.librarypoint.org/Beverly_Cleary. Retrieved 5/3/2012. 
• McHenry, Eric (2008-09). Kids Like Us. Columns Magazine. http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/sept08/cleary.html 
• Works by or about Beverly Cleary in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Neil Patrick Harris
Harris at a ceremony in September 2011 to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Born	(1973-06-15) June 15, 1973 (age 39)[1] Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, musician, director, magician
Years active	1988–present
Partner	David Burtka (2004–present)
Children	2

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, director, and magician. He is best known for the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold & Kumar series, and the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

Harris was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010,^[2] and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011.^[3]

Early life[link]

Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico. His parents, Sheila and Ron Harris, ran a restaurant.^[4] He attended La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, where he acted in school plays and musicals. Harris graduated as an honors student in 1991.

Career[link]

Harris at the 2008 Comic Con in San Diego, California

Film[link]

Harris began his career as a child actor and was discovered by playwright Mark Medoff at a drama camp in Las Cruces, New Mexico.^[5] Medoff later cast him in his 1988 film Clara's Heart, a drama starring Whoopi Goldberg based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Olshan. Clara's Heart won Harris a Golden Globe nomination. The same year, he starred in Purple People Eater, a children's fantasy.

His first film role as an adult was 1995's Animal Room, although he portrayed a teenager. His subsequent film work has included supporting roles in The Next Best Thing, Undercover Brother, and Starship Troopers. Harris plays a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold and Kumar stoner comedy films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.

In 2010, he provided voice acting for the role of the adult Dick Grayson (Nightwing) in the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, and the beagle Lou in the film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. The same year, he played the lead in the indie comedy The Best and the Brightest.^[6]

On March 7, 2010, he made a surprise appearance at the 82nd Academy Awards, delivering the opening musical number.

He starred in the 2011 movie The Smurfs

Stage[link]

Harris has worked on Broadway in both musical and dramatic roles. He played Tobias Ragg in the 2001 concert performances of Sweeney Todd. In 2002, he performed beside Anne Heche in Proof. In 2003, he took the role of the Emcee in Cabaret alongside Deborah Gibson and Tom Bosley. As a result of his critically acclaimed performance in Cabaret, Harris was named the top-drawing headliner in the role of the Emcee by GuestStarCasting.com, topping fellow celebrity stars John Stamos and Alan Cumming.^[7] In 2004, he performed a dual role of the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald on Broadway, in the controversial musical revival of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. He also sang the role of Charles (first played by Anthony Perkins) on the Nonesuch recording of Sondheim's Evening Primrose, and has portrayed Mark Cohen in the touring company of the musical Rent, a role he mockingly reprised on the January 10, 2009, episode of Saturday Night Live, which he hosted.

In 2010, he directed a production of the rock musical Rent at the Hollywood Bowl; he cast his Beastly co-star Vanessa Hudgens as Mimi.^[8] In 2011, Harris played the lead role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's Company, with the New York Philharmonic in concert opposite Patti LuPone and others.^[9] The same year, he directed The Expert at the Card Table at Broad Stage's Edye in Santa Monica, California.^[10]

Harris hosted the 63rd Tony Awards on June 7, 2009,^[11] and the 65th Tony Awards on June 12, 2011.

Television[link]

In 1989, Harris won the lead role in Doogie Howser, M.D., for which he was again nominated for a Golden Globe. After the show's four-season run ended in 1993, Harris played a number of guest roles on television series, such as Murder She Wrote. From 1999 to 2000, Harris starred with Tony Shalhoub in the NBC sitcom Stark Raving Mad, which lasted 22 episodes. He has taken lead roles in a number of made-for-television features including Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story in 1994, My Ántonia in 1995, The Christmas Wish in 1998, Joan of Arc in 1999, The Wedding Dress in 2001, and The Christmas Blessing in 2005.

In 2008, he guest-starred on Sesame Street as the Sesame Street Fairy Shoe Person.^[12][13][14] In 2009, Harris hosted the 7th Annual TV Land Awards and appeared as a guest judge on Season 9 of American Idol.^[15]

He also hosted the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20 of the same year. On August 21, 2010, he won two Emmy Awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony, one of which was for his guest performance in the television series Glee.^[16]

After a highly successful preview at the San Diego Comic-Con, a musical episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, featuring Harris as the villainous Music Meister, premiered on October 23, 2009 on Cartoon Network. As a character who could make anyone do his bidding by singing, he spent most of the episode singing several original songs.^[17]

Since 2005, Harris has played Barney Stinson, a serial womanizer, in the CBS ensemble sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The role earned him Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nominations every year from 2007 to 2010.

Other media[link]

In 2007, Harris worked with Mike Nelson on an audio commentary for RiffTrax. The two "riffed" on the film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Harris is a big fan of the cult TV series Nelson worked on, Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was interviewed for a 1992 Comedy Central special hosted by Penn Jillette about the series This Is MST3K and its fans.^[18] In 2008, Harris played the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog alongside Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. The first episode of the series debuted July 15, 2008.^[19] He has also provided his voice for the Disney California Adventure Park attraction California Screamin'.^[20]

On December 11, 2010, Harris hosted the Spike Video Game Awards.

Personal life[link]

Harris with his partner David Burtka in September 2011

Harris is openly gay, confirming this in November 2006 by saying "I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."^[21]

Harris attended the Emmy awards in September 2007 with his partner David Burtka, later confirming the relationship, which he said began in 2004 in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.^[22] On August 14, 2010, Harris announced that he and Burtka were expecting twins via a surrogate mother.^[23][24] The fraternal twins Gideon Scott, a boy, and Harper Grace, a girl, were born on October 12, 2010.^[25][26]

Following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in New York on June 24, 2011, Harris and Burtka announced their engagement via Twitter,^[27] stating that they had proposed to each other five years ago but kept the engagement secret until same-sex marriage became legal.^[28]

Harris is a fan of magic, like his character on How I Met Your Mother. He serves as the President of the Board of Directors of Hollywood's Magic Castle.^[29] Harris won the Tannen's Magic Louis Award in 2006 and hosted the 2008 World Magic Awards on October 11, 2008. Additionally, Harris and Burtka were guests of honor for a Top Chef Masters episode which took place at the Magic Castle. Harris also performed magic in his Emmy-winning performance on Glee.

Discography[link]

Cast recordings[link]

Singles[link]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Television[link]

Theater[link]

Web television[link]

Video games[link]

Theme parks[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Neil Patrick Harris

• Neil Patrick Harris at the Internet Movie Database
• Neil Patrick Harris at the Internet Broadway Database
• Neil Patrick Harris at Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Neil Patrick Harris on Twitter
• 2011 interview with The Sondheim Review

Anglicanism portal

Patrick Burnet Harris is a retired Church of England bishop who served in two episcopal positions.

He was born on 30 September 1934 and educated at St Albans School and Keble College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1961 ^[1] and his first post was as a curate at St Ebbes' Oxford^[2] after which he became a missionary in South America. He became the Archdeacon of Salta in 1969 before being ordained to the episcopate four years later as Bishop of Northern Argentina.^[3] After seven years he returned to England firstly as Rector of Kirkheaton ^[4] and then Secretary of the Partnership for World Mission^[5] where he remained until 1988 when he was appointed Bishop of Southwell, a post he held for 11 years. In retirement he continues to serve as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester.

References[link]

This article about a Church of England bishop is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e