Discipline: Literature – fiction

An Na

Discipline: Literature – fiction
Region: Oakland, CA
MacDowell Fellowships: 2002
More: www.anwriting.com
An Na is a South Korea-born American children’s book author. Starting her career as a middle school English and history teacher, Na turned to writing novels after taking a young adult literature class while enrolled in an M.F.A. program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She gained success with her very first novel A Step From Heaven (2001), which won the annual Michael L. Printz Award from the American Library Association recognizing the year's "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit.” Na still makes frequent visits to middle schools to talk about her works and encourages young Asian-American students to become artists and harness their creativity.

Studios

Garland

An Na worked in the Garland studio.

Marian MacDowell and friends originally named this studio in memory of Anna Baetz, the nurse who helped care for Edward MacDowell in the waning years of his life. With generous support from the Garland family, the studio was renovated in 2013 and renamed the Peter and Mary Garland Studio. The inward opening, diamond-pane windows were replaced…

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