About Joyce Carol Thomas
Lived 1938 – 2016 (aged 78). Joyce Carol Thomas was an American writer, poet, novelist, playwright, children's writer and university teacher.
Joyce Carol Thomas (May 25, 1938 – August 13, 2016) Bright Shadow (1983) The Golden Pasture (1986) Water Girl (1986) Journey (1988) When the Nightingale Sings (1992) House of Light (2001) Healer (2007)
Poetry Bittersweet (1973) Crystal Breezes (1974) Blessing (1975) Black Child (1981) Inside the Rainbow (1982) Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea (1993) Gingerbread Days (1995) Crowning Glory (1996) A Mother’s Heart, A Daughter’s Love (2001) The Blacker the Berry (2008)
Picture Books Cherish Me (1998) You Are My Perfect Baby (1999) The Angel’s Lullaby (2001) Alternatively titled The Angel's Lullabye Joy (2001) The Gospel Cinderella (2004) The Six Fools (2005) Shouting! (2006) The Three Witches (2006)
Books for Children I Have Heard of a Land (1998) The Bowlegged Rooster (2000) Hush Songs (2000) The Skull Talks Back (2004) What’s the Hurry, Fox? (2004) In the Land of Milk and Honey (2012)
Non-Fiction Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone (2003)
Anthologies I Believe in Water (2000) Necessary Noise (2003) A Gathering of Flowers: Stories about Being Young in America (1990) as Editor
Plays and an American Book Award. Thomas has been one of three to five finalists for the Coretta Scott King Award thrice, in 1984 for Bright Shadow, in 1994 for Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea, and in 2009 for The Blacker the Berry. Part of the American Library Association program, the King Award annually recognizes the "most distinguished portrayal of African American experience in literature for children or teens".
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Important facts
People in Joyce Carol Thomas's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Joyce Carol Thomas's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Joyce Carol Thomas?
American poet and playwright
When was Joyce Carol Thomas born?
Joyce Carol Thomas was born on 25 May 1938 in Ponca City.
When did Joyce Carol Thomas die?
Joyce Carol Thomas died on 13 August 2016 in Stanford.
What was Joyce Carol Thomas's occupation?
Joyce Carol Thomas was a writer, poet, novelist, playwright, children's writer and university teacher.
What nationality was Joyce Carol Thomas?
Joyce Carol Thomas was American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Joyce Carol Thomas
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joyce Carol Thomas. https://biography.guide/joyce-carol-thomas/
MLA: "Joyce Carol Thomas." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joyce-carol-thomas/.
Chicago: "Joyce Carol Thomas." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joyce-carol-thomas/.
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