Joyce Carol Thomas

Joyce Carol Thomas (May 25, 1938 – August 13, 2016) was an African-American poet, playwright, motivational speaker, and author of more than 30 books of poetry, novels, and children's books.

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Born in Ponca City, Oklahoma and the fifth of nine children in a family of cotton pickers, her family moved to Tracy, California when she was a young child. She earned a B.A. in Spanish from San Jose State University and a master's degree in 1967 from Stanford University.

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Her novel Marked by Fire (1982) is a National Book Award winner. 

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