John Donne (1572 – 1631 ) John Donne was the most outstanding of the English Metaphysical Poets and a churchman famous for his spellbinding sermons. Donne was born in London to a prominent Roman Catholic family but converted to Anglicanism during the 1590s. At the age of 11 he entered the University of Oxford, where he studied for three years. According to some accounts, he spent the next three years at...

Jim Thompson (1906 – 1977) Thompson was an American novelist and screenwriter, best known for his paperback pulp novels and his ability to enter the minds of the criminally insane. His wife protected his manuscripts and copy-rights, anticipating posthumous fame. He was proved right ten years after his death. James Meyers (Jim) Thompson was born in Oklahoma. His father James Thompson was the sheriff of Andarko, Oklahoma, who foiled jailbreaks and...

Jane Austen (1775) Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775 at Steventon, Hampshire, England (near Basingstoke). She was the seventh child (out of eight) and the second daughter (out of two), of the Rev. George Austen, 1731-1805 (the local rector, or Church of England clergyman), and his wife Cassandra, 1739-1827 (nee Leigh). In 1783, Jane and her older sister Cassandra went briefly to be taught by a Mrs. Cawley (the sister...

James Shirley (1596 – 1666) James Shirley was a leading dramatist of the Caroline stage. He was born in London on September 13, 1596, and educated at Merchant Taylors’ School and St. John’s College, Oxford. In 1615 he was at St. Catherine’s Hall, Cambridge, and by 1618 had published his first work, a long poem called Echo; or, The Unfortunate Lovers, which has since disappeared. In 1620, Shirley took holy orders...

James Joyce (1882 -1941) James Joyce, Irish novelist, was noted for his experimental use of language in works such as Ulysses (1922) and Finneganns Wake (1939). Joyce’s technical innovations in the art of the novel in-clude an extensive use of interior monologue; he used a complex network of symbolic parallels drawn from the mythology, history and literature, and created a unique language of invented words, puns and allusions. James Joyce was...

Jackie Collins Jackie Collins was born in London. Her father was a theatrical booking agent and intended both daughters to go into the theatre. Jackie and Joan grew around the entertainment business and they both were encouraged toward acting career. But when Joan Collins established herself as a star in Hollywood, Jackie found her talents in popular fiction. However, her novels The Stud (1969) and its sequel, The Bitch (1979), were...