List of Michigan writers

Following is a list of Michigan writers, who are noteworthy either by having been born in Michigan or by living there during their writing career.

This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by . (January 2009)

Children's books[]

• Verna Aardema, author of ethnic-themed works (Ashanti, Zanzibari, Akamba and Ayutla Mexican sources), winner of Caldecott Medal (born in New Era)
• Chris Van Allsburg, author of The Polar Express, twice winner of Caldecott Medal (born in East Grand Rapids)
• Marguerite de Angeli, writer and illustrator, won 1950 Newbery Award, one of first inductees of Michigan Women's Hall in of Fame (born in Lapeer)
• K. A. Applegate, children's and young adult author (born in Ann Arbor)
• Mark Crilley, manga creator, children's book author/illustrator; creator of Miki Falls, Akiko, Brody's Ghost, and POP! Goes the Weasel (born in Detroit)
• Christopher Paul Curtis, author, won Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King award (born in Flint)
• Meindert DeJong, received 1962 Hans Christian Andersen Award, awarded Newbery Medal and National Book Award (resided in Grand Rapids, attended Calvin College)
• Aileen Fisher (1906–2002), author (born in Iron River)
• Margaret Hillert, poet and author of children's literature (born in Saginaw, taught in Royal Oak School District)
• Laurie Keller, writer and illustrator (born in Muskegon)
• Robert Sabuda, pop-up book artist and paper engineer (born in Pinckney)
• Jon Scieszka, author (born in Flint)
• Devin Scillian, author (broadcaster in Detroit)
• Philip C. Stead, author (born in Farmington Hills)
• Gloria Whelan, author^[1] born in Detroit,^[2] winner of National Book Award for Young People's Literature for 2000^[3]
• Christopher Wright, author of American Chillers and Michigan Chillers (born in Pontiac, Michigan)

Fiction[]

• Nelson Algren, novelist (born in Detroit)
• John Edward Ames, western writer (born in Monroe County)
• Harriette Simpson Arnow, novelist (resided in Ann Arbor)
• Robert Asprin, science-fiction and fantasy writer (born in St. Johns)
• Mathis Bailey, novelist and fiction writer
• Deb Baker, author (born in Escanaba)
• Rex Beach, novelist (born in Atwood)
• John Bellairs, mystery novelist (born in Marshall)
• Bonnie Jo Campbell, author (born in Kalamazoo)
• Jaqueline Carey, fantasy author (resides in Michigan)
• James Oliver Curwood, novelist and conservationist (born in Owosso)
• Loren D. Estleman, crime fiction author (born in Ann Arbor, graduate of Eastern Michigan University)
• Jeffrey Eugenides, novelist (born in Detroit)
• Edna Ferber, novelist (born in Kalamazoo)
• Alice Fulton, short-story writer (born in Troy, New York; moved to Ypsilanti)
• J. Gabriel Gates, young adult and science-fiction writer (raised in Michigan)
• Donald Goines, novelist (born in Detroit)
• Jaimy Gordon, novelist (born in Baltimore, taught at Western Michigan University, lives in Kalamazoo)
• Judith Guest, novelist and screenwriter (born in Detroit)
• Aaron Hamburger, short-story writer and novelist (born in Detroit)
• Steve Hamilton, mystery and thriller novelist (born in Detroit)
• Jim Harrison, novelist, poet, screenwriter (born in Grayling, attended Michigan State University)
• Jim C. Hines, fantasy novelist and short-story writer (attended Michigan State and Eastern Michigan)
• James Hynes, author (born in Okemos)
• Alex Irvine, novelist and short-story writer (born in Ann Arbor, raised in Ypsilanti)
• Jerry B. Jenkins, novelist, author of Left Behind series (born in Kalamazoo)
• Janet Kauffman, novelist (born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; moved to Hudson)
• Clarence Budington Kelland, short-story writer and novelist (born in Portland)
• William X. Kienzle, Catholic priest, mystery author (born in Detroit, resided in Grand Rapids)
• Brad Leithauser, poet, novelist, essayist (born in Detroit)
• Elmore Leonard, novelist and screenwriter (raised in Detroit), resided in Bloomfield Hills)
• Thomas Ligotti, reclusive writer of fiction and poetry (born and raised in Detroit)
• Thomas McGuane, novelist and screenwriter (born in Wyandotte)
• Terry McMillan, author (born in Port Huron)
• Ander Monson, poet, essayist, novelist (born in Houghton)
• Joyce Carol Oates, novelist, winner of National Book Award (born in Lockport, New York, lived in metro Detroit and Windsor, Ontario)
• Alice Randall, author (born in Detroit)
• Lev Raphael, crime fiction author and author across genres (born in New York City)
• Marcus Sakey, crime novelist (born in Flint)
• K.J. Stevens, novelist and short-story writer (born in Alpena)
• Glendon Swarthout, novelist and short-story writer, winner of the O. Henry Prize (born in Pinckney)
• John D. Voelker, novelist who wrote Anatomy of a Murder under pen name Robert Traver (born in Ishpeming)
• Maritta Wolff, novelist (born in Grass Lake)
• Michael Zadoorian, novelist and short-story writer (born in Detroit)

Journalists and nonfiction[]

• Bruce Ableson, inventor of Open Diary (born in West Bloomfield)
• Mitch Albom, author, sportswriter, radio talk show host (born in Trenton, New Jersey; lives in metro Detroit)
• Joel Bakan, legal writer and Canadian lawyer (born in Lansing)
• Ray Stannard Baker, 19th-century muckraking journalist (born in Lansing)
• Michael Barone, journalist, pundit, editor (born in Highland Park)
• Jim Bellows, newspaper editor in Washington, New York and Los Angeles (born in Detroit)
• Robert K. Brown, war correspondent, founder of Soldier of Fortune magazine (born in Monroe)
• Amanda Carpenter, author, former correspondent (born in Montrose)
• E. Jean Carroll, magazine writer and advice columnist (born in Detroit)
• Jill Carroll, journalist, Iraqi terrorists' kidnap victim (born in Ann Arbor)
• Bruce Catton, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian (born in Petoskey)
• Zev Chafets, journalist and columnist (born in Pontiac)
• Jonathan Chait, senior editor and columnist (grew up in metro Detroit)
• David Chardavoyne, legal writer (born in Ohio, moved to metro Detroit)
• Arthur Danto, art critic for The Nation (born in Ann Arbor)
• Paul de Kruif, science writer and microbiologist (born in Zeeland)
• Rachael Denhollander, author, lawyer, advocate (born in Kalamazoo, Michigan)
• James Deren, literary nonfiction writer (born in Detroit (resides in White Lake)
• Joe Falls, sportswriter for Detroit newspapers 1956–2004 (born in New York, moved to Detroit)
• M. F. K. Fisher, food writer (born in Albion)
• Terry Foster, sportswriter and radio personality (born in Detroit)
• Ron Fournier, national political journalist (born in Detroit)
• Jennifer Eaton Gökmen, literary nonfiction writer (born in Wayne, raised in West Bloomfield, in 1994 moved to Istanbul, Turkey)
• Lou Gordon, radio and TV commentator, talk show host, columnist, political reporter (born and based in Detroit)
• Jerry Green, sportswriter for Detroit newspapers 1963–2004
• John Grogan, columnist and author (born in Detroit)
• Ben Hamper, journalist and non-fiction writer (born in Flint)
• Jemele Hill, sports commentator and columnist for ESPN (born in Detroit)
• Michael Kinsley, editor, columnist (born in Detroit)
• Charlie LeDuff, journalist, author (born in Virginia, grew up in Westland)
• Karl Ludvigsen, editor of Car and Driver, Motor Trend (born in Kalamazoo)
• Betty Mahmoody, author (born in Alma, Michigan)
• William McPherson, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist (born in Sault Ste. Marie)
• John J. Miller, national political reporter (born in Detroit)
• Elvis Mitchell, film critic (born in Detroit)
• Michael Moore, documentary filmmaker and nonfiction writer (born in Flint)
• Jay Nordlinger, senior editor (born in Ann Arbor)
• Isabel Paterson, author, co-founder of libertarianism (born on Manitoulin Island, Canada; grew up on a rural Upper Peninsula ranch)
• Neal Rubin, columnist, writer of comic strip Gil Thorp (born in California, lives in Farmington Hills)
• Tom Stanton, author of the New York Times bestseller "Terror in the City of Champions" and other non-fiction books (born in Warren)
• Joseph Sobran, paleo-conservative syndicated columnist (raised in Ypsilanti)
• Helen Thomas, journalist, White House correspondent (born in Winchester, Kentucky; moved to Detroit)
• Heather Ann Thompson, winner of 2017 Pulitzer Prize for History (born in Detroit)
• Paul Vachon, freelance journalist and local historian (born in Detroit in 1959)
• Bob Wojnowski, sports columnist and radio personality (born in Buffalo, New York, lives in metro Detroit)

Playwrights and screenwriters[]

• Ron Allen, playwright (born in Detroit)
• Mike Binder, actor, director, screenwriter (born in Detroit, raised in Birmingham)
• Bruce Campbell, actor and autobiographer (born in Royal Oak)
• Jim Cash, screenwriter(born in Boyne City, lived in Grand Rapids)
• Francis Ford Coppola, screenwriter, director (born in Detroit)
• Pete Dexter, novelist, screenwriter (born in Pontiac)
• Gerald Di Pego, screenwriter (born in Flint)
• Jack Epps, Jr., screenwriter (attended Michigan State)
• Jim Harrison, novelist, screenwriter (attended Michigan State)
• Jake Kasdan, screenwriter, director (born in Detroit)
• Lawrence Kasdan, screenwriter, director (attended University of Michigan)
• Neil LaBute, playwright, director, screenwriter (born in Detroit)
• Elmore Leonard, novelist, screenwriter (lived in Bloomfield Hills)
• Thomas McGuane, novelist, screenwriter (attended Michigan State)
• Arthur Miller, playwright (attended University of Michigan)
• Ron Milner, playwright (born in Detroit)
• Jane Murfin, playwright, screenwriter (born in Quincy)
• Heather Raffo, playwright, actress (raised in Michigan)
• Ivan Raimi, screenwriter (born in Royal Oak)
• Sam Raimi, screenwriter, director, producer (born in Royal Oak)
• Terry Rossio, screenwriter, producer (born in Kalamazoo)
• Leonard Schrader, screenwriter (born in Grand Rapids)
• Paul Schrader, screenwriter, director (born in Grand Rapids)
• Sandra Seaton, playwright, librettist (lives in Michigan)
• Donald E. Stewart, screenwriter (born in Detroit)

Poets[]

• John Malcolm Brinnin, poet (born in Halifax Nova Scotia; raised in Detroit)
• Jim Daniels, poet (born in Detroit)
• Toi Derricotte, poet (born in Hamtramck)
• Dorothy Donnelly, poet and prose writer (born in Detroit, raised in Grosse Pointe Park, resided in Ann Arbor)
• Stuart Dybek, poet (born in Chicago; lives in Kalamazoo)
• Clayton Eshleman, poet (born in Indianapolis, moved to Ypsilanti)
• Carolyn Forché, poet (born in Detroit)
• Robert Frost, poet (born in San Francisco, resided and taught in Ann Arbor)
• Alice Fulton, MacArthur "Genius Award" poet (born in Troy, New York; moved to Ypsilanti)
• Edgar Guest, poet (born in Birmingham, England; moved to Detroit)
• Jim Harrison, poet and novelist (born in Grayling)
• Robert Hayden, poet (born in Detroit; moved to Ann Arbor)
• Conrad Hilberry, poet (born in Ferndale; moved to Kalamazoo)
• Lawrence Joseph, poet (born in Detroit)
• Jane Kenyon, poet (born in Ann Arbor)
• Philip Levine, poet (born in Detroit)
• Thomas Lynch, poet (born in Detroit)
• Naomi Long Madgett, poet (born in Norfolk, Virginia, raised in East Orange, New Jersey, moved to Detroit and Ypsilanti)
• Douglas Malloch, poet (born in Muskegon), known as the Lumberman's Poet
• Angel Nafis, poet, graduated from Huron High School
• John Frederick Nims, poet (born in Muskegon)
• Marge Piercy, poet and novelist (born in Detroit)
• Dudley Randall, poet, Broadside Press founder (born in Detroit)
• Theodore Roethke, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning poet (born in Saginaw)
• Carol Smallwood, poet (born in Cheboygan)
• Richard Tillinghast, poet (born in Memphis, resides in Ann Arbor)
• Nancy Willard, poet, novelist, children's writer and literary critic (born in Ann Arbor)

Others[]

• Wayne Dyer, self-help book writer (born in Detroit)
• James Finn Garner, humorist (born in Dearborn)
• Jerry B. Jenkins, religious writer, "as told to" biographer, romance writer (born in Kalamazoo)
• Ring Lardner, Sr., satirist, short story writer and sports columnist (born in Niles)
• Robert McKee, well-known creative writing instructor (born in Detroit)
• Peter McWilliams, writer and cannabis legalization advocate (born in Detroit)
• Stewart Edward White, writer (born in Grand Rapids)

References and further reading[]

• Gavrilovich, Peter and Bill McGraw (2000). The Detroit Almanac. Detroit Free Press. ISBN 0-937247-34-0.
• Gavrilovich, Peter and Bill McGraw (2006). The Detroit Almanac, 2nd edition. Detroit Free Press. ISBN 978-0-937247-48-8.