Graham-Barber, Lynda
GRAHAM-BARBER, Lynda
(Lynda Barber, Lynda Graham Barber, Linda Graham)
Personal
Born December 12, 1944, in Pittsburgh, PA; daughter of Emerson C. and Mary Jane (Billick) Graham; married Ray Charles Barber (a graphic designer and professor), June 3, 1967 (marriage ended); married second husband, David. Education: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 1967; also attended New School for Social Research and Juilliard School. Religion: Protestant.
Addresses
Home— VT. Agent— c/o Author Mail, Houghton Mifflin, 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116-3764.
Career
American Field Service, New York, NY, area supervisor, 1967-69; Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, editorial assistant, 1969-70; Western Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY, freelance associate editor, 1972-74; William Morrow & Co., New York, NY, associate editor of junior books, 1976-78; freelance writer, beginning 1978.
Writings
FOR CHILDREN
(Under name Lynda Barber) Who Lives Inside, Grosset (New York, NY), 1976.
Round Fish, Flatfish, and Other Animal Changes, Crown (New York, NY), 1982.
Gobble: The Complete Book of Thanksgiving Words, Bradbury Press (New York, NY), 1991.
Mushy! The Complete Book of Valentine Words, Bradbury Press (New York, NY), 1991.
Doodle Dandy! The Complete Book of Independence Day Words, Bradbury Press (New York, NY), 1992.
Ho Ho Ho! The Complete Book of Christmas Words, Bradbury Press (New York, NY), 1993.
A Chartreuse Leotard in a Magenta Limousine: and Other Words Named after People and Places, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1994.
Toad or Frog, Swamp or Bog? A Big Book of Nature's Confusables, Four Winds Press (New York, NY), 1994.
Say Boo!, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.
The Word Nerd Party: A Book of Word Plays, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), illustrated by Ray Barber, 1997.
Spy Hops and Belly Flops: Curious Behaviors of Woodland Animals, illustrated by Brian Lies, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2004.
OTHER
The Kit Furniture Book, Pantheon (New York, NY), 1981.
Your Personality Decorating Book, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1985.
Contributor to magazines, including Ladies' Home Journal, Family Circle, Travel and Leisure, Ms., Cosmopolitan, and Mademoiselle, and to newspapers.
Sidelights
Lynda Graham-Barber once explained: "As an editor for about eight years, I became increasingly motivated to work on my own projects. Twice I quit work to try my hand at freelance writing, and both times I returned to a full-time position and the security that comes with a job. In my case, the third time was charmed—the New York Times bought one of my articles, and that turned into a book. The subject was kit furniture; my husband and I had just assembled an apartment full of antique reproductions from kits. This book was—as are all my books and articles—the outgrowth of a personal interest and venture that I wanted to share with a general readership.
"Any measure of success I've had as a writer can be attributed to two factors: alert antennae and an ability to translate ideas lucidly, with care and enthusiasm. Editors appreciate eager awareness. I hope to continue to write for both adult and juvenile audiences."
Biographical and Critical Sources
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2004, review of Spy Hops and Belly Flops: Curious Behaviors of Woodland Animals, p. 330.
Publishers Weekly, January 17, 1994, review of Toad or Frog, Swap or Bog? A Big Book of Nature's Confusables, p. 432.
ONLINE
JHButterfish.com, http://www.jhbutterfish.com/ (February 27, 2005).*