The author, in a tree, a long time ago.
The author, more recently.
RANDOM FACTS Where I grew up: Staten Island, NY Other places I've lived: Queens, NY; Lansing, NY; Ithaca, NY; Brooklyn, NY Birthday: February 22, 1974 Where I went to college: Cornell University Where I got my MFA: The Vermont College of Fine Arts Siblings: Nope Parents: Yes (Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!) Pets I have had: Cats, gerbils, crickets, fish Pets I have not had but have daydreamed about having: Snakes, horses, dogs, eels, lizards, chickens Favorite books: Too many to list here Favorite TV shows: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Bones, Castle Favorite Movies: Too many to list here Favorite Gilbert and Sullivan operetta: The Pirates of Penzance Favorite Disney Princess: Belle Favorite Powerpuff Girl: Buttercup Favorite band to see in concert: The Violent Femmes Favorite band to listen to: Changes all the time, although I will always have a special place in my heart for Meat Loaf, They Might Be Giants, Oingo Boingo, and assorted Broadway showtunes. Lately I'm listening to a lot of My Chemical Romance. Favorite kind of pancakes: Blueberry Favorite punctuation mark: The em dash |
BiographyEverything that you ever wanted to know about me, and probably more. If there's anything you want to know that's actually not on this page somewhere, please email me and ask!
If you need a photo for an event or article, you are welcome to use the black and white one at left. If you need a larger/higher-quality version, please email me and I'll be happy to send it to you. The Mini-Bio, or Me, in 100 Words or Less:
Michelle Knudsen is the author of more than 40 books for children. Her best-known title is Library Lion (Candlewick Press), which was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into several languages. Her latest book is the picture book Argus. Formerly a full-time children’s book editor, Michelle continues to edit manuscripts on a freelance basis and teaches children’s book writing at Gotham Writers' Workshop in NYC. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her diabetic cat, Cleo. 
Cleo, in a box, in Ithaca
The Somewhat Longer Bio:
Like many writers, I've been writing for about as long as I can remember. When I was very young, I mainly liked writing poems. I started writing short stories in high school and college, and sold a few nonfiction magazine articles, but never really thought about writing children's books until I was hired as an editorial assistant in the children's division of Random House. I wrote several books for Random as part of my job (children's book editors sometimes write books "in-house") and eventually began writing and submitting my own manuscripts. It’s great how life surprises you sometimes. I fell into children’s books pretty much by accident, but now it’s hard to imagine wanting to do anything else! I love writing books for young readers. 
Reading at the 2007 White House Easter Egg Roll
When I’m not writing, I love watching movies and DVDs, listening to music, eating good food, going for walks, hanging out with friends, and spending way too much time on the internet. And reading, of course! I also love plays and musicals, and I sometimes perform in community theater. My most recent show was Iolanthe with Village Light Opera Group in NYC. In July 2010, I received my MFA in writing for children and young adults from The Vermont College of Fine Arts, and I'm now teaching children's book writing at Gotham Writers' Workshop in NYC. I also do some work as a freelance editor; see my editing page for more information on that. Agent and Publisher Info: My agent is the fabulous Jodi Reamer at Writers House, LLC. My current publisher is Candlewick Press, and my wonderful editor is Sarah Ketchersid. I have also published books with Random House, Golden Books (before they were purchased by Random House), Simon & Schuster, and The Kane Press. |