Toni Morrison became the first Black female writer in history to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Morrison is best known for her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “Beloved.” In November 1996, Morrison appeared at the Free Library of Philadelphia. She died in August 2019.

Jane Smiley’s best-selling, "A Thousand Acres" was a story based on William Shakespeare's "King Lear." Her book received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. She appeared at the Free Library of Philadelphia in March 1997.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, David Halberstam was well known for his coverage of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. He appeared at the Free Library in October 1998. Halberstam authored “The Best and The Brightest,” which explored American foreign policy decisions and actions that led to the Vietnam War. He died in a traffic collision in April 2007 at the age of 73 while on his way to an interview. A graduate student driving Halberstam illegally turned into oncoming traffic.

Filmmaker Spike Lee’s work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty and other political issues. Lee has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards. He visited the Free Library of Philadelphia in November 1997.

Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas covered the White House during the administrations of ten U.S. presidents—from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama. In 2010, Thomas retired following remarks she made which lead to accusations of antisemitism. She appeared at the Free Library of Philadelphia in June 2000. Thomas died in July 2013 at the age of 92.