Writers from Philadelphia

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as one of the central figures of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States and of early American literature. Poe was one of the country's first successful practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered to be one of the pioneers of the detective fiction genre. In addition, he is credited with contributing significantly to the emergence of science fiction. He is the first well-known American writer to earn a living exclusively through writing, which resulted in a financially difficult life and career.

American polymath and statesman (1706–1790)

Avram Noam Chomsky is an American intellectual, philosopher, linguist, political activist, and social critic. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He is a laureate professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and an institute professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Among the most cited living authors, Chomsky has written more than 150 books on topics such as linguistics, war, and politics. In addition to his work in linguistics, since the 1960s, Chomsky has been an influential voice on the American Left as a consistent critic of the foreign policy of the United States, contemporary capitalism, and corporatocracy.

American writer (1892–1973)

Willard Carroll Smith II is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $10 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

American poet and critic (1885–1972)

David Keith Lynch was an American filmmaker, producer, actor, painter, and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, with his films often characterized by a distinctive surrealist sensibility that gave rise to the adjective "Lynchian". In a career spanning more than five decades, he received numerous accolades, including an Academy Honorary Award, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival, a Palme d'Or and Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, two César Awards, and a (posthumous) Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and nine Primetime Emmy Awards.

American anthropologist (1901-1978)

American singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1979)

American actor (born 1948)

American director, producer and screenwriter (1924–2011)

American stand-up comedian (1957–2022)

American political economist and journalist (1839–1897)

American comedian and actor (born 1979)

American author (1907-1997)

American poet (1887–1972)

American feminist academic and critic (born 1947)

American anarchist writer and feminist

American diplomat (1852–1933)

American illustrator and cartoonist (born 1943)

American political activist, journalist, and convicted murderer of a police officer

American film director, producer and screenwriter

American journalist & writer (1894–1993)

American writer (1906–1977)

American children's writer (1924-2007)

American author and literary critic (born 1942)

American writer (1932–2020)

American chess player, chess composer, puzzle author, and recreational mathematician (1841–1911)

American film director, producer, and writer (born 1952)

American playwright, screenwriter, and actor (1906–1963)

American TV producer

American author

American Assyriologist (1897-1990)

American actor

Defected Communist spy, writer, editor (1901–1961)

American writer, activist (1875-1935)

American writer and editor (1788–1889)

American philosopher and writer (1885–1954)

American comedian and actress

American actress, model and author

American screenwriter and writer (1916-1997)

American naturalist, ornithologist and writer

American poet and author (1925-2014)

American writer (1860–1938)

American film producer (1950-2005)

American author

American writer

American editor for Time Magazine (1944-2015)

American playwright (born 1977)

American expatriate writer and illustrator (1925-2011)

American physician and naturalist (1799–1851)

American sociologist and pastor (1935–2024)

13th Librarian of Congress (1929–2018)

American organizational psychologist (b. 1981)

American diplomat (1891–1967)

American writer

linguist (1930–2008)

director

American young-adult and children's writer (1934-2016)

American football player, track and field athlete (1878-1956)