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pony express

(Encyclopedia) pony express, in U.S. history, relay mail service. At its inception in Apr., 1860, the pony express operated between St. Joseph, Mo., the western end of a telegraph line, and…

soybean

(Encyclopedia) soybean,&sp;soya bean, or soy pea, leguminous plant (Glycine max, G. soja, or Soja max) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), native to tropical and warm temperate regions of…

Auster, Paul

(Encyclopedia) Auster, PaulAuster, Paulôˈstər [key], 1947–, American writer, b. Newark, N.J. After publishing four volumes of poetry, he wrote his first novel, Squeeze Play (1982). A compelling…

García Márquez, Gabriel

(Encyclopedia) García Márquez, GabrielGarcía Márquez, Gabrielgäbrēĕlˈ gärsēˈä märˈkās [key], 1927–2014, Colombian novelist, short-story writer, and journalist, b. Aracataca. Widely considered one of…

Woolf, Virginia

(Encyclopedia) Woolf, Virginia, 1882–1941, English novelist and essayist, b. Adeline Virgina Stephen; daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen. A successful innovator in the form of the novel, she is…

folklore

(Encyclopedia) folklore, the body of customs, legends, beliefs, and superstitions passed on by oral tradition. It includes folk dances, folk songs, folk medicine (the use of magical charms and herbs…

Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre

(Encyclopedia) Teilhard de Chardin, PierreTeilhard de Chardin, Pierrepyĕr tāyärˈ də shärdăNˈ [key], 1881–1955, French paleontologist and philosopher. He entered (1899) the Jesuit order, was ordained…

Crawford, William Harris

(Encyclopedia) Crawford, William Harris, 1772–1834, American statesman, b. Amherst co., Va. (his birthplace is now in Nelson co.). He moved with his parents to South Carolina and later to Georgia.…

Ammons, A. R.

(Encyclopedia) Ammons, A. R. (Archie Randolph Ammons), 1926–2001, American poet, b. Whiteville, N.C., grad. Wake Forest College (1949). He began writing poetry while serving in the Navy during World…

Godwin, William

(Encyclopedia) Godwin, William, 1756–1836, English author and political philosopher. A minister in his youth, he was, however, plagued by religious doubts and gave up preaching in 1783 for a literary…