The Veermer Interviews: Conversations with Seven Works of Art by Bob Raczka

There are some children's books that I think please adults more than children. One of those may be The Veermer Interviews: Conversations with Seven Works of Art by Bob Raczka. I can not imagine many children really caring about this book unless an enthusiastic adult draws them in by sharing it with them. I, however, like it very much.

The premise is that the author interviewed the models in seven of Jan Veermer's paintings to learn how the artist came to paint them and the methods that he employed. The woman in "Woman in Blue Reading a Letter" reveals who sent her a letter. The woman in "Young Woman with a Water Pitcher" explains why there is a map on the wall. The couple in "The Music Lesson" tell us about their relationship. In all of the interviews, we learn about perspective, light, and shadows. Though I have seen these painting many times in books, the interviews directed my eyes to details I had never noticed.

The Veermer Interviews might be a good book to use with art instruction. Otherwise, it is good to just have lying around for discovery by a child or adult with an unplanned afternoon.

Raczka, Bob. The Veermer Interviews: Conversations with Seven Works of Art. Millbrook Press, 2009. ISBN 9780822594024

Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the National's Capital by Christopher Buckley

Right off the bat Christopher Buckley tells his readers that he is not a historian, but he promises that as a high level bureaucrat he knows how to steal good material for his book Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the National's Capital. With just a tiny bit of right wing banter, he delivers an entertaining tour of many of the major sites of central Washington, D.C.

In his commentary, Buckley aims for laughs when he can, sometimes at the expense of the Founding Fathers, eminent politicians, and even himself. As a former member of the elder Bush administration, he has some inside stories to tell about Washington affairs. These mix well with the scoops that he gets from tour guides (the human kind) and guide books, showing that controversy has been a resident of the capital from its beginning.

Having spent a week in Washington two years ago when we attended the American Library Association conference, I recognized many of the places about which Buckley speaks. As he makes his way around the Mall, he reveals that there were political fights over the erection of nearly every building and statue. He does not mention the Botanic Garden and the National Museum of the American Indian, the latter having opened after he wrote the book. After crisscrossing the Mall from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, he also walks Lafayette Square and Arlington National Cemetery.

I listened to Washington Schlepped Here read ably by Grover Gardner, which I suggest for readers who are contemplating a trip or simply looking for lighthearted history.

Buckley, Christopher. Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the National's Capital. Books on Tape, 2003.

Just One Reference Book from Gale

I was just reading the new Points of Reference blog from Booklist in which Mary Ellen Quinn tells about the upcoming Fall Reference Preview. Her piece is a preview of the preview. In the first paragraph she states that Gale Publishing submitted information on only one reference title for the preview.

I am now trying to remember ten days ago in Chicago. Were there any books at all at the Gale exhibit at the American Library Association Annual Conference? I remember lots of monitors and keyboards and Gale staff ready to sell databases. I don't remember seeing any bookshelves. Had I forgotten that even Gale sells books? Were they around some corner I did not turn?

At the Booklist program Rethinking Reference Collections, panelists mused that the days of mostly digital reference sources are coming. Maybe they are already here. Our reference dollars will all go to big companies that can afford to build towers above the exhibit floor.

The Girl from Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten Histories, and A Sense of Home by Sadia Shepard

Where truly is your home? Where do you belong physically and spiritually? Is it in the place of your ancestors? In The Girl from Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten Histories, and A Sense of Home, Sadia Shepard spends a year in India. Her Fulbright Scholarship specifies that she is documenting the history and remains of the Bene Israel community, a little-known enclave of Jews in India established two thousand years ago, but she is really there to discover her grandmother's spiritual roots.

Shepard is a truly multicultural person, the descendant of many cultures. Her grandmother was Jewish raised in India, her mother Muslim raised in Pakistan, and her father Christian raised outside Boston. Because her grandmother lived with her family outside Boston, Shepard receive equal amounts of instruction in the three religions as a child. Luckily for her, the household was filled with tolerance and respect, but now that she is an adult, people are urging her to choose one path, something she is reluctant to do.

The Girl from Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten Histories, and A Sense of Home is just my kind of book, a memoir from an American who traveled abroad, full of observations about other countries and their cultures. I especially like that she shows why people love their homelands, even the places that the media so often depicts as dangerous places. I suspect many readers will identify with Shepard's sense of being an outsider wanting to be let in. Don't we all want this?

Shepard, Sadia. The Girl from Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten Histories, and A Sense of Home. Penguin Press, 2008. ISBN 9781594201516

Place Names of Illinois by Edward Callary

As a reference librarian, I like reference books, even ones that seem fairly plain, such as a simple subject dictionary. So, I am inclined to like Place Names of Illinois by Edward Callary. It may indicate my bookishness, but I find fun browsing the brief entries about the names of rivers, lakes, towns, cities, counties, and other populated places. Most tell when names were first used, origins, the names replaced, and when post offices were established.

What have I learned from the book?

Africa was a settlement of freed slaves. Alhambra was named by Washington Irving readers. There was a grain elevator in Cereal. Custer was probably named for General George Armstrong Custer. Maud was named for a county judge's daughter. Minooka means "good land" in Algonquin. Roaches was formerly Roach Town and Roachville. There are two Vermilion Rivers. Zif might be named for the eighth month of the Hebrew calendar.

Some of my favorite names:

• Burden Creek
• Dog Hollow
• Drowning Fork
• Henpeck
• Illiopolis
• Joy
• Jubilee
• Limerick
• Little America
• Paradise
• Pharaohs Garden
• Polecat Creek
• Wonder Lake
• Young America

Place Names of Illinois does the job it sets out to do and should be in most Illinois libraries. We have put our copy into circulation so anyone can take it home and enjoy browsing through the curious names.

Callary, Edward. Place Names of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, 2009. ISBN 9780252033568

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

I have been thinking about pirates since we visited Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah, From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship at the Field Museum in Chicago. Also, I have been thinking about Robert Louis Stevenson recently because I listened to the audiobook version of Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum, in which the world traveler describes meeting Stevenson's widow. So it seemed a good time to listen to Treasure Island, Stevenson's classic and often adapted novel.

Listening to Treasure Island, I found I remembered most of the character names - Jim Hawkins, Captain Smollett, Squire Trelawney, and Long John Silver - but I at first recalled them as the cast of Muppet Treasure Island. Kermit the Frog was the Captain, Fozzie Bear was the squire, Tim Curry was Long John, and Miss Piggy was someone Stevenson never imaged, the Captain's old girlfriend. Listening I was surprised how the early part of the book and the movie really run parallel. Jim works for his family in an inn. Captain Bill Bones shows up with a chest and gets the black spot. Pirates wreck the inn looking for the map. The squire lets Long John choose the crew. Jim even heard Long John's mutinous scheme from inside an apple barrel.

Once the Hispanola reaches Treasure Island, late in the movie and early in the book, the plots diverge. I still imagined Tim Curry as the embodiment of Long John, while the rest of the characters became more realistic in my vision. That is not to say that Long John remained a cartoon. Quite the opposite. Stevenson's depiction of the one legged pirate is complex and puzzling. Critics can argue the pirate's pros and cons without true resolution. He is rightfully one of the great characters of literature.

One of the traditions of summer is picking appropriate reading for the beach. What could be better than a pirate book?

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. 1883.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

I noticed We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson in the June issue of American Libraries. It had won two different children's books awards. Being a big fan of both baseball and books, I had to see it. Luckily for me, when I sought the book, it had just been returned to the library and had not made it back to the new book display. Surely it would have gone back out right away.

I was impressed. Nelson is multitalented, both at storytelling and at illustration. He tells the story in the voice of an unnamed black ballplayer, often using the pronoun "we," making the story seem very personal. Within 88 pages, he tells the major stories of the league and describes the daily life of the players. There are dozens of arresting reproductions of Nelson's oil paintings depicting the ballplayers, including Josh Gibson, Satchel Page, and Cool Papa Bell. I can imagine this book doubles as both a children's storybook (older readers) and a museum catalog. The pictures would look good on a set of baseball cards.

Now I need to return it and let someone else enjoy this fine book. It would be a nice item to actually own, especially if you have young athletes in your home.

Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. Jump at the Sun, 2008. ISBN 9780786808328

Time's Magpie: A Walk in Prague by Myla Goldberg

In her column in the June 2009 issue of Booklist, Joyce Saricks mentions looking for audiobooks to match the travel time of her driving trips. If she has only a three hour drive, say Downers Grove to Springfield, both in Illinois, I suggest Time's Magpie: A Walk in Prague by Myla Goldberg. In this audiobook read by Bernadette Dunne, Myla Goldberg recounts her 2003 stay in Prague, Czech Republic. Her account is heavy on description; she paints detailed pictures of the old city with its historic architecture, beautiful parks, and active street life. She also tells stories, including her being fleeced for jaywalking by a couple of crooked cops.

Librarians will especially enjoy her account of visiting the national library, which at the time of her visit was struggling to provide services with scant funds. The building and its collection date back to the 15th century when Jesuits started a college on the grounds of a Dominican monastery. Both have survived many transfers of ownership and authority, as has most of Prague itself.

While in Prague, Goldberg witnessed demonstrations against the invasion of Iraq and found Kafka's well-kept grave surrounded by a mostly abandoned cemetery, where many headstones had no names. I found these and other reports compelling listening as I tended our garden. It is easy to spend three hours in the garden, especially with a good audiobook.

Goldberg, Myla. Time's Magpie: A Walk in Prague. Books on Tape, 2004. 3 compact discs. ISBN 1415907773

Things That Go Bump in the Stacks: Whole Collection Advisory for Paranormal Fiction

Sunday at the American Library Association was my day to attend programs on subjects about which I knew little. I started with Things That Go Bump in the Stacks: Whole Collection Advisory for Paranormal Fiction, introduced and moderated by Neil Hollands of the Williamsburg Regional Library. Neil presented a brief history of these books with their vampires and other dark creatures. They differ from fantasy in that they bring magic into the everyday world. They spring from horror and often include appeal factors from romance and mystery. Some are even literary. Their rise has been spotlighted by the success of the Twilight novels by Stephanie Meyer.

With Neil were three authors. Marjorie Liu has spent much of her life in foreign countries and draws on her travel and diplomatic experience in crafting settings. She began her writing career in 2005 with Tiger Eye, a paranormal romance paperback. Liu says that she includes many forms of creatures in her novels, including her Dirk & Steele and Hunter Kiss series. she already has over a dozen books.

Charlie Huston is a classic rags to riches author, having been everything from a struggling actor to a bartender before becoming a successful author. His books are violent and often reflect life in the underside of society. Since his debut with Caught Stealing in 2004, he is known for the Hank Thompson trilogy and the Joe Pitt series. He jokes that he writes for maladjusted young men. "Splatter" is his favorite word.

Charlaine Harris is the most known of the panelists. She began her career writing Southern mysteries and segwayed into paranormal in 2001 with Dead Until Dark. Her latest book Dead and Gone, the ninth title featuring Sookie Stackhouse, debuted at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List.

Harris sympathized with librarians asked to recommend paranormal novels to readers. She said they range from cute and sweet books to titles filled with violence. She urged us to discover the differences before we put the books out. Huston agreed, admitting that his books are not for every reader, especially the young.

Neil listed appeals for paranormal fiction:

• magic
• blending of genres
• paranormal characters
• strong women
• real world issues beneath the story

What I found most interesting during the session was the discussion about how one writes fiction. None of the panelists were like J.K. Rowling, having planned out the story for a whole series of books. Each book is a revelation to them. Harris also said she sometimes finds herself writing in parts that she does not particularly like. She said that she really like Sookie's grandmother, but she had to kill her off for the sake of the story.

Many titles were mentioned throughout the program. You can find many of them on the paranormal cheat sheet at the Readers Advisory website. With the cheat sheet are lists of TV, film, and music links for paranormal fans. Most importantly, there are paranormal titles suitable for younger readers.

Chicago as ALA Conference Site: Is It Really Working?

ALA Chicago 2009 013
Originally uploaded by ricklibrarian.

Nearly every librarian I know enjoys coming to Chicago. The city is especially beautiful this time of year, filled with flowers. There are more than ever since Mayor Daley has put planters everywhere and the parks have installed more gardens. The city is also full of museums, zoos, and great architecture. Having the American Library Association Annual Conference in the city is a popular idea.

As a librarian residing the western suburbs of Chicago, I benefit from having the conference here. I can send everyone in my department to the conference in shifts - we do still have to run the reference desk. My library's librarians benefit from all the opportunities the conference offers. The enthusiasm is high.

The organizers worked hard to present a good conference and people are leaving with many good memories and many ideas for their libraries. Still, I have to question whether Chicago is a good city for the conference.

I see one big, big problem - the distance between McCormick Place (the convention center) and the city center where all the visiting librarians stay during the conference. Complicating matters is the practice of holding many meeting away from the convention center. I heard numerous complaints on the buses about the distances and short times to get between meetings.

The real indication of a problem is the attendance at the remote meetings. I attended programs at the Intercontinental Hotel (where there is a bottleneck at the elevators to get to the seventh floor) and the Hyatt Regency. There were plenty of empty seats at the LITA Technology Trends forum and the RUSA President's Program on Readers' Advisory. I heard friends say that they did not attend because it was such a hassle to leave the convention center and get back for other meetings. I believe ALA needs to look at program attendance figures and see how the remote programs are not working well.

McCormick Place is clean and expandable, but not really warm and inviting. Food vending at this conference was definitely inadequate. Still, it might have been better to have all meetings at the center. There were more rooms. I know I could have attended two or three more programs if I hadn't been off on buses.

Still, there is a benefit from getting out of the sterile environment of the conference center. The city has many restaurants, shops, and parks that are just waiting for visitors between meetings.

If Chicago had a light rail to get people back and forth from McCormick Place, much of the problem would be solved, but that should have been put in place years ago. It would be more environmentally responsible to have the conference in a city that would not require so many bus and taxi rides. People like to walk. I suggest that we try Minneapolis, Indianapolis, or Milwaukee, cities with more accessible conference centers.

Death at the Ballpark: A Comprehensive Study of Game-Related Fatalities by Robert M. Gorman and David Weeks

Death at the Ballpark
Originally uploaded by ricklibrarian.

I think that there may now truly be a book on every subject. At the McFarland Publishers booth at the American Library Association's annual conference, I found Death at the Ballpark: A Comprehensive Study of Game-Related Fatalities, 1862-2007 by Robert M. Gorman and David Weeks. Inside are listings for deaths of players, fans, umpires, or anyone else who happened to be a baseball game over a 145 year period. The authors have gathered their data from all levels of baseball, from youth to professional. The listings also tell cause of death, including suicide, violence, hit by pitch, foul balls, heart attacks, etc. McFarland has a number of interesting baseball books. I could spend the rest of my conference at the exhibit.

Books and Blogs, Made for Each Other?

The verdict on whether the Internet is killing reading is still out, as evidence presented often says more about its source than the readers being studied. What is clear is that an attempt is being made to utilize the web to increase reading, especially of books, as a community of book lover bloggers has grown. Included is this community are readers, librarians, authors, and publishers, each contributing to the promotion of books, but often for different reasons. At Booklist/Booklist Online: Books and Blogs, Made for Each Other?, Keir Graf of Booklist and a panel of bloggers discussed the relationship of blogs with books and its prospects for the near future.

The panel included the following:

• Mary Burkey of AudioBooker, who started her blog to keep track of audio titles that she had read. Her independent blog was later acquired by Booklist.
• John Green, a former Booklist employee, who with his brother posts videos to You-Tube as Vlogbrothers. He has also written a novel Looking for Alaska.
• Kaite Mediatore Stover of Kansas City Public Library, who posts to Book Group Buzz for Booklist.
• Nora Rawlinson, who has never been a Booklist employee. She was, however, the librarian at Baltimore County Public Library who uttered "give them what they want" and has worked as an editor for both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. She is now writing the blog, EarlyWord, which is a for-profit effort.

Keir listed some qualities that make blogs useful to book professionals:

• Blogs offer immediacy. Bloggers can address issues quickly and can discuss books at the time they are published or are otherwise in the news.
• Blog writing is more personal and casual, allowing for a friendlier feel, attracting some loyal followers.
• Because blog postings are often short, writers have to hone more concise writing skills.
• Comments from blog readers start conversations that may bring forth issues that the blog writer did not address. They may also correct errors or otherwise keep the blog writer honest.
• Through comments, bloggers know their readers better.

Here are some highlights from this discussion:

Authority is something in which print excelled in its prime. Readers trusted the reviewers in newspapers and magazines, such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or Atlantic Monthly. Now that these publications have their own blogs, that authority has transferred to its blog writers. Nora thought this advantage would in time diminish as other brand names are established. Some bloggers have name recognition for being on the scene early. Kaite said that with so many people blogging it is now difficult for a new blogger to get recognized.

Few book bloggers make a profit - or anything. They do not often get readers the way that niche technology bloggers do. Book bloggers blog for love of books.

Well-produced book trailers may be a passing fad. There is not enough money in the book market to support most expensive publicity, and the panel opinion was that the novelty will soon wear off. John said that most blog readers seek authenticity and are suspicious of slick marketing.

None of the panelists thought that writing blogs hurt their print writing style. Mary thought that bloggers free of institutional ties are franker in their blogs.

None of the speakers thought that Twitter would replace blogging. It is a good vehicle for posting links to reviews on blogs or telling others what you are reading. John said that Twitter is more important to people in Third World countries because they can tweet and read from cellphones, which seem to be harder to restrict than Internet access.

Kaite liked that bloggers sometimes review old books. It is not all about buzz.

Libraries in Hard Times: The ALA Membership Meeting

For the last week, I have receiving emails and flyers urging me to attend Libraries in Hard Times at Saturday's ALA Membership Meeting. The marketing was well done, so my hopes were raised that it would be an interesting program. It was, but not really in the way that I expected. Patricia Wong summarized efforts of California Public Libraries to help the jobless and needy. Christopher A. McLean of the ALA Washington Office then reported on the federal government's stimulus package and what parts of it hold promise for library funding. The information was good (if a bit too general) but the setting and presentations and the timing did not do the subjects justice. The assembly hall was huge and the attendance slight. It was late in the day. We were very far from the speakers. I expected first hand stories from librarians telling what they are up against and what they are doing. I appreciate that the topic is being acknowledged before the assembly of membership, but it needs more coverage and debate in more intimate meetings where there will be more energy and passion.

On the up side, there were some useful web sites promoted, including Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit for the ALA President's Office. Another was the Library Use Value Calculator from Huntington beach Public Library.

Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience

I almost went to a management program at the American Library Association conference this morning, but my love of baseball (and my sweetheart) drew me to "Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience" instead. I should listen to love more often. It was a wonderful program that I would not want to have missed. Not only did I hear Negro Leagues historian Lawrence Hogan recount his friendships with the old players, I heard Sharon Robinson tell about her new children's book about her father, Jackie Robinson, and I heard Kadir Nelson explain how he wrote and illustrated his award-winning We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. I will want to see Robinson's book (illustrated by Nelson) this fall. I have seen We Are the Ship and will post a review soon.

Anytime time there is a baseball reunion, there are good stories. They resonate because they are loaded with more meaning than just sport. To Hogan baseball is American history and to Robinson it is also family history. For Nelson it is beauty and inspiration.

This celebration of African American baseball launches the ALA traveling exhibit "Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience." Two sets of illustrated panels are traveling to libraries around the country. One is in St.Louis currently while the other is on the ground floor of McCormick Place during the conference. It will then go to Milwaukee. The tour continues into 2013.

With My Book at ABC-Clio

With My Book at ABC-Clio
Originally uploaded by ricklibrarian.

This is the day for which I have waited. My book is on sale at ALA! It is among the many titles on readers' advisory and library management at the Libraries Unlimited section of the ABC-Clio exhibit.

If you look over my right shoulder (left side of picture), you will see The Inside Scoop by Sarah Statz Cords. I seem to be right in front of all the Read On ... books. Sorry, Barry.

Bonnie said that ABC-Clio was serving champagne this afternoon. Could it have been to celebrate my book? Probably not.

The Riverside Shakespeare Purse

Riverside Shakespeare Purse
Originally uploaded by ricklibrarian.

There is a booth in the exhibit hall at the American Library Association that has display of purses made from old books. I wonder if Annie at my work could figure out how to make them and turn it into a library program? I know regular program attendees who would enjoy another project.

The Unconference at ALA

Jason Griffey at the Unconference
Originally uploaded by ricklibrarian.

This is Jason Griffey of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, who opened yesterday's Unconference with a seven-minute presentation "The future of libraries in a ubiquitous computing world." It was a good beginning for a day full of conversation. You can find my full report on PlaBlog.

I will spend all day today in McCormick Place attending programs and wandering the exhibition hall. I hope to see my book.

Let the Conference Begin

Today, I start my American Library Association Conference experience with attending the Unconference. I plan to report on the programs I attend both here and at PLABlog. I will also post photos on my Flickr site.

Librarian at the Farmers Market

We have been told to take the library to wherever the clients are. I spent yesterday at a library table at the farmers market in Western Springs. It was the first time I have done such a thing, after several years of thinking that we should. I learned a lot of things right off the bat.

• Big posters work like sails. It might seem like a calm day, but even the slightest puff of air will catch the poster and you will fly.
• You need lots of rocks to hold down your handouts. Again the wind that you hardly notice will lift your papers and send them away.
• Laptops are difficult to view in the sun. We wanted to do some reference from the table, but it was tough. Maybe someone can recommend outdoor PCs.
• Do not expect people to rush the library table. People have come for the fruits and vegetables. You are a curiosity.
• Do not expect all of your regulars from the library to recognize you. You are not where they usually see you.
• Talk will be your most popular offering. You may return to the library with most of your handouts and books.

It was fun. The weather was beautiful and I enjoyed hearing Annalee, a folksinger raising funds for World Bicycle Relief, sing throughout the afternoon. I especially liked the Joni Mitchell tunes. She wanted to take bicycles to children in Zambia. We were all there in a good cause.

Answers to the Biography Pop Quiz

Here are the answers to last week’s biography pop quiz. All answers can be found in my new book Real Lives Revealed: A Guide to Reading Interests in Biography.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Eminent Victorians, Lytton Strachey did not write about (b) Matthew Arnold. Strachey wrote about Thomas Arnold.

2. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall wrote a biography of (c) George Washington

3. Sheriff Pat Garrett shot the outlaw know as (d) all of the above, which were names used by the outlaw known as Billy the Kid.

4. Journalist Martha Gellhorn died from (b) suicide.

5. On Illustrious Men (De Viris Illustribus) was written by (d) all of the above. It was popular name to use in Latin collected biographies.

6. Singer Michael Jackson claimed that his life was changed by reading a biography of (c) P. T. Barnum, who wanted to present the "greatest show on earth."

7. Elizabeth Barrett Browning had a dog named (c) Flush, who was dog-napped several times. The author defied her father to pay the ransoms. This may have helped her finally break away from her domineering parents.

8. President Abraham Lincoln's friends did not included (b) the late David Herbert Donald who was a Lincoln biographer, not a contemporary, though you might suspect he would have liked to be a Lincoln friend.

9. After their baseball careers ended, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth developed a friendship while (c) golfing.

10. J. Randy Taraborrelli has not written a biography of (c) Barbara Streisand.


True or False?

11. True - Ray Charles learned to play boogie-woogie piano before he was classically trained.

12. True - The pirate William Dampier was also a noted scientist who chartered ocean currents and drew tropical birds.

13. True - Ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev was born on a train near Lake Baikal in Siberia.

14. True - Martha Washington burned all of her letters to and from her husband George.

15. False - Jonas Salk DID NOT suffer from polio as a child.


Bonus Question

16. Name the author of the first biography?

d. Ion of Chios is the best answer, as he wrote sketches of Pericles and Sophocles in the fifth century BCE. Scholars, however, do not agree on what a biography is, so the question is really hard to answer.

If you got any of the answers right, consider yourself pretty well-read.