March 21, 1977

Drew County native Charlie May Simon, a renowned Arkansas author, died. Known primarily for her children’s literature, with just under thirty books and numerous short stories to her credit, Simon had a long career writing for adults as well. She is also known as the wife of Pulitzer Prize–winning poet John Gould Fletcher. Her work in the field of children’s literature has been honored in Arkansas since 1971 by the annual presentation of the Charlie May Simon Book Award.