Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Taylor's characters are way autobiographical. Most are based on her own family members. She modeled David and Stacey Logan on her grandfather and father. (source)
When the world called... Mildred D. Taylor answered. She joined the Peace Corps in 1965 and spent two years in Ethiopia, teaching English and history. (source)
Ever hear anyone say, "I don't judge people by their color—I'm color blind"? Well, Mildred D. Taylor explored this concept in her very first novel, Dark People, Dark World. No, really: her main character is literally blind. The story follows a young, white, blind man who explores the black neighborhoods of Chicago. Too bad for us, this novel was never published. (source)
Everyone likes a good prequel, right? Like The Phantom Menace. (Okay—so, maybe that wasn't such a good example.) Taylor's The Land (2001) takes place before the events in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and follows Cassie's grandfather (Paul-Edward Logan) when he was a young man. (source)
Remember those "crowder peas" (4.248) that the Logan family brings to the Berrys? Well, according to this website, they're not the same as black-eyed peas (a ubiquitous Southern food), like some think. This recipe site has an added bonus: a modern-day shout-out to the difficulties of tenant farming. (source)