I’ve been thinking about the great writers from Indiana, but the only ones I could come up with were James Whitcomb Riley and Kurt Vonnegut. Those are both huge names, but they left me wondering… Who else? Who have I been missing? Is the list of Indiana authors bigger than just these two names?

Obviously, it is, but who is on that list? I did a little digging to see if Indiana writers have been lurking behind the scenes anywhere familiar, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. We’ve got a pretty talented group of writers that call this fair state home! So, without further ado, here’s my list of five Indiana writers whose work you might know, whose names you might recognize, but whose Hoosierness might be news to you:

Lewis “Lew” Wallace may not have spent much time in Indiana, but how can we not claim the author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ. Wallace is also known as the Governor of the New Mexico Territory that offered amnesty for Billy the Kid, and then did not fulfill his end of the bargain.

While in some circles Dan Quayle may be more popular than his wife, Marilyn Quayle , who is an author from Indiana. She is best known for her book Embrace the Serpent. Mrs. Quayle has also written two other books.

Ever watch I Love Lucy? Well, you can thank Indiana native Madelyn Pugh for making that show as funny as it was. Pugh worked in both Radio and Television as a comedian writer. Other shows that featured her writing include: The Steven Allen Show, My Favorite Husband, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnez Show and Life With Lucy.

I might have been most excited about adding Norman Bridwell to our list of Indiana authors. I think we can all be extremely thankful that this man didn’t get a job as a children’s book illustrator because he became the creator and author of Clifford the Big Red Dog, a book and television series all of our childhood selves can be glad about.

Karen Joy Fowler has written numerous books and collections, but we included her for her novel The Jane Austen Book Club. The book was made into a movie in 2007 starring Maria Bello and Emily Blunt. Fowler also writes in the science fiction and fantasy genres.

Are there any Indiana authors I missed? Who is your favorite Hoosier wordsmith? I’d love to know what you think!