145th Street: Short Stories Audiobook

About Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers (1937–2014) was the acclaimed author of over fifty books, primarily for young adults. His notable works include Fallen Angels, Monster, Crystal, and Scorpions. He won numerous awards for his works, including five Coretta Scott King Awards for African American authors. He also won the first Michael L. Printz Award for his book Monster. In January of 2012 he became the Library of Congress’ National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

About the Narrators

Adenrele Ojo is an actress, dancer, and audiobook narrator, winner of over a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2018. She made her on-screen debut in My Little Girl, starring Jennifer Lopez, and has since starred in several other films. She has also performed extensively with the Philadelphia Dance Company. As the daughter of John E. Allen, Jr., founder and artistic director of Freedom Theatre, the oldest African American theater in Pennsylvania, is no stranger to the stage. In 2010 she performed in the Fountain Theatre’s production of The Ballad of Emmett Till, which won the 2010 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Ensemble. Other plays include August Wilson’s Jitney and Freedom Theatre’s own Black Nativity, where she played Mary.

Bahni Turpin, winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and several prestigious Audie Awards for her narrations, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. Publishers Weekly magazine named her Narrator of the Year for 2016. She is an ensemble member of the Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles. She has guest starred in many television series, including NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Six Feet Under, Cold Case, What about Brian, and The Comeback. Film credits include Brokedown Palace, Crossroads, and Daughters of the Dust. She is also a member of the recording cast of The Help, which won numerous awards.

Brandon Gill is a graduate of the Juilliard School. He made his Broadway debut in the musical Holler If Ya Hear Me, based on Tupac Shakur’s life, and has appeared on stage in Neighbors, The Last Goodbye, Superior Donuts, Like Father, Like Son, and others.

Dominic Hoffman, winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for narration, has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice. He is a Los Angeles–based actor of stage, screen, and television. He has appeared in such television shows as The Shield, NYPD Blue, and The Jamie Foxx Show. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art as well as the American Conservatory Theater.

Heather Alicia Simms is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator, finalist for an Audie Award, and an actress. Her filmography includes Broken Flowers, Flutter Kick, Shock Act, Kingscounty, Head of State, Third Watch, and others. She also provided voice acting for the video game Red Dead Revolver.

Johnny Heller, winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.

Paula Parker, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, is an actress whose stage credits include The Debate, Maggie Flynn, and Four to Make Two. Her television credits feature All My Children, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, and Another World. Among her films are Coupe de Torchon and The Family.

Almarie Guerra is an actor known for her work on Sorry You’re Sad, Dude Bro Party Massacre III, and Night of the Living Deb. She is part of an LA/NY based improv group, the Story Pirates.

Sullivan Jones is a voice talent and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator.

JaQwan J. Kelly is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.