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Percy, Walker

(Encyclopedia)Percy, Walker, 1916–90, American novelist, b. Birmingham, Ala. Trained as a physician, Percy turned to writing after he contracted tuberculosis and was forced to retire from practice. His novels The...

Walker, Albertina

(Encyclopedia)Walker, Albertina, 1929–2010, African-American gospel singer and composer, b. Chicago. A protégé of Mahalia Jackson, she sang with two gospel groups before founding (1951) the Caravans, which, wit...

Walker, Alice

(Encyclopedia)Walker, Alice, 1944–, African-American novelist and poet, b. Eatonon, Ga. The daughter of sharecroppers, she studied at Spelman College (1961–63) and Sarah Lawrence College (B.A., 1965). She bring...

Walker, Amasa

(Encyclopedia)Walker, Amasa, 1799–1875, American economist, b. Woodstock, Conn. He became a merchant in Boston but retired from business in 1840. He lectured (1842–48) on political economy at Oberlin College, w...

Walker, Horatio

(Encyclopedia)Walker, Horatio, 1858–1938, Canadian painter, b. Ontario, largely self-taught. Though he lived in Rochester and New York City, he painted chiefly scenes from the simple life of the inhabitants of th...

Walker, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Walker, Robert, d. 1658?, English painter, a follower of Van Dyck and favorite portraitist of Oliver Cromwell. His portraits of Cromwell and his family and followers are convincing studies of Puritan ...

Walker, William

(Encyclopedia)Walker, William, 1824–60, American filibuster in Nicaragua, b. Nashville, Tenn. Walker, a qualified doctor, a lawyer, and a journalist by the time he was 24, sought a more adventurous career. After ...

Walker Lake

(Encyclopedia)Walker Lake, salt lake, c.105 sq mi (270 sq km), W Nev., SE of Carson City. Fed by the Walker River, it is a remnant of prehistoric Lake Lahontan and has no outlet. ...

high-bush cranberry

(Encyclopedia)high-bush cranberry: see honeysuckle. ...

Gurdjieff, George Ivanovich

(Encyclopedia)Gurdjieff, George Ivanovich gûrjēfˈ, –jĕfˈ [key], 1872–1949, Armenian spiritualist and author. After spending years traveling, Gurdjieff settled in Moscow (c.1913). He fled the Russian Revolu...