Paule Mashall was the author of Brown Girl, BrownstonesThe Chosen Place, the Timeless PeoplePraisesong for the WidowSoul Clap Hands and Sing; Reena and Other Stories; Merle; The Fisher King; Triangular Road; and Daughters. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she was Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She passed away in 2019.