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The state of Indiana has produced many famous people, from politicians to activists, from musicians to athletes, and more. This article will feature a few famous people, along with a brief biography, starting with a prolific writer.

DAN WAKEFIELD
Dan Wakefield, born in 1932 in Indianapolis, Indiana, is an acclaimed novelist, journalist, professor, lecturer, and screenwriter.

Wakefield is an alumnus of Columbia College (he entered in 1952 and graduated in 1955) in New York City, where he took courses taught by Pulitzer Prize-winner Mark Van Doren, Lionell Trilling, and C. Wright Mills.

As a columnist, he has written for the likes of The Nation, New York Times Magazine, Harpers, The Atlantic Monthly, GQ, The Yoga Journal, etc.

Wakefield has authored more than fifteen books. His non-fiction (and spiritual) books are as follows: Island in the City (1959), Revolt in the South (1962), The Addict: An Anthology (1963), Between The Lines (1965), Supernation at Peace and War (1968), All Her Children: The Making of a Soap Opera (1975), Returning: A Spiritual Journey (1988), New York in the Fifties (1992), Expect a Miracle (1995), Creating from the Spirit (1996), How Do We Know When It's God? (1999), Spiritually Incorrect: Finding God in All the Wrong Places (2005), and The Hijacking of Jesus: How the Religious Right Distorts Christianity and Promotes Prejudice and Hate (2007).

His novels include Going All The Way (1970), Starting Over (1973), Home Free (1977), Under the Apple Tree (1982), and Selling Out (1985).

Two of his best-selling novels were turned into movies: Starting Over, starring Jim Clayburgh, Burt Reynolds, Candace Bergen, and Charles Durning, 1980; Going all The Way, starring Jill Clayburgh, Leslie Ann Warren, Ben Affleck, and Jeremy Naives, 1997; Wakefield wrote the screenplay for the latter.

He was the writer and creator of the TV drama "James at 15," which aired on NBC in 1977-1978; the series was precipitated by the success of the made-for-TV film "James at 15," also written by Wakefield. Although the drama was short-lived, it inspired Kevin Williamson, creator of "Dawson's Creek" for his TV drama: " 'Dawson's Creek' came out of my desire to do 'James at 15' for the '90s. It was very provocative and way ahead of its time.' " Moreover, Wakefield was the writer and co-producer of CBS Movie of the Week 'The Seduction of Miss Leona' (1980), starring Lynn Redgrave, and Bryan Dennehy, based on the 1977 novel Bliss by Elizabeth Gundy.

Wakefield's work

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