Illinois State Library

Illinois Center for the Book

Individual Author Record

General Information

Name:  Milton J Nieuwsma  

Pen Name: None

Genre: Non-Fiction

Audience: Adult; Young Adult;

Born: 1941 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

-- Website -- http://www.midlandauthors.com/nieuwsma.html
-- Milton J Nieuwsma on WorldCat -- http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=milton+j+nieuwsma

Illinois Connection

Milton Nieuwsma received his Master's Degree in communication at the University of Illinois-Springfield, and a year later became president of Grant Hospital in Chicago.

Biographical and Professional Information

Nieuwsma started his writing career as a reporter for the Holland (Mich.) Evening Sentinel while in high school. After graduating with an English degree from Hope College in 1963, he worked as a public information officer at Wayne State University in Detroit and hosted a weekly radio program, "The Fifth Freedom," on WQRS-FM, a Detroit fine arts station. He also wrote programs for a public television series, "Our America," which later was canceled for lack of funding.In 1969 Nieuwsma began a series of public relations and fund-raising jobs that took him away from his first love, writing, for the next decade. In the late 1970s he began contributing historical features and travel articles to the Chicago Tribune. In 1990 he took an administrative position at New Brunswick Seminary in New Brunswick, N.J. and taught journalism at Rutgers University. While in New Brunswick, Nieuwsma met Tova Friedman, believed to be the youngest survivor of Auschwitz, which inspired him to write Kinderlager (published 1998). Friedman is one of three children – all Auschwitz survivors – featured in the book.

Published Works Expand for more information

Titles At Your Library

Awards

  • 1999 New York Public Library-Best Book For Teens,

    • Kinderlager

    Speaking Engagements

    Speaking Engagement Availability (Yes)