HUGHES MEARNSHughes Mearns, whose real name was William Hughes Mearns and who lived from 1875 to 1965, was an American teacher and author. Mearns taught at the Philadelphia School of Pedagogy from 1905 to 1920. He had degrees from both Harvard and the University f Pennsylvania. People now know Mearns as the author of "Antigonish" (also called "The Little Man Who Wasn't There"). But his ideas about getting kids, especially those ages 3 to 8, to use their natural imagination were new at the time. It has been stated about him that, "He typed notes of their conversations; he learned how to make them forget there was an adult around; never asked them questions and never showed surprise no matter what they did or said." Creative Youth (1925) and Creative Power (1929) were two important books that Mearns wrote. Gabriel Gudding, an essayist, says that those books "lit a fuse" under the teaching of creative writing and had an impact on a whole group of scholars. He was also in charge of the Lincoln School Teachers College at Columbia University for a while, beginning in 1920. He also supported the work of John Dewey in modern education. Read More Read Less