Laura PedersenLaura Pedersen was the youngest columnist for the New York Times. Prior to that she was the youngest person to have a seat on the floor of the American Stock Exchange and wrote her first book, Play Money, about that experience. President Clinton honoed Laura as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans, and she has gone on to write award-winning short stories, nonfiction, and novels. Laura was a shy only child, and as a seventh grader realized that telling funny stories and jokes was a good way to make friends. As an adult, she has performed stand-up comedy and writes material for several well-known comedians. Laura lives in New York City and teaches at the Booker T. Washington Learning Center in East Harlem. Read More Read Less