▁distinguished ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁teacher , ▁critic ▁and ▁pro l ific ▁author ▁of ▁fiction , ▁non f iction ▁and ▁poetry , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize . ▁She ▁wrote ▁nov els , ▁and ▁later ▁turned ▁to ▁writing ▁hum orous ▁aut obi ographical ▁works ▁about ▁life ▁with ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁family . ▁ ▁Dor othy ▁Van ▁D oren ▁was ▁an ▁editor ▁at ▁The ▁Nation ▁magazine ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁she ▁was ▁chief ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁Fe ature ▁Des k ▁at ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Office ▁of ▁War ▁Information , ▁which ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁present ing ▁a ▁human ▁and ▁appe aling ▁image ▁of ▁American ▁life ▁through ▁the ▁international ▁broadcast s ▁of ▁the ▁Vo ice ▁of ▁America , ▁directed ▁by ▁John ▁H ous eman . ▁Reg ular ▁writers ▁included ▁Louis ▁Unter me yer , ▁Robert ▁Ar d rey , ▁Tom ▁Wh ites ide , ▁Henry ▁Den ker , ▁Jer ome ▁We id man ▁and ▁Howard ▁Fast ; ▁outside ▁contrib utors ▁included ▁Norman ▁Cor win , ▁Jan et ▁Fl anner , ▁Wo ody ▁Gut hr ie , ▁John ▁Her sey , ▁Car son ▁McC ull ers , ▁Arch ib ald ▁Mac Le ish , ▁Paul ▁Rob es on ▁and ▁John ▁Stein beck . ▁Fe atures , ▁editor ial s , ▁ess ays , ▁songs ▁and ▁inter views ▁were ▁recorded ▁and ▁adapted ▁for ▁various ▁English - language ▁broadcast s ▁before ▁being ▁translated ▁and ▁used ▁in ▁foreign - language ▁programming . ▁ ▁The ▁Van ▁Dor ens ' ▁elder ▁son ▁Charles ▁Van ▁D