8 Ivy League Alumni Who Shaped the Modern World of Literature

J.D. Salinger - A Columbia University alumni known for "The Catcher in the Rye," influencing modern young adult literature.

Toni Morrison - An alumna of Cornell University, her impactful works like "Beloved" redefined African-American literature and its themes.

F. Scott Fitzgerald - A Princeton University graduate who penned "The Great Gatsby," leaving an indelible mark on American literature.

Jhumpa Lahiri - A Harvard University alumna whose stories, like "Interpreter of Maladies," explore cultural identities and diaspora.

Sylvia Plath - A Smith College graduate whose profound poetry and novel "The Bell Jar" continue to shape feminist literature.

Junot Díaz - A graduate of Cornell University, his works like "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" modernized Dominican-American literature.

Wallace Stevens - A Harvard Law School alumnus, his career in law influenced his innovative poetry and contribution to modernist literature.

Zadie Smith - An alumna of Harvard University, her novels, including "White Teeth," reflect multiculturalism and post-colonial themes.