Arthur Yorinks has written and directed for opera, theater, dance, film, and radio and is the author of over forty acclaimed and award-winning books, including Hey, Al, a children’s book, which earned the Caldecott Medal in 1987. In addition to his literary career, he is considered one of the leading figures in the reinvention of audio theater. Along with his literary career, after veering off his path of becoming a classical pianist in his teens, Yorinks has spent the last five decades working in the performing arts, writing and directing numerous stage plays. Yorinks has been at the forefront of a quest to redefine audio theater and has written and directed several original audio plays including dozens of works for family audiences presented at The Kennedy Center. Mr. Yorinks continues to write and direct including completing his 13-play audio series called American Song, and serving as a writer and executive producer, through NIGHT KITCHEN STUDIOS, to develop projects based on the work of Maurice Sendak for Apple TV+.