Writers from Columbus

Robert Allan Monroe (October 30, 1915 – March 17, 1995) was an American radio broadcasting executive who became known for his ideas about altered states of consciousness and for founding The Monroe Institute which continues to promote those ideas. His 1971 book Journeys Out of the Body is credited with popularizing the term "out-of-body experience".
Monroe developed Hemi-Sync which he claimed could facilitate enhanced brain performance.He was one of the founders of the Jefferson Cable Corporation, the first cable company to cover central Virginia.

Jack Matthews (22 July 1925 – 28 November 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright and former professor. He published 7 novels, 11 story collections, a novella, and 8 volumes of essays. He was an avid book collector, and many of his book finds served as a basis for his essays and the historical topics he explored in his fiction. His 1972 novel The Charisma Campaigns was nominated by Walker Percy for the National Book Award. He has often made 19th century America and the Civil War period the setting for his fiction, starting with his 1981 novel Sassafras and most recently with the 2011 novel Gambler's Nephew (which tells the story of how an abolitionist accidentally kills an escaped slave) and a 2015 story collection Soldier Boys: Tales of the Civil War. His plays have been performed at multiple theaters around the country.