Alison Lurie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alison Lurie
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Alison Lurie in 1987
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| Born | Alison Stewart Lurie September 3, 1926 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 3, 2020 (aged 94) Ithaca, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Education | Radcliffe College (BA) |
| Period | 1962–2020 |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1985) |
| Spouse |
Jonathan Peale Bishop
(m. 1948; div. 1985)Edward Hower |
| Children | 3 |
Alison Stewart Lurie (September 3, 1926 – December 3, 2020) was an American writer and teacher. She wrote many novels and non-fiction books. She won the important Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1985. This was for her novel called Foreign Affairs. Besides novels, she also wrote a lot about children's literature. She also wrote about how clothes can send messages, which is called the semiotics of dress.
Her Life Story
Alison Stewart Lurie was born on September 3, 1926. Her birthplace was Chicago, in the U.S. She grew up in White Plains, New York. Her father, Harry Lawrence Lurie, studied how people live in groups. This is called being a sociologist. Her mother, Bernice Lurie, was a journalist. She also reviewed books. Alison's father was from Latvia, and her mother was from Scotland.
When Alison was born, she had some health issues. She was deaf in one ear. She also had some damage to her facial muscles. She went to a special school in Darien, Connecticut. In 1947, she finished her studies at Radcliffe College. She earned a bachelor's degree in history and literature.
Alison Lurie met Jonathan Peale Bishop in college. He studied literature. They got married in 1948. Jonathan later taught at colleges like Amherst College and Cornell University. Alison moved with him. They had three sons. They divorced in 1984. Later, she married another writer named Edward Hower. Alison spent her time living in different places. These included London, Ithaca, New York, and Key West, Florida.
In 1970, Lurie started teaching at Cornell University. She taught in the English department. She became a full professor there in 1979. She taught classes on children's literature and writing. In 1976, she was given a special title. She became the F. J. Whiton Professor of American Literature. When she retired, she became a professor emerita. This means she kept her title after retiring.
In 1981, she published a non-fiction book. It was called The Language of Clothes. This book was about how clothes communicate messages. It explored the semiotics of dress.
Alison Lurie passed away on December 3, 2020. She was 94 years old. She died from natural causes in Ithaca, New York.
What She Wrote About
Alison Lurie's novels often had professors as main characters. Her stories were often set in colleges or universities. Her writing style was similar to some British authors. These include writers like Kingsley Amis and David Lodge.
Her books are often described as "witty and astute comedies of manners." This means they are funny stories. They often make fun of how people behave in society. Alison Lurie herself said that she liked to "laugh at things" in her writing.
Even though she was famous for her novels, she also wrote many non-fiction books. She wrote articles too. She especially focused on children's literature. She also wrote about how clothes send messages.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Alison Lurie received many awards and honors for her work:
- 1963–1964: She was a fellow at the Yaddo Foundation.
- 1965: She was a fellow at the Guggenheim Foundation.
- 1966: She was again a fellow at the Yaddo Foundation.
- 1967: She was a fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation.
- 1978: She won a literary award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
- 1985: She won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
- 1989: She won the Prix Femina Étranger.
- 1989: She was chosen as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
- 2005: She was chosen as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- 2006: She received an honorary degree from the University of Oxford.
- 2007: She received an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham.
- 2012–2014: She was named the New York State Author.
See also
In Spanish: Alison Lurie para niños
