Anna Quindlen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Quindlen
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Quindlen in 2008
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| Born | July 8, 1952 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Barnard College |
| Occupation | Columnist, novelist |
| Spouse(s) | Gerald Krovatin (m. 1978; div. 2021) |
Anna Marie Quindlen (born July 8, 1952) is a famous American writer and journalist. She is well-known for her books and her newspaper columns.
In 1992, her column called "Public and Private" for The New York Times won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. This is a very important award for journalists. Anna Quindlen started her career in 1974 as a reporter. She worked for The New York Times for many years. One of her novels, One True Thing (1994), was made into a movie in 1998. It starred famous actors like Meryl Streep.
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Anna Quindlen's Life and Career
Anna Quindlen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 8, 1952. Her parents were Prudence and Robert Quindlen. Her father was of Irish American background, and her mother was Italian American.
Anna went to South Brunswick High School in New Jersey. She then studied at Barnard College and graduated in 1974. She met Gerald Krovatin, a lawyer, while in college, and they later married. Their sons, Quindlen Krovatin and Christopher Krovatin, are also writers. Their daughter, Maria, is an actress and writer.
In 1995, Anna Quindlen decided to stop working as a journalist. She wanted to focus on writing novels full-time.
In 1999, she started writing a column for Newsweek magazine. She wrote for them every two weeks until 2009. Anna Quindlen often writes about how fast-paced and focused on possessions modern American life can be. Many of her personal stories are about her mother. Her mother passed away from ovarian cancer when Anna was only 19 years old.
Anna Quindlen has written ten novels. Several of her books have been turned into movies or TV shows.
- One True Thing became a movie in 1998. Meryl Streep was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in it.
- Black and Blue was made into a TV movie in 1999.
- Blessings was also made into a TV movie in 2003.
Exploring One True Thing
In 1994, Anna Quindlen published her novel One True Thing. This book is partly based on her own life. It tells the story of a young woman and her mother, who is very sick with cancer. Anna Quindlen's own mother, Prudence Quindlen, passed away in 1972. Anna was a college student at the time and came home to care for her mother.
In 1998, a movie with the same name was released. Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger played the main characters, Kate and Ellen Gulden. These characters were inspired by Anna and her mother. Meryl Streep's acting in the movie earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Anna Quindlen's Books
Nonfiction Books
- Living Out Loud (1988)
- Thinking Out Loud (1994)
- How Reading Changed My Life (1998)
- Homeless (1998)
- A Short Guide to a Happy Life (2000) ISBN: 978-0-375-50461-7
- A Quilt of a Country (2001)
- Loud and Clear (2004)
- Imagined London (2004)
- Being Perfect (2005)
- Good Dog. Stay. (2007)
- Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake (2012)
- Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting (2019)
- Write for Your Life (2022)
Novels
- Object Lessons (1991)
- One True Thing (1994)
- Black and Blue (1998)
- Blessings (2002)
- Rise and Shine (2006)
- Every Last One: A Novel (2010)
- Still Life with Bread Crumbs (2013)
- Miller's Valley (2016)
- Alternate Side (2018)
- After Annie (2024)
Children's Books
- The Tree That Came To Stay (1992)
- Happily Ever After (1997)
Photo Books
- Naked Babies (1996)
- Siblings (1998)
Awards and Honors
Major Awards
- 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary (for her newspaper columns)
- 2001 Mothers At Home Media Award
- 2001 Clarion Award (for Best Regular Opinion Column)
- 2002 Clarion Award (for Best Opinion Column)
- 2016 Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame
Honorary Degrees
Anna Quindlen has received special degrees from many universities, recognizing her achievements. Some of these include:
- Colby College
- Dartmouth College
- Denison University
- Grinnell College
- Hamilton College
- Kenyon College
- Moravian College
- Mount Holyoke College
- Penn State
- Sarah Lawrence College
- Smith College
- Springfield College
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Villanova University
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Wesleyan University
Other Recognitions
- University Medal of Excellence from Columbia University
- Poynter Fellow in Journalism at Yale University
- Victoria Fellow in Contemporary Issues at Rutgers University
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
