Ernest Hebert facts for kids

Ernest Hebert, born on May 4, 1941, is an American writer. He is famous for his "Darby Chronicles Series." This is a group of seven novels written from 1979 to 2014. The books tell stories about a made-up town in New Hampshire. They show how the town changes from being a quiet, rural place to a more modern, suburban area. Hebert has also written other books that are not part of this series. These include Mad Boys, The Old American, and a poetry collection called The Contrarian Voice: And Other Poems.

About Ernest Hebert

Early Life and Education

Ernest Hebert was born in Keene, New Hampshire. He was named after his mother's older brother. Ernest went to public school in Keene. He graduated from Keene High School in 1959.

After high school, he wanted to go to Keene State College. However, he was not accepted at first. So, he joined the army reserves for six months. Then, he started working for a phone company. He installed equipment in central offices.

In 1963, after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Hebert decided to make a change. He quit his job and applied to Keene State College again.

College and Early Career

When he got into college, Hebert hired a retired teacher. She helped him with English studies. She gave him a book to read called The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. by William Makepeace Thackeray. Hebert did not enjoy this book very much.

He started college in the fall of 1964. At first, he studied History. But after a few semesters, he realized he liked writing more. In his third year, he read a poem called Preludes by T.S. Eliot. This poem changed his view on life. He then decided to focus only on writing poetry. He changed his major from History to English.

Hebert met his future wife, Medora Lavoie, at Keene State College. They got married in early 1969. This was the same year he graduated from college.

Becoming a Writer

After graduating, Hebert and his wife moved to California. Hebert went to Stanford University to get a master's degree. He studied creative writing, focusing on poetry. After some time, Hebert felt he had learned enough from his professors. He decided that graduate school was not for him. He and his wife then moved back to New Hampshire. Medora finished her bachelor's degree at Keene State College.

During this time, Hebert worked as a journalist. He wrote for several newspapers. These included The Keene Sentinel Newspaper and The Boston Globe. In 1972, he won two awards for excellent journalism.

While working as a journalist, Hebert wrote his first novel. It was called The Dogs of March. This book was published in 1979. It was the first book in his "Darby Chronicles Series." This series is about the made-up town of Darby, New Hampshire.

Over the years, Hebert continued to write books for this series. These include A Little More Than Kin, Whisper My Name, The Passion of Estelle Jordan, Live Free or Die, Spoonwood, and Howard Elman's Farewell. He has also written other books that are not part of the series. His most recent work is a collection of poems. It is called The Contrarian Voice: And Other Poems.

Teaching Career

Besides writing, Hebert also worked as a professor. He taught English and creative writing at Dartmouth College. He taught there for more than 25 years before he retired. During his time as a professor, he taught many students. One of his notable students was David Benioff.

Ernest Hebert was the first professor at Dartmouth College to be given a permanent teaching position as a fiction writer.

Dartmouth College keeps many of his early writings. These are mainly related to his Darby Series of novels. Keene State College, where he went to school, also has a collection of his work. This includes his digital artwork and early versions of his books.

Ernest Hebert's Books

• The Contrarian Voice: And Other Poems (2017)
• Never Back Down (2012)
• I Love U (2011)
• New Hampshire Patterns, with Jon Gilbert Fox, photographer (2007)
• The Old American (2000) (This book won an award for Outstanding Fiction.)
• Mad Boys (1993) (This book also won an award for Outstanding Fiction.)
• The Kinship (1993) (This book is a reprint of two novels from the Darby series, plus an essay.)
• The Darby series:
  • Howard Elman's Farewell (2014)
  • Spoonwood (2005) (This book won an award for best regional novel in the Northeast.)
  • Live Free or Die (1990)
  • The Passion of Estelle Jordan (1987)
  • Whisper My Name (1984)
  • A Little More Than Kin (1982)
  • The Dogs of March (1979) (This book received an award for excellence in a first novel.)