Gayl Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gayl Jones
Jones in 1971
Born	Gayl Carolyn Jones (1949-11-23) November 23, 1949 (age 75) Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist poet playwright professor literary critic
Education	Connecticut College (BA) Brown University (MA, DArts)
Genre	African-American literature
Notable works	Corregidora (1975) Eva's Man (1976) The Healing (1998) Palmares (2021) The Unicorn Woman (2024)

Gayl Carolyn Jones (born November 23, 1949) is an American writer from Lexington, Kentucky. She is known as one of the most important writers in 20th-century African-American literature.

When she was just 25, Jones published her first novel, Corregidora (1975). The famous author Toni Morrison was her editor. The book received great reviews from other well-known writers like James Baldwin and John Updike. Her second novel, Eva's Man, was seen as more intense by some critics because of its serious themes.

After a long break from publishing, Jones released The Healing in 1998, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. She then stepped away from public life for many years. In 2021, she returned with the novel Palmares, her first in 22 years. It was a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Many people admire her work. Writer Imani Perry called Jones "one of the most versatile and transformative writers of the 20th century." Another writer, Calvin Baker, called her "The Best American Novelist Whose Name You May Not Know."

Early Life and Schooling

Gayl Jones was born on November 23, 1949, to Franklin and Lucille Jones. Her father was a cook, and her mother was a homemaker who also loved to write. Jones grew up in a family that loved telling stories. Her grandmother wrote plays for their church, and her mother often made up stories for her children.

Jones said, "I began to write when I was seven, because I saw my mother writing." Even though she was very shy, her teachers saw her talent and encouraged her.

For high school, she went to Henry Clay High School, where she was one of only a few Black students. She did very well in her studies. This helped her get into Connecticut College, where she studied with famous poets like William Meredith and Robert Hayden. She graduated in 1971 with a degree in English.

After college, she went to Brown University to study creative writing. She earned a Master of Arts degree in 1973 and a Doctor of Arts degree in 1975.

Writing Career

While at Brown University, Jones's teacher Michael Harper showed her work to author Toni Morrison. At the time, Morrison was an editor at a major publishing company. Morrison was very impressed and helped Jones publish her first novel, Corregidora, in 1975.

That same year, Jones began teaching at the University of Michigan. She became an assistant professor there but left in 1983 to move to Europe. While in Europe, she wrote and published a book in Germany and a collection of poems. Her work has also been included in important collections of writing by African American women.

In 1998, her novel The Healing was a finalist for the National Book Award. Today, her papers and writings are kept at Boston University for people to study. Jones lives in Lexington, Kentucky, and continues to write.

Jones has said she writes like a musician who improvises. Much like a jazz or blues player, she explores a few main ideas in her stories, looking at them from different angles. Her stories often explore serious topics like difficult memories and emotions.

The Story of Corregidora

Jones's first novel, Corregidora (1975), tells the story of a blues singer named Ursa Corregidora. The book explores how the painful history of slavery in America affects people generations later.

Ursa is haunted by the stories her great-grandmother and grandmother tell her. They share their terrible experiences with a cruel Portuguese slaveholder in Brazil named Simon Corregidora. The women in Ursa's family believe it is their duty to "make generations" to pass down the story of what happened to them.

This family duty is a heavy weight for Ursa. As a singer, she struggles to find her own purpose in life. She also finds herself in difficult and unhappy relationships. After an accident, Ursa learns she cannot have children. This makes her feel lost, as she can no longer fulfill her family's mission.

To heal, Ursa tries to learn more about her own mother's life. She learns that her mother also struggled to find happiness. With this new understanding, Ursa focuses on her blues singing. Music becomes her way of working through her pain and her family's past. The novel ends with a feeling of hope, suggesting that facing the past can lead to healing.

Other Famous Works

• Eva's Man (1976): This is Jones's second novel. It also explores difficult relationships and emotions. The main character, Eva, tells her story from a special hospital. The book uses flashbacks to show her past and how her memories have become jumbled over time.

• White Rat (1977): This is a collection of short stories that Jones wrote between 1970 and 1977. The stories cover similar themes to her novels, such as communication and relationships.

• Song for Anninho (1981): This is a long poem set in 17th-century Brazil. It tells the story of Almeyda and her husband Anninho, who lived in Palmares, a real historical community of escaped slaves. The poem focuses on love and hope, even in difficult times.

Awards and Honors

Gayl Jones has received many awards for her writing.

• Her 1998 novel, The Healing, was a finalist for the National Book Award.
• Her 2021 novel, Palmares, was a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
• In 2022, she was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the American Book Awards.
• Her novel The Birdcatcher was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2022.
• Her 2024 novel The Unicorn Woman was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2025.

See also

• African-American literature