Irving Stone facts for kids

Irving Stone (born Tennenbaum, 1903–1989) was a famous American writer. He was best known for his biographical novels. These are like true stories written in a novel format. He wrote about the lives of important artists, politicians, and thinkers. Some of his most famous books include Lust for Life (1934), which was about the painter Vincent van Gogh. He also wrote The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961), which told the story of the artist Michelangelo.

Irving Stone's Life Story

Irving Tennenbaum was born in San Francisco in 1903. When he was seven, his parents separated. Later, his mother remarried, and he changed his last name to "Stone," which was his stepfather's name. Stone often said that his mother taught him to love reading. He believed that learning was the best way to succeed in life.

Education and Early Career

In 1923, Stone earned his first degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He then got his master's degree there and worked as a teaching assistant. He met his first wife, Lona Mosk, while they were at the university. With money from Lona's father, they traveled to Paris.

Researching Famous Lives

Irving and Lona Stone returned to the United States in the 1930s. Irving had spent six months in Europe researching the artist Vincent van Gogh. In 1930, he received a letter from Dr. Felix Rey. Dr. Rey had treated Van Gogh after the artist cut off his own ear. Dr. Rey became Stone's friend and confirmed that Van Gogh's whole ear was removed.

Stone finished his novel Lust for Life in New York. This book about Van Gogh helped start his writing career. The book was turned down by many publishers for three years before it was finally published in 1934.

Family Life

Irving Stone later married his secretary, Jean Factor. Their marriage lasted until Stone's death in 1989. Jean Stone helped edit many of his books. The Stones lived mostly in Los Angeles. They also started a foundation to support many good causes.

How Stone Researched His Books

When he was at home, Stone often used the research help from Esther Euler. She was a chief research librarian at the University of California at Los Angeles. He thanked her in several of his books.

Stone often did his research "in the field." For example, he lived in Italy for many years while writing The Agony and the Ecstasy. This book was about Michelangelo. For his book The Origin, about Charles Darwin, Stone and his wife lived for a while at Darwin's home. The Italian government gave Stone several awards for his books that highlighted Italian history.

Other Books by Irving Stone

Even though he was famous for his novels, Stone also wrote many non-fiction books. His biography of Clarence Darrow, called Clarence Darrow For the Defense, was published in 1941. Darrow was a famous lawyer known for his work in important trials, like the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial. Stone also wrote a biography about Earl Warren, who was a governor of California and later a top judge in the United States. This book came out in 1948.

Movies Based on His Books

Several of Irving Stone's books were made into popular movies:

• The 1941 film Arkansas Judge was based on his 1940 novel False Witness.
• In 1953, The President's Lady was made into a film. It starred Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson.
• The 1956 film Lust for Life was based on his novel. It starred Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh.
• In 1965, The Agony and the Ecstasy became a movie. Charlton Heston played Michelangelo.
• Stone's 1975 book The Greek Treasure was used for a German TV show called Hunt for Troy (2007).

Awards and Honors

Irving Stone received many awards for his writing:

• 1956 Spur Award (Nonfiction) for Men to Match My Mountains
• 1960 Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Berkeley, his old university
• 1961 Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards (Fiction, Silver) for The Agony and the Ecstasy
• 1971 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement

See also

In Spanish: Irving Stone para niños