Judith Berman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judith Berman
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Berman in 2008
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| Born | 1958 (age 66–67) |
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Bennington College University of Pennsylvania (PhD) |
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| Spouse | John Holland |
| Children | 1 |
Judith Berman (born in 1958) is an American writer. She writes exciting science fiction and fantasy stories. She is also an anthropologist, which means she studies human societies and cultures.
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About Judith Berman
Judith Berman grew up in Moscow, Idaho. As a child, she loved reading old science fiction books. She started making up her own stories when she was only five or six years old.
She went to Bennington College and finished in 1979. There, she studied Anthropology, Russian, and different types of literature. Later, she earned her PhD in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991.
As of 2013, Judith lives in Victoria, British Columbia. She lives there with her husband, John Holland, and their son, Sam. Sam was born in 1999.
Judith Berman also has something called synesthesia. This means her senses mix in unique ways. For example, she might see colors when she hears music.
Her Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories
Judith Berman is known for her amazing short stories. Her work has been nominated for several big awards. These include the Nebula, Sturgeon, and Crawford awards.
She won the SFRA Pioneer Award in 2001. This was for an essay she wrote called “Science Fiction Without the Future.” Her short stories have appeared in popular magazines. Some of these are Asimov’s, Interzone, and Realms of Fantasy.
Her background in anthropology often inspires her stories. Her first novel, Bear Daughter (2005), is a great example. It was nominated for the Crawford Award.
Bear Daughter tells a fictional tale. However, it is inspired by real Native American stories. It also uses traditions from the North Pacific coast. Berman wanted to respect these cultures in her book. She thanked many different groups in their own languages.
Her Work as an Anthropologist
Judith Berman is a linguistic anthropologist. This means she studies how language and culture are connected. She has written articles about Native American myths. She also studies their translations.
She focuses on the Pacific Northwest region. Her research looks at oral literature and ethnohistory. She has studied the lives of indigenous ethnographers. These include George Hunt and Louis Shotridge.
In 2005, she was a research associate. This was at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. From 2013 to 2016, she taught at the University of Victoria. She is also a scholar who studies the work of Franz Boas.
Berman has also talked about cultural appropriation. This is when elements of a culture are used by another culture. She discussed this topic in an interview with Strange Horizons.
List of Works
Fiction Books and Stories
- “The Year of Storms” (1995)
- “Lord Stink” (1997)
- “The Window” (1999) (This story won third place for the Sturgeon Award!)
- “Dream of Rain” (2000)
- “Lord Stink and Other Stories” (a collection of stories, 2002)
- “The Fear Gun” (2004) (This was a finalist for the Sturgeon Award in 2005)
- “The Poison Well” (2004)
- Bear Daughter (2005)
- "Awakening" (2008) (This story was nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Novella)
Non-fiction Writings
- Topics in the Clausal Syntax of German
- "The Culture as it Appears to the Indian Himself" (This is an essay in a book about anthropology)
