Lydia Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lydia Davis
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Davis in 2017
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| Born | July 15, 1947 Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Alma mater | Barnard College |
| Period | 1976–present |
| Genre | Short story, novel, essay |
| Spouses |
Alan Cote |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Robert Gorham Davis (father) Hope Hale Davis (mother) Claudia Cockburn (half-sister) |
Lydia Davis (born July 15, 1947) is an American writer. She is well-known for her very short stories, sometimes called "flash fiction." She also writes longer stories, essays, and novels.
Davis is also a talented translator. She has translated many famous French books into English. These include Swann's Way by Marcel Proust and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
Early Life and Education
Lydia Davis was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, on July 15, 1947. Her father, Robert Gorham Davis, was a critic and English professor. Her mother, Hope Hale Davis, was also a writer and teacher.
When she was young, Lydia loved music. She first studied piano, then violin. Even though music was her first love, she felt she was always meant to be a writer. She attended The Brearley School in New York City. Later, she went to The Putney School and graduated in 1965. She then studied at Barnard College, where she mostly wrote poetry.
In 1974, Davis married writer Paul Auster. They had a son named Daniel. Later, Davis married artist Alan Cote. They have another son named Theo Cote.
Lydia Davis used to be a professor at the University at Albany, SUNY. She also taught as a special writer-in-residence at New York University in 2012.
Writing Career
Lydia Davis has published many collections of her short stories. Her first collection was The Thirteenth Woman and Other Stories in 1976. Another collection, Break It Down (1986), was a finalist for an important writing award.
More recently, she published Varieties of Disturbance in 2007. This book was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her collection Can't and Won't came out in 2013. In 2009, The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis brought together all her short fiction written up to 2008.
Davis has translated works by many important French authors. These include Marcel Proust, Gustave Flaubert, Michel Foucault, and Michel Butor. She has also translated books by Belgian and Dutch writers.
Selected Works
- The Thirteenth Woman and Other Stories, Living Hand, 1976
- Lydia Davis: Documenta Series 078. Hatje Cantz. 2012. ISBN: 9783775729277
Selected Translations
- Conrad Detrez (1984). A Weed for Burning. Translator Lydia Davis. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
- Michel Butor (1986). The Spirit of Mediterranean Places. Translator Lydia Davis. Marlboro Press.
See also
In Spanish: Lydia Davis para niños
