Marie Arana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marie Arana
Marie Arana at the 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival
Born	Marie Arana Campbell Lima, Peru
Occupation	Author (fiction and nonfiction), Critic
Education	Northwestern University (BA) University of Hong Kong (MA)
Genre	American literature
Notable works	American Chica, Cellophane, Lima Nights, The Writing Life, Bolívar: American Liberator, Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story, LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority
Notable awards	American Chica—National Book Award Finalist 2001; PEN Memoir Award 2002 Cellophane: A Novel— John Sargent Award 2006 Bolívar: American Liberator — Los Angeles Times Prize for Biography 2014 Silver, Sword, and Stone — American Library Association Top Book of the Year 2019 LatinoLand — New Yorker, Top Twelve 2024, Essential Reading
Spouse	Wendell B. Ward, Jr. (1972–1998) Jonathan Yardley (1999–present)
Children	2

Marie Arana is a talented author, editor, and journalist from Peru and the United States. She has written many books, both fiction and non-fiction. She was also the first Literary Director of the Library of Congress.

Marie Arana's Early Life and Education

Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru. Her father was a civil engineer from Peru. Her mother was an American from Kansas and Boston. When Marie was nine years old, her family moved to Summit, New Jersey.

Her College Years

Marie went to Northwestern University. There, she earned a degree in Russian. She also studied linguistics at Hong Kong University. Later, she received a scholarship certificate from Yale University in China. At Northwestern, she was even chosen as Homecoming Queen.

Starting Her Career

Marie Arana began her career in the world of book publishing. She became a vice president and senior editor. She worked for well-known companies like Harcourt Brace and Simon & Schuster.

Marie Arana's Work as a Writer and Editor

For over ten years, Marie Arana was the editor-in-chief of "Book World." This was the book review section of The Washington Post newspaper. During her time there, she helped create a partnership. This partnership was between The Washington Post, First Lady Laura Bush, and the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. Together, they hosted the yearly National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

Her Role at the Library of Congress

Marie Arana directed many programs for the National Book Festival. She also became the Literary Director of the Library of Congress. She is still a writer for The Washington Post. Marie is married to Jonathan Yardley, who used to be the chief book critic for the Post. She has two children and two stepchildren.

Books She Has Written

Marie Arana has written several important books:

• American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood (2001): This is a memoir about growing up with two different cultures. It was a finalist for the National Book Award.
• The Writing Life (2002): She edited this collection of essays. It features writers sharing how they think and work.
• Cellophane (2006): This is a funny novel set in the Peruvian Amazon. It was a finalist for the John Sargent Prize.
• Lima Nights (2009): This is another novel. Its Spanish version was named one of the best novels in Peru in 2013.
• Bolívar: American Liberator (2013): This book is a biography of Simon Bolivar. He was a famous leader who helped free South American countries. This book won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography.
• Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story (2019): This book explores important moments in Latin American history.
• LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority (2024): This book looks at the diverse experiences of Latino people in America. It was called one of the "Must-Read" books of 2024 by The New Yorker.

Other Important Roles

Marie Arana has held many important positions. She was the President of the Literary Society of Washington. She also served on the board of PEN America. She has been a judge for major awards like the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Her writings have appeared in many famous publications. These include The New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Geographic.

In 2009, she was named a John W. Kluge Distinguished Scholar at the Library of Congress. She also helped write the script for the Latin American part of the film "Girl Rising." This film showed the importance of educating girls.

In 2015, Marie Arana directed a literary series for the Kennedy Center. She brought together many Spanish and Portuguese-speaking writers. In 2019, she was named the Literary Director of the Library of Congress.

Awards and Special Recognition

Marie Arana has received many awards for her work:

• Christopher Award for Excellence in Editing (1986)
• National Book Award Finalist for American Chica (2001)
• PEN/Martha Albrand Award for Memoir Finalist for American Chica (2001)
• Center for Fiction John Sargent Award for Cellophane (2006)
• Northwestern University Alumna Award (2009)
• Los Angeles Times Book Award for Bolívar: American Liberator (2013)
• American Library Association Top Book of the Year for Silver, Sword, and Stone (2019)
• American Writers Museum, Friend of the Writer Award (2019)
• American Academy of Arts and Letters, Literature Award (2020)
• Library of Congress Award for Superior Service (2021)

Selected Books by Marie Arana

• Bolivar: American Liberator, Simon & Schuster, 2013, ISBN: 9781439110195
• Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story, Simon & Schuster, 2019, ISBN: 9781501104244
• LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority, Simon & Schuster, 2024 ISBN: 9781982184896

Books She Edited

• The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work: A Collection from the Washington Post Book World, editor, PublicAffairs, 2002, ISBN: 9781586481490
• Stone Offerings: Machu Picchu's Terraces of Enlightenment, photographs by Mike Torrey, Introduction by Marie Arana, Lightpoint, 2009

See also

In Spanish: Marie Arana para niños