Miranda July facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miranda July
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July at 2024 National Book Awards finalist reading
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Miranda Jennifer Grossinger
February 15, 1974 Barre, Vermont, US
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| Spouse(s) |
Mike Mills
(m. 2009; separated 2022) |
| Children | 1 |
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| Relatives | Skylar Brandt (cousin) |
Miranda July (born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger; February 15, 1974) is a talented American artist. She is known for directing and writing films, acting, and writing books. Her creative work includes movies, stories, live performances, and digital art.
She wrote, directed, and starred in films like Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) and The Future (2011). She also wrote and directed Kajillionaire (2020). Miranda July has written a book of short stories called No One Belongs Here More Than You (2007). She also wrote a collection of true stories, It Chooses You (2011), and novels like The First Bad Man (2015) and All Fours (2024).
Contents
Early Life and Creative Beginnings
Miranda July was born in Barre, Vermont, in 1974. Her parents, Lindy Hough and Richard Grossinger, were both writers and teachers. They also started a publishing company called North Atlantic Books.
July grew up in Berkeley, California. She started putting on plays at a local punk rock club called 924 Gilman Street. When she was 16, she wrote and directed a play called The Lifers. This play was based on a close connection she had with someone who was in prison. She later went to film school at University of California Santa Cruz but left during her second year to move to Portland.
Starting Out in Portland
After moving to Portland, Oregon, Miranda July began performing "one-woman shows." These were very successful. She has said she hasn't needed a regular job since she was 23 years old. She also became involved in the riot grrrl scene, a movement that encouraged girls and women to be creative and independent.
Before making her first big movie, she worked on many small video projects and performances. She also had different jobs, like being a waitress and a locksmith.
Film Projects
Miranda July has written, directed, and acted in several films. Her movies often explore themes of connection and everyday life.
Joanie4Jackie Project
Inspired by the do-it-yourself (DIY) spirit of the riot grrrl movement, July started a project called Joanie4Jackie in 1995. It was a way for women filmmakers to share their work. Women would send July their short films. In return, July would send them a videotape with their film and nine others. This helped women artists see each other's work and feel like part of a community. July ran the project for many years.
In 2016, July gave an archive of Joanie4Jackie to the Getty Research Institute. This collection includes over 200 films from the 1990s and 2000s, along with letters and posters. It helps show the history of women in filmmaking.
Me and You and Everyone We Know
In 2004, Filmmaker magazine named July one of the "25 New Faces of Indie Film." She then developed her first full-length movie, Me and You and Everyone We Know, which came out in 2005.
This film won the Caméra d'Or prize at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. It also won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
The Future
July announced in 2007 that she was working on a new film. It was first called "Satisfaction" but later renamed The Future. July played a main role in this movie. It premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Kajillionaire
In 2018, it was announced that July would write and direct a heist film called Kajillionaire. Famous actors like Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, and Gina Rodriguez joined the cast. The movie was released in theaters on September 25, 2020.
Other Film Work
July has also made several short films, including The Amateurist (1998) and Nest of Tens (2000). Nest of Tens is even part of the permanent online collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also narrated the documentary Fire of Love (2022).
Music and Acting
Miranda July has also explored music and acting in other projects.
Music
She released her first music recording, an E.P. called Margie Ruskie Stops Time, in 1996. She later released two full-length albums, 10 Million Hours A Mile (1997) and The Binet-Simon Test (1998).
Acting Roles
July has acted in many of her own short films and feature films. She also appeared in the film Jesus' Son (1998). In 2012, she was in an episode of the TV show Portlandia. She also co-starred in the 2018 film Madeline's Madeline.
Live Performances
July creates unique live performance pieces that combine different art forms.
In 1998, she created Love Diamond, her first full-length multimedia performance. She played many characters in this two-hour stage show. She later created The Swan Tool and Things We Don't Understand and Definitely Are Not Going To Talk About. These shows often included ideas that she would later use in her films.
In 2015, July premiered a performance called New Society. For this show, she asked the audience not to share details about it. She wanted people to experience the show without knowing what would happen, which is rare today.
Other Creative Projects
July is known for her unique and interactive art projects.
Learning to Love You More
With artist Harrell Fletcher, July started an online art project called Learning to Love You More (2002–2009). The website gave people creative assignments, and their submissions became part of exhibitions around the world. Over 8,000 people took part in this project. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art later acquired the website to keep it as an archive.
Eleven Heavy Things
In 2009, July created a sculpture exhibition called Eleven Heavy Things for the Venice Biennale. These large, cartoon-like shapes were made for visitors to play with and interact with. The exhibition was also shown in New York City and Los Angeles.
We Think Alone
In 2013, she organized We Think Alone, an art project using private emails from famous people. These emails were shared with subscribers every week for 20 weeks. They showed how public figures communicate privately.
Somebody App
In 2014, July created an iOS app called Somebody. This app allowed users to send a message to a friend, but instead of going directly to the friend, it went to a stranger nearby. That stranger would then deliver the message in person. It was a public art project that explored how we connect with others. The app closed in 2015.
Writing Career
Miranda July is also a successful author, known for her short stories and novels.
No One Belongs Here More Than You
Her collection of short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You, was published in 2007. It won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. As of 2015, over 200,000 copies of the book have been sold.
It Chooses You
July's collection of non-fiction stories, It Chooses You, came out in 2011. For this book, July traveled around Los Angeles meeting people who sold items in a newspaper called PennySaver. She photographed them and wrote about their lives.
The First Bad Man
July's first novel, The First Bad Man, was published in 2015. The story is about a woman named Cheryl Glickman whose life changes when a young woman moves into her home. The book explores their interesting relationship.
All Fours
Her second novel, All Fours, was released in May 2024. It was recognized as a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction.
Creative Style and Themes
July's work is often inspired by the riot grrrl movement, which promotes female empowerment.
Her films often focus on "intimacy" and how people connect. Many of her movie titles use words like "me," "you," and "we." She likes to show ordinary people and their everyday lives. July has said she is "desperate to bring people together."
Some people have criticized July's work for being too "quirky" or "whimsical." However, July explains that her films are often emotional and feminine, which might lead to different criticisms than those faced by male filmmakers. She believes that words like "whimsical" are sometimes used to downplay her work.
Personal Life
Miranda July is married to filmmaker and artist Mike Mills. They met at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005 and have one child, born in 2012. In 2022, July shared that she and Mills had separated romantically, but they continue to live near each other to co-parent their child.
July has spoken about the importance of feminism in her life. She sees feminism as being "pro your ability to do what you need to do."
She changed her last name to "July" when she was 15, inspired by a character in a friend's story. She legally changed it in her early twenties. Her family was very supportive of her choices and encouraged her creative, do-it-yourself (DIY) style.
Filmography
Full-length Films
- Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) – wrote, directed, and acted
- The Future (2011) – wrote, directed, and acted
- Kajillionaire (2020) – wrote and directed
Short Films
- Atlanta (1996)
- A Shape Called Horse (1999)
- Nest of Tens (1999)
- Getting Stronger Every Day (2001)
- Haysha Royko (2003)
- Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody? (2005)
- Somebody (2014)
Other Film Work
- Fire of Love (2022) – narrator
- Jesus' Son (1999) – acted
- The Center of the World (2001) – co-wrote story
- Madeline's Madeline (2018) – acted
- Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk (2017) – appeared as herself
Music Videos
- "Get Up" by Sleater-Kinney (1999) – directed by July
- "Top Ranking" by Blonde Redhead (2007) – July acts in the video
- "Hurry On Home" by Sleater-Kinney (2019) – directed, and cameo appearance
Performances
- Love Diamond (1998–2000)
- The Swan Tool (2000–2002)
- How I Learned to Draw (2002–2003)
- Things We Don't Understand and Are Definitely Not Going to Talk About (2006–2008)
- New Society (2015)
Discography
Albums
- 10 Million Hours a Mile (1997)
- The Binet-Simon Test (1998)
EPs
- Margie Ruskie Stops Time EP (1996)
- Girls on Dates split EP with IQU (1999)
Awards and Recognition
- 2006: Me and You and Everyone We Know won the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and a Special Jury Prize at Sundance.
- 2007: No One Belongs Here More Than You won the Frank O'Connor award.
- 2016: July was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as a writer.
- 2023: She received a Peabody Award for narrating the documentary Fire of Love.
See also
In Spanish: Miranda July para niños
