Patricia Cornwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patricia Cornwell
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Cornwell in 2016
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| Born | Patricia Carroll Daniels June 9, 1956 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Education | King College Davidson College (BA) |
| Period | 1990–present |
| Genre | Crime fiction |
| Spouse |
Charles Cornwell
(m. 1980; div. 1989)Staci Gruber
(m. 2006) |
Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels on June 9, 1956) is a well-known American writer. She is famous for her exciting crime novels. Her most popular books feature a character named Kay Scarpetta, a medical examiner. These stories often take place in Richmond, Virginia, and are known for focusing on forensic science. This means they use science to solve crimes. Patricia Cornwell's books have sold over 120 million copies around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Patricia Cornwell was born in Miami, Florida, in 1956. Her family had some famous ancestors, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was a writer and worked to end slavery. When Patricia was young, her family went through some difficult times.
A kind woman named Ruth Graham, who was married to the famous speaker Billy Graham, helped Patricia and her brothers. Ruth Graham noticed Patricia's talent for writing and encouraged her to pursue it. Patricia was a smart student. She was also good at drawing cartoons and played tennis well. She went to King College and then to Davidson College, where she studied English and graduated in 1979.
Starting Her Career as a Writer
In 1979, Patricia Cornwell began working as a reporter for The Charlotte Observer newspaper. She started by editing TV listings, then wrote feature stories, and finally became a crime reporter. In 1980, she won an award for her investigative reporting.
After moving to Richmond, Virginia, in 1981, she started working on a biography about Ruth Bell Graham. This book, called A Time for Remembering, was published in 1983 and won an award.
Becoming a Crime Novelist
In 1985, Cornwell got a job at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia. She worked there for six years, learning a lot about how forensic science helps solve crimes. She also volunteered with the Richmond Police Department. This experience was very important for her writing.
She wrote three novels that were not published. But in 1990, her first Kay Scarpetta novel, Postmortem, was published. This book was inspired by real crimes in Richmond. Postmortem won several awards, including the British John Creasey Award and the American Edgar Award. Patricia Cornwell is the only author to win these major awards in one year for a debut novel.
The Kay Scarpetta Series
The Kay Scarpetta novels are famous for their detailed use of forensic science. Dr. Scarpetta, the main character, is a medical examiner who uses clues from crime scenes and bodies to solve mysteries. While real medical examiners don't usually chase criminals, Scarpetta often finds herself in exciting situations, confronting the killers.
These books have had a big impact on popular culture. They helped inspire many TV series about forensics, like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Cold Case Files. The stories often explore themes like safety, family, and the challenges Scarpetta faces from her colleagues. Most of the stories are set in Richmond, Virginia, but some take place in other parts of the U.S. and even internationally.
Over time, the style of the Scarpetta novels changed. For example, some books are written in the present tense, and later ones sometimes show events from the killer's point of view, not just Scarpetta's.
Other Book Series
Besides the Scarpetta novels, Patricia Cornwell has also written three books in the Trooper Andy Brazil/Superintendent Judy Hammer series. These stories are set in North Carolina, Virginia, and along the mid-Atlantic coast.
Jack the Ripper Theory
Patricia Cornwell has spent a lot of time and money researching the famous Jack the Ripper murders from Victorian London. She believes that a British painter named Walter Sickert was the killer. She has written two books about her theory: Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed (2002) and Ripper: The Secret Life Of Walter Sickert (2017).
Her theory has caused a lot of discussion and debate, especially among art experts and people who study Jack the Ripper. She bought many of Sickert's paintings, believing they held clues. While some experts disagree with her, she continues to research and present her findings.
TV Appearance
Patricia Cornwell even appeared on the TV show Criminal Minds in an episode called "True Genius". She played herself in the show.
Personal Life
In 1980, Patricia married Charles L. Cornwell, who was her professor. She kept his last name after they divorced in 1989. In 2006, she married Staci Gruber, a professor at Harvard University. They live together in Massachusetts.
Patricia Cornwell has been friends with the family of Billy Graham since she was a child. She even wrote an authorized biography of his wife, Ruth Bell Graham. She was also friends with former President George H. W. Bush.
Health and Philanthropy
Patricia Cornwell has openly shared about her past health challenges, including struggling with depression. She is a strong supporter of psychiatric research and has made large donations to help.
She is also very generous with her money, supporting many causes. She has given funds to the Virginia Institute for Forensic Science and Medicine and created scholarships for writing programs at University of Tennessee and Davidson College. She donated her collection of Walter Sickert paintings to Harvard University. She has also given money to police departments to buy bullet-proof vests for police dogs and supports veterans' organizations. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, Maryland, even has a "Scarpetta House," which is a full-scale apartment donated by Cornwell, used to train investigators by staging crime scenes.
Hobbies
In 1999, Patricia Cornwell earned her private helicopter license.
Awards
- ECPA Gold Medallion Book Award for A Time For Remembering (1985)
- Edgar Award, John Creasey Memorial Award, Anthony Award, and Macavity Award for Postmortem (1991)
- Prix du Roman d'Adventures for Postmortem (1992)
- Gold Dagger for Cruel and Unusual (1993)
- Sherlock Award for Best Detective for the character Kay Scarpetta (1999)
- British Book Awards' Crime Thriller of the Year for Book of the Dead (2008)
- RBA Prize for Crime Writing for Red Mist (2011)
