Rikki Ducornet facts for kids

Rikki Ducornet (born Erica DeGre; April 19, 1943) is an American writer, poet, and artist. People describe her work as "full of exciting language" and "important for society." She is known for her beautiful and meaningful stories. Her work often uses ideas from older art styles, like focusing on dreams, myths, and challenging old ways of thinking.

About Rikki Ducornet's Life

Rikki Ducornet was born in Canton, New York. Her father, Gerard DeGré, was a professor who taught about society. Her mother, Muriel, hosted shows on radio and TV. Rikki grew up in a home with many cultures. Her father was Cuban, and her mother was Russian-Jewish.

Early Life and Learning

Rikki's father encouraged her to read many books. He wanted her to explore new ideas and learn a lot. Books like Alice in Wonderland were very important to her. This book even inspired her 1993 novel, The Jade Cabinet. In that book, Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice in Wonderland, is a main character.

When Rikki was ten, her father taught her how to dance the Cuban rumba. She also spent some of her childhood in Egypt. This country later became the setting for her 2003 novel, Gazelle. After the Algerian War of Independence, Rikki also lived in Algeria for two years in the mid-1960s.

College and Moving to France

Rikki grew up near Bard College in New York. She earned a degree in Fine Arts there in 1964. At Bard, she met writers Robert Coover and Robert Kelly. They all loved the idea of metamorphosis, which is about changing form. These writers helped Rikki see how stories could show such changes.

In 1972, Rikki moved to the Loire Valley in France with her husband at the time, Guy Ducornet. She lived there for 18 years. As a young girl, Rikki wanted to be a visual artist. But when she moved to France, she started to think seriously about writing. Being in Europe made her more aware of language. She said, "I was acutely aware of language." Her son, Jean-Yves Ducornet, who later became a famous composer, grew up in France.

Teaching and Current Home

In 1988, Rikki received a special fellowship to study at Radcliffe. The next year, she started teaching English at the University of Denver. Later, in 2007, she became a Writer in Residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Today, Rikki Ducornet lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

The Song "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"

Rikki Ducornet is the person the Steely Dan song "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is about. The singer, Donald Fagen, met her when they were both at Bard College. Rikki said they met at a college party. Even though she was married, he gave her his phone number. Rikki was curious but decided not to call him. She later explained that she thought his "number" was a symbol for one's true self.

Rikki Ducornet's Creative Work

Rikki Ducornet's writing often features themes of nature, imagination, and challenging unfair power. She writes the first drafts of her books by hand with a pen and ink. When she writes, she doesn't start with a full plot. Instead, her stories grow from the main ideas of her characters or subjects.

Themes in Her Books

In her first book, The Butcher’s Tales, Rikki explored ideas about understanding right from wrong. She also wrote about the strong need to stand up to unfair authority. These themes appear again in her later works.

Rikki is also known for her art, including painting and printmaking. She has illustrated books for many other writers. Her drawings and papers are kept in special collections at Ohio State University and the University of California San Diego. In 2017, Rikki worked with artist Margie McDonald on an art show. They showed long painted scrolls by Rikki and wire sculptures by Margie. Rikki's art has also been shown in an exhibit supporting refugees around the world.

The Elements in Her Stories

Rikki Ducornet uses themes of nature and magic in many of her books. Her series called the "Tetralogy of Elements" was inspired by the ancient idea of the four elements: earth, fire, water, and air. Each of these elements is important in one of her books:

• The Stain (1984)
• Entering Fire (1986)
• The Fountains of Neptune (1989)
• The Jade Cabinet (1993)

Her book Phosphor In Dreamland is sometimes seen as a fifth element, representing light or dreams.

Influence of Surrealism

Rikki Ducornet has been influenced by surrealism, an art movement that explores dreams and imagination. She wrote the introduction for a book about surrealism called Surrealist Experiences. She also has an entry in a large encyclopedia about surrealism. In her entry, Rikki explained that she doesn't try to "do" surrealism. Instead, her creative process is shaped by memories, dreams, reflections, and intuition. She feels that surrealism is like the "country where I was born" as an artist.

Awards and Recognition

Rikki Ducornet has received several important awards for her writing:

• Arts and Letters Award in Literature, American Academy of Arts and Letters (2008)
• Lannan Literary Award for Fiction (2004)
• Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters (1998)
• Critics Choice Award (1995)
• Lannan Literary Award for Fiction (1993)