Robert Stone (novelist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Stone
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Stone at the 2010 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | Robert Anthony Stone August 21, 1937 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Died | January 10, 2015 (aged 77) Key West, Florida, United States |
| Occupation | Author, journalist |
| Literary movement | Naturalism, Stream of consciousness |
| Notable works | Dog Soldiers, A Flag for Sunrise, Outerbridge Reach |
| Notable awards | National Book Award 1975 |
Robert Anthony Stone (born August 21, 1937 – died January 10, 2015) was an American writer. He wrote many novels and short stories. He was recognized for his work with several important awards.
Stone was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice. He also won the National Book Award in 1975 for his novel Dog Soldiers. This book was so good that Time magazine put it on its list of the TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005. Dog Soldiers was even made into a movie called Who'll Stop the Rain in 1978. Robert Stone helped write the movie's script.
Throughout his life, Stone received many honors and support for his writing. He also helped other writers. For over 30 years, he was the Chairman of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation Board of Directors.
Stone's most famous books often have exciting adventures and a unique, sometimes dark, sense of humor. Many of his stories take place in interesting and sometimes troubled parts of the world. These include places during the Vietnam War, a Central American country after a big change, New Orleans in the past, and Jerusalem.
Contents
Life of Robert Stone
Robert Stone was born in Brooklyn, New York. His family had Scottish and Irish backgrounds. They worked on tugboats in New York harbor. For his first six years, his mother raised him. She had a serious mental health condition. After she needed special care, Robert lived for several years in a Catholic orphanage. He later wrote about this time in a short story.
He went to a high school run by Marist brothers. But he was asked to leave during his last year for breaking school rules and having different beliefs. Soon after, Stone joined the United States Navy. He served for four years. During his time in the Navy, he traveled to many far-off places. These included Antarctica and Egypt.
Stone had many experiences at sea that helped him write his stories. He wrote about some of these in his memoir, Prime Green, published in 2007. He saw some difficult events during his travels.
Writing, Teaching, and Later Life
In the early 1960s, Robert Stone briefly attended New York University. He also worked at the New York Daily News. He got married and moved to New Orleans. He then received a special writing fellowship at Stanford University from 1962 to 1963. This is where he started writing his first novel.
He met other famous writers during this time. Even though he never finished a college degree, Stone taught creative writing. He taught at several universities across the United States. These included Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Beloit College, and Texas State University. He also helped with writing workshops in Key West, Florida, where he spent his winters.
At age 72, after his short-story collection Fun With Problems came out, Stone shared that he had a serious lung condition. He passed away from this condition on January 10, 2015, in Key West. He was 77 years old. He was survived by his wife, Janice, and their two adult children, Deirdre and Ian.
His Books and Films
Robert Stone wrote many different types of books. He wrote novels, short stories, and even screenplays for movies.
Novels
- 1967: A Hall of Mirrors
- 1974: Dog Soldiers — This book won the National Book Award.
- 1981: A Flag for Sunrise — This book was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
- 1986: Children of Light
- 1992: Outerbridge Reach — This book was a finalist for the National Book Award.
- 1998: Damascus Gate — This book was a finalist for the National Book Award.
- 2003: Bay of Souls
- 2013: Death of the Black-Haired Girl
Short Stories and Other Works
- 1997: Bear and His Daughter — This collection of short stories was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
- 2010: Fun with Problems (short stories)
- 2007: Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties (memoir)
- 1970: WUSA (screenplay for a movie, based on his novel A Hall of Mirrors)
- 1978: Who'll Stop the Rain (screenplay for a movie, based on Dog Soldiers; he helped write it)
- 2020: The Eye You See With: Selected Nonfiction (published after he passed away)
