Stacy Schiff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stacy Schiff
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Schiff in 2016
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| Born | Stacy Madeleine Schiff October 26, 1961 Adams, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Writer and editor |
| Education | Phillips Academy (Andover) |
| Alma mater | Williams College |
| Genre | Biography, essay, non-fiction |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize |
Stacy Madeleine Schiff (born October 26, 1961) is an American writer. She is famous for writing biographies. Biographies are books about the lives of real people.
Schiff won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for her book about Véra Nabokov. She has also written about other important figures. These include the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the American founder Benjamin Franklin. She also wrote about Samuel Adams, the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra, and the Salem Witch Trials.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Stacy Schiff was born in Adams, Massachusetts. Her father, Morton Schiff, ran a clothing store. Her mother, Ellen, was a professor of French literature.
Stacy went to Phillips Academy for high school. She then earned her college degree from Williams College in 1982. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a senior editor at a publishing company called Simon & Schuster.
Career as an Author
Stacy Schiff is known for her detailed and engaging biographies. She has won many awards for her books.
Award-Winning Books
Her book Véra won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. This book was about Véra Nabokov, who was the wife and inspiration for the famous writer Vladimir Nabokov.
Schiff was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1995. This was for her book Saint-Exupéry: A Biography. It told the story of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who wrote The Little Prince.
Her book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America won the George Washington Book Prize in 2006. This book was about Benjamin Franklin's time in France. It even became a TV show in 2024 called Franklin.
Cleopatra: A Life
In 2010, Schiff published Cleopatra: A Life. This book explored the life of the famous ancient Egyptian queen. Reviewers praised the book. The New Yorker called it "a work of literature." It was named one of The New York Times' Top Ten Books of 2010. It also won the 2011 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography.
The Witches: Salem, 1692
Schiff's book The Witches: Salem, 1692 came out in 2015. It tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials. The New York Times said it was like a "thriller-like narrative." Historian David McCullough called the book "brilliant from start to finish."
Other Writings
Stacy Schiff also writes essays and articles. Her work has appeared in many well-known magazines. These include The New Yorker and The New York Times. She lives in New York City. She is also a trustee for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
Awards and Honors
Stacy Schiff has received many awards for her writing.
- National Endowment for the Humanities, fellowship
- 1996 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, fellowship
- 2000 Pulitzer Prize, for Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov)
- 2006 George Washington Book Prize, for A Great Improvisation
- 2015 Lapham's Quarterly Janus Prize
- 2017 New England Historic Genealogical Society Lifetime Achievement Award in History and Biography
- 2018 French Ministry of Culture, Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (a French honor for arts and literature)
- 2019 American Academy of Arts and Letters
Books by Stacy Schiff
- Saint-Exupéry: A Biography (1994) – nominated for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize
- Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov) (1999) – winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize
- A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America (2005) – published in the UK as Dr Franklin Goes to France
- Cleopatra: A Life (2010)
- The Witches: Salem, 1692 (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Stacy Schiff para niños
- Essjay controversy § The New Yorker interview
