Who is Ann Patchett? and how she start writing?
.png "Who is Ann Patchett? and how she start writing?")
Ann Patchett is an American novelist and essayist. She was born on December 2, 1963, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, with her mother and stepfather.
Patchett attended Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where she studied writing. After college, she moved to Nashville and worked as a waitress while pursuing her writing career. In 1990, she published her first novel, "The Patron Saint of Liars," which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Patchett's second novel, "Taft," was published in 1994, and her third, "The Magician's Assistant," was published in 1997. The latter was a finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction and became a bestseller.
In 2001, Patchett published her fourth novel, "Bel Canto," which won the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. The book tells the story of a group of people who are taken hostage in a South American embassy and explores themes of love, music, and the power of art.
Patchett has continued to write both fiction and non-fiction. Her other novels include "Run," "State of Wonder," and "Commonwealth," and her non-fiction works include "Truth & Beauty: A Friendship," which chronicles her friendship with writer Lucy Grealy, and "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage," a collection of essays.
Patchett has won numerous awards and honors for her writing, including the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the BookBrowse Diamond Award for Most Popular Book, and the Women's Prize for Fiction. In addition to her writing, Patchett is the co-owner of Parnassus Books, an independent bookstore in Nashville.
Ann Patchett was born in Los Angeles, California, but spent most of her childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. Her mother, Jeanne Ray, was a writer, and her father, Frank Patchett, was a Los Angeles police officer.
Patchett's parents divorced when she was six years old, and she and her younger sister, Karen, were raised by their mother and stepfather. Her mother remarried to a Nashville police officer named James Cody and had two more children.
As a child, Patchett was an avid reader and began writing stories at a young age. She attended St. Bernard Academy, a Catholic girls' school in Nashville, and later went on to study at Sarah Lawrence College in New York.
After college, Patchett returned to Nashville and worked as a waitress while writing. She eventually landed a job as a writer for Seventeen magazine and later worked as a freelance writer for publications such as The New York Times Magazine and Gourmet.
Patchett's writing has been praised for its depth, warmth, and empathy. Her novels often explore themes of family, love, and the human condition, and her characters are known for their complexity and nuance. She has been compared to authors such as Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and Henry James.
In addition to her writing and bookselling work, Patchett has also been involved in philanthropy. In 2011, she co-founded the Parnassus Books Foundation, which supports literacy and education initiatives in Nashville. She has also been a vocal advocate for independent bookstores and the importance of reading and literature in today's society.
Overall, Ann Patchett is a highly regarded and accomplished author, known for her rich storytelling and her contributions to the literary community.
What are Ann Patchett most famous works?
.png "What are Ann Patchett most famous works?")
Ann Patchett has authored several well-known books, including:
"Bel Canto" (2001) "Bel Canto" is a novel set in an unnamed South American country where a group of guests attending a high-profile party at the Vice President's mansion are taken hostage by a group of terrorists. The hostages include the world-renowned American soprano, Roxane Coss, who had been hired to perform at the party. As the days and weeks pass, the hostages and their captors begin to form unexpected relationships, finding solace in each other's company and discovering common ground despite their differences. Patchett's novel explores themes of love, music, and the power of human connection, and was the winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award.
"The Dutch House" (2019) "The Dutch House" is a novel about a brother and sister, Danny and Maeve Conroy, who are raised in a grand, opulent mansion in Pennsylvania known as the Dutch House. The house is owned by their father, Cyril, a successful real estate developer, but after their mother abandons them, the siblings are forced to rely on each other for support. The novel follows their lives over the course of five decades, as they navigate family secrets, betrayals, and the legacy of the Dutch House itself. "The Dutch House" was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was a New York Times bestseller.
"Commonwealth" (2016) "Commonwealth" is a novel that spans five decades in the lives of two families, the Cousins and the Keatings. When a chance encounter at a christening party leads to an affair between the married Fix Keating and the young Beverly Cousins, the event sets in motion a chain of events that will reverberate throughout both families for years to come. Patchett's novel explores themes of family, forgiveness, and the sometimes-unexpected bonds that form between people. "Commonwealth" was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
"State of Wonder" (2011) "State of Wonder" is a novel that follows Dr. Marina Singh, a pharmaceutical researcher, as she travels to the Amazonian jungle to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who has gone off the grid while working on a revolutionary fertility drug. As Singh delves deeper into the mystery of Swenson's disappearance, she is forced to confront her own past and the choices she has made. Patchett's novel explores themes of science, morality, and the clash of cultures. "State of Wonder" was a New York Times bestseller and was named one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review.
"Taft" (1994) "Taft" is Patchett's debut novel and tells the story of John Nickel, a blues musician in Memphis, Tennessee, who is struggling to come to terms with his past and his present. When his ex-girlfriend, Fay Taft, returns to town with her teenage daughter, Nickel is forced to confront the mistakes he has made and the relationships he has lost. "Taft" is a story of redemption and forgiveness, and explores themes of love, family, and the power of music.
"Run" (2007) "Run" is a novel that takes place over the course of a single day in Boston. The story centers on Bernard Doyle, a former mayor of Boston, and his three adult children, Tip, Teddy, and Sullivan. When a tragic accident brings them together, the Doyle family must confront their past and their relationships with each other. "Run" is a story of family, identity, and the meaning of home, and was a New York Times bestseller.
"The Patron Saint of Liars" (1992) "The Patron Saint of Liars" is Patchett's second novel and tells the story of Rose, a pregnant woman who runs away from her husband and ends up at St. Elizabeth's, a home for unwed mothers in Kentucky. When Rose decides to stay at St. Elizabeth's after giving birth, she becomes enmeshed in the lives of the nuns who run the home, as well as the other women who live there. Patchett's novel is a powerful exploration of love, loss, and the search for identity.
"This is the Story of a Happy Marriage" (2013) "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage" is a collection of Patchett's essays, many of which were originally published in magazines such as Harper's, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine. The essays cover a range of topics, from Patchett's experiences as a writer and her relationship with her dog to her thoughts on marriage, family, and the writing life. The collection offers a fascinating insight into Patchett's personal life and creative process, and is a must-read for fans of her work.