Lauren Groff(born July 23, 1978) is an American novelist and short story writer. She has written fivenovelsand twoshort story collections,includingFates and Furies(2015),Florida(2018),Matrix(2022), andThe Vaster Wilds(2023).
Lauren Groff | |
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Born | Cooperstown, New York,U.S. | July 23, 1978
Occupation | Novelist |
Education | Amherst College(BA) University of Wisconsin–Madison(MFA) |
Genre | Literary fiction |
Relatives | Sarah True(sister) |
Website | |
www |
She was named one of the100 most influential peoplebyTIMEin 2024.[1]
Early life and education
editGroff, the second child of Jeannine and Gerald Groff, was born and raised inCooperstown, New York.[2][3]She graduated fromAmherst Collegeand from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madisonwith aMaster of Fine Artsdegree in fiction.[4][5][6]
Career
editGroff's first novel,The Monsters of Templeton,was published byHyperionon February 5, 2008, and debuted onThe New York TimesBest Seller list.[7]It was well received byStephen King,who read it before publication and wrote an early review inEntertainment Weekly.[8]The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers in 2008, and named one of the Best Books of 2008 byAmazon.comand theSan Francisco Chronicle.[9][10][11]
The Monsters of Templetonis a contemporary tale about coming home to Templeton, a representation ofCooperstown, New York.It is interspersed with voices from characters drawn from the town's history as well asJames Fenimore Cooper'sThe Pioneers,which is also set in a fictionalized Cooperstown called Templeton.
Groff's first collection of short stories,Delicate Edible Birds,was released in January 2009. It featured stories published inTheNew Yorker,The Atlantic,Five Points,Ploughshares,and the anthologiesBest New American Voices 2008,Pushcart PrizeXXXII,andThe Best American Short Stories2007, 2010, and 2014 editions.
Groff's second novel,Arcadia,was released in 2012[12]and tells the story of the first child born in a fictional 1960s commune in upstate New York. ANew York Timesand Booksense bestseller, it received favorable reviews from theNew York Times Sunday Book Review,[13]The Washington Post,[14]andMiami Herald.[15]The novel was recognized as one of the Best Books of 2012 byThe New York Times,[16]The Washington Post,[17]NPR,[18]Vogue,[19]The Globe and Mail,[20]The Christian Science Monitor,[21]andKirkus Reviews.[22]
Her third novel,Fates and Furies,was released in 2015 and was also aNew York Timesand Booksense bestseller.Fates and Furiesis a portrait of a 24-year marriage from two points of view, first the husband's and then the wife's. It was nominated for the 2015 National Book Award for Fiction,[23]the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction,[24]and was featured in numerous "Best of 2015" fiction lists, including the selection by Amazon.com as the Best Book of 2015.[25]PresidentBarack Obamachose it as his favorite book of 2015.[26][2]
In 2017,Grantanamed Groff one of the Best of Young American Novelists of her generation.[27]In 2018, she received aGuggenheim Fellowshipin Fiction.[28]
Groff's fifth book, a short story collection titledFlorida,was released in 2018.Floridawas the winner ofThe Story Prizefor short story collections published in 2018.[29]It was also a finalist for the 2018National Book Award for Fiction.[30][31]The Guardiancalled Groff's storytelling "a heroic pushback against the way we live now, against waste, against the artificial environments in which we find ourselves maintained by corporations, but equally against the pressures on women to be flawless, effortlessly excellent mothers, wives, sisters, lovers, friends, within this dire state of affairs."[32]
Groff's fourth novel,Matrix,was released in 2021.Matrixis about a "seventeen-year-oldMarie de France... sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease. "[33]The Observercalled it "a strange and poetic piece of historical fiction set in a dreamlike abbey, the fictional biography of a 12th-century mystic."[34]Matrixwas shortlisted for the 2021National Book Award for Fiction[35]and the 2022Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.[36]
Groff's fifth novel,The Vaster Wilds,debuted on theNew York TimesBestseller list in September 2023.The Vaster Wildschronicles a servant girl's escape from a colonial settlement during the "starving time" of 1609.
In 2024, she opened a bookstore, The Lynx, inGainesville, Florida.[37][38]
Personal life
editGroff is married and has two children and lives inGainesville, Florida.[2]Her sister is the Olympic triathleteSarah True.[39]
Bibliography
editNovels
edit- The Monsters of Templeton(William Heinemann, 2008,ISBN0434017841)
- Arcadia(Hachette, 2012,ISBN1401340873)
- Fates and Furies(William Heinemann, 2015,ISBN1785150146)[40]
- Matrix(William Heinemann, 2021,ISBN9781785151903)[41][34][42]
- The Vaster Wilds(Riverhead Books, 2023),ISBN9780593418390.[43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]
Short fiction
editCollections
edit- Delicate Edible Birds(2009)[51]
- Florida(New York: Riverhead Books, 2018,ISBN9781594634512)
List of short stories
editTitle | Year | First published | Reprinted/collected | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
L. Debard and Aliette | 2006 | The Atlantic | Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories | [52] |
Lucky Chow Fun | 2006 | Ploughshares | Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories | |
The Ballad of Sad Ophine | Hobart | |||
Elaborate | Washington Square | |||
Delicate Edible Birds | 2009 | Glimmer Train | Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories | [53] |
Above and Below | 2011 | The New Yorker | Florida(2018) | [54] |
Amaranth | 2013 | Lucky Peach | ||
Ghosts and empties | 2015 | Groff, Lauren (July 20, 2015)."Ghosts and empties".The New Yorker.Vol. 91, no. 20. pp. 60–63. | Florida(2018) | |
The midnight zone | 2016 | Groff, Lauren (May 23, 2016)."The midnight zone".The New Yorker.Vol. 92, no. 15. pp. 68–73. | Florida(2018) | |
Flower Hunters | 2016 | The New Yorker | Florida(2018) | [55] |
Boca Raton | 2018 | Amazon Original Stories | [56] | |
Brawler | 2019 | The New Yorker | [57] | |
Birdie | 2020 | The Atlantic | [58] | |
The Wind | 2021 | The New Yorker | [59] | |
Annunciation | 2022 | The New Yorker | [60] |
Critical studies and reviews of Groff's work
edit- Florida
- Elkin, Lauren (15 June 2018)."Florida by Lauren Groff review – rage and refusal as Earth reaps the whirlwind".The Guardian.
References
edit- ^"Lauren Groff: The 100 Most Influential People of 2024".TIME.2024-04-17.Retrieved2024-04-23.
- ^abc"Lauren Groff: 'I often get very lonely because my job is very lonely'".the Guardian.2021-09-11.Retrieved2021-09-27.
- ^"Mother shares daughter's Olympic journey with students".Cooperstown Crier.24 May 2012.Retrieved27 July2024.
- ^"Groff, Lauren".Fresh Fiction.
- ^"Groff, Lauren".Ploughshares.
- ^"Lauren Groff '01 | Class of 2024 Honorees | Amherst College".www.amherst.edu.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^"New York Times Bestsellers".The New York Times.March 2, 2008.RetrievedMay 7,2010.
- ^"Harry Potter Fans, Break Out the Tissues".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2007.
- ^"Orange Prize Shortlist".Orange Prize for Fiction.
- ^"Amazon.com Best Books of 2008".Amazon.com.
- ^"San Francisco Chronicle Best Books of 2008".San Francisco Chronicle.August 17, 2010.
- ^Groff, Lauren (March 6, 2012).Arcadia.Hyperion.ISBN978-1-4013-4087-2.Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 24,2012.
- ^Wilwol, John (6 April 2012)."'Arcadia,' by Lauren Groff ".The New York Times.Retrieved11 June2018– via NYTimes.com.
- ^Charles, Ron (13 March 2012)."Lauren Groff's 'Arcadia': Trouble in paradise".Retrieved11 June2018– via www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^"Lauren Groff recreates a paradise in 'Arcadia' - Books - MiamiHerald.com".Miami Herald.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-04-02.Retrieved2012-04-12.
- ^"100 Notable Books of 2012".The New York Times.27 November 2012.Retrieved11 June2018– via NYTimes.com.
- ^staff, The Washington Post (16 November 2012)."The 10 best books of 2012".Retrieved11 June2018– via www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^"Best Books Of 2012: The Complete List".NPR.24 December 2012.Retrieved11 June2018.
- ^"Top Ten: The Best Books of 2012 - Culture - Vogue".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-01-29.Retrieved2013-02-17.
- ^"The Globe's top 29 picks for international fiction of 2012".The Globe and Mail.24 November 2012.Retrieved11 June2018.
- ^"10 best books of 2012 – fiction".Christian Science Monitor.3 December 2012.Retrieved11 June2018.
- ^"Best Fiction of 2012 - Kirkus Reviews".Kirkus Reviews.Retrieved11 June2018.
- ^"National Book Award Nominees for 2015 (Fiction Category)".The New York Times.17 September 2015.
- ^"National Book Critics Circle Award Nominees for 2015 (Fiction Category)".Archived fromthe originalon January 21, 2016.
- ^"Amazon Unveils the Best Books of 2015".Business Wire.11 November 2015.
- ^"Kendrick Lamar Vs. Bruno Mars: POTUS and FLOTUS' Favorite Songs, Movies and Moments of 2015".Retrieved11 June2018.
- ^"Granta 139: Best of Young American Novelists 3".Granta Magazine.Retrieved2018-04-23.
- ^Groff, Lauren (April 1, 2018)."2018 Guggenheim Fellows".Guggenheim Foundation.
- ^"Lauren Groff's 'Florida' wins $20,000 Story Prize".Star Tribune.
- ^"The 2018 National Book Award finalists are in. Here's the full list".Vox.Retrieved2018-10-11.
- ^Harris, Elizabeth A. (2023-09-09)."How Lauren Groff, One of 'Our Finest Living Writers,' Does Her Work".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^Elkin, Lauren (2018-06-14)."Florida by Lauren Groff review – rage and refusal as Earth reaps the whirlwind".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved2020-09-25.
- ^"About Matrix".Penguin Random House.RetrievedApril 23,2021.
- ^ab"Matrix by Lauren Groff review – thrilling trip into the mystic".The Observer.2021-09-27.Retrieved2021-09-27.
- ^"National Book Awards 2021 shortlists announced".Books+Publishing.2021-10-06.Retrieved2021-10-10.
- ^"2022 Winners".American Library Association.17 October 2021.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^Alter, Alexandra (2024-05-10)."Book Bans Are Surging in Florida. So Lauren Groff Opened a Bookstore".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^Andrew, Scottie (2024-05-02)."In Florida, a bestselling author is building a new community of literary resistance".CNN.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^"Sarah Groff is One Tough Bird".TeamUSA.org.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.
- ^Post-Dispatch, Joe Peschel Special to the (20 September 2015)."Lauren Groff offers stunning view of a long marriage".Retrieved11 June2018.
- ^Puckett-Pope, Lauren (2021-04-01)."An Exclusive First Look at Lauren Groff's 'Matrix'".ELLE.Retrieved2021-07-15.
- ^Briefly reviewed in theSeptember 20, 2021 issueofThe New Yorker,p.71.
- ^Silcox, Beejay (2023-09-21)."The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff review – a survival story".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^Mozley, Fiona (2023-09-08)."Lauren Groff's Latest Is a Lonely Novel of Hunger and Survival".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^"Lauren Groff's next novel is set in the 17th-century American wilderness".Literary Hub.September 30, 2022.RetrievedJune 19,2023.
- ^"Lauren Groff Reveals the Cover of Her Upcoming Novel, 'The Vaster Wilds'".ELLE.March 29, 2023.RetrievedJune 19,2023.
- ^Kois, Dan (2023-09-12)."Why Lauren Groff Decided to Venture Into The Vaster Wilds".Slate.ISSN1091-2339.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^Grady, Constance (2023-09-12)."The book of the year so far is Lauren Groff's The Vaster Wilds".Vox.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^Starkey, David (2024-02-14)."Book Review | 'The Vaster Wilds' by Lauren Groff".The Santa Barbara Independent.Retrieved2024-06-12.
- ^"Lauren Groff has a go bag and says so should you".npr.org.September 11, 2023.
- ^Maury, Laurel (2009-03-09)."'Delicate' Stories In A Best-Friend-Forever Voice ".NPR.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-04-07.Retrieved2022-02-17.
- ^Groff, Lauren (2006-08-01)."L. DeBard and Aliette".The Atlantic.Retrieved2020-09-25.
- ^Groff, Lauren (Spring 2009)."Delicate Edible Birds".The Glimmer Train(70). Archived fromthe originalon 11 July 2011.Retrieved21 June2011.
- ^Groff, Lauren."Above And Below".The New Yorker.Retrieved2020-09-25.
- ^Groff, Lauren."Flower Hunters".The New Yorker.Retrieved2020-09-25.
- ^Groff, Lauren (30 October 2018)."Boca Raton (Warmer collection)".Amazon.Retrieved2021-10-24.
- ^Groff, Lauren."Brawler".The New Yorker.Retrieved2021-02-19.
- ^Lauren Groff, January 14, 2020, The Atlantic,Birdie: A Short Story,Retrieved January 15, 2020
- ^Groff, Lauren."The Wind".The New Yorker.Retrieved2021-02-01.
- ^Groff, lauren (2022-02-02).""Annunciation"".The New Yorker.Archived fromthe originalon 2022-02-14.Retrieved2022-02-17.