John Updike was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and was a prolific writer throughout his life. Some of his most famous works include Rabbit, Run; Couples; and The Witches of Eastwick. He won the Pulitzer Prize twice, in 1982 and 1991. Updike was known for his realistic depictions of middle-class American life and detailed observations of sexuality, marriage, and religion. He received many honors including the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal before passing away in 2009.
John Updike was an influential American novelist, poet and literary critic. He is best known for his "Rabbit" series chronicling the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. Updike published over 60 books in his lifetime and was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes. His writing focused on themes of religion, sex, marriage and death through vivid prose and complex characters. The "Rabbit" novels, which follow Rabbit from young adulthood to late life, exemplify Updike's skill in capturing the spiritual and cultural issues of the American middle class.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and was a prolific writer who published many novels, short stories, poems, and other works. Some of his most famous works include Rabbit Run, Couples, and the Rabbit series. Updike received numerous honors including two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Medals of Arts. He was praised for his careful craftsmanship and ability to capture the nuances of middle-class American life. Updike passed away in 2009 after a long and celebrated writing career spanning over five decades.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and was a prolific writer who published many novels, short stories, poems, and other works. Some of his most famous works include Rabbit, Run; Couples; and The Witches of Eastwick. Updike received numerous honors for his writing including two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Medals of Arts. He explored themes of religion, marriage, and sexuality in his detailed observations of American middle-class life. Updike passed away in 2009 after a long, acclaimed career spanning several decades as one of America's most celebrated authors.
John Updike was an American author who often drew from his experience growing up in a small Pennsylvania town. He is known for chronicling the lives of ordinary people in middle America through novels like the "Rabbit" series and short stories such as "A&P." Updike brought small-town settings and characters to life using detailed descriptions of everyday objects and brands that were familiar to American culture. His work frequently explored themes of love, sex, and religion within mainstream society.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer born in 1932 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He attended Harvard University and later decided to pursue writing. Updike published over 20 novels and short story collections, including the acclaimed "Rabbit" series chronicling the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. He was married twice and had four children with his first wife. Updike died in 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 76.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, essayist, and short story writer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and grew up in a small town. He graduated from Harvard University and spent some time studying art in England. Updike worked briefly at The New Yorker before publishing several short story collections and novels that earned him critical acclaim, including Rabbit, Run and The Centaur. He went on to publish over 50 books and win many literary awards throughout his career while living in Massachusetts. Updike passed away in 2009 at the age of 76.
John Updike was an American novelist, short story writer, literary critic and poet. He drew from his own life experiences for many of his novels and short stories. Some of his most famous works include the Rabbit series which depicted small town life and The Centaur which described his childhood years. Updike received many accolades for his writing including two Pulitzer Prizes and a National Book Award. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 76 after a career spanning over 50 years.
John Updike was born in 1932 in Pennsylvania. He attended Harvard University and Oxford in England, and later worked for The New Yorker magazine. Some of his most notable works include his 1959 debut novel The PoorHouse Fair and the short story "Separating", which relates to the failure of his first marriage. Updike was praised for his writing style, which used symbolism to turn ordinary people and events into interesting stories that readers could easily relate to. He covered a wide range of topics and continued writing until his death in 2009.
John Updike was an influential American novelist, poet and literary critic. He is best known for his "Rabbit" series chronicling the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. Updike published over 60 books in his lifetime and was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes. His writing focused on themes of religion, sex, marriage and death through vivid prose and complex characters. The "Rabbit" novels, which follow Rabbit from young adulthood to late life, exemplify Updike's skill in capturing the spiritual and cultural issues of the American middle class.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and was a prolific writer who published many novels, short stories, poems, and other works. Some of his most famous works include Rabbit Run, Couples, and the Rabbit series. Updike received numerous honors including two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Medals of Arts. He was praised for his careful craftsmanship and ability to capture the nuances of middle-class American life. Updike passed away in 2009 after a long and celebrated writing career spanning over five decades.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and was a prolific writer who published many novels, short stories, poems, and other works. Some of his most famous works include Rabbit, Run; Couples; and The Witches of Eastwick. Updike received numerous honors for his writing including two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Medals of Arts. He explored themes of religion, marriage, and sexuality in his detailed observations of American middle-class life. Updike passed away in 2009 after a long, acclaimed career spanning several decades as one of America's most celebrated authors.
John Updike was an American author who often drew from his experience growing up in a small Pennsylvania town. He is known for chronicling the lives of ordinary people in middle America through novels like the "Rabbit" series and short stories such as "A&P." Updike brought small-town settings and characters to life using detailed descriptions of everyday objects and brands that were familiar to American culture. His work frequently explored themes of love, sex, and religion within mainstream society.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer born in 1932 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He attended Harvard University and later decided to pursue writing. Updike published over 20 novels and short story collections, including the acclaimed "Rabbit" series chronicling the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. He was married twice and had four children with his first wife. Updike died in 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 76.
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, essayist, and short story writer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and grew up in a small town. He graduated from Harvard University and spent some time studying art in England. Updike worked briefly at The New Yorker before publishing several short story collections and novels that earned him critical acclaim, including Rabbit, Run and The Centaur. He went on to publish over 50 books and win many literary awards throughout his career while living in Massachusetts. Updike passed away in 2009 at the age of 76.
John Updike was an American novelist, short story writer, literary critic and poet. He drew from his own life experiences for many of his novels and short stories. Some of his most famous works include the Rabbit series which depicted small town life and The Centaur which described his childhood years. Updike received many accolades for his writing including two Pulitzer Prizes and a National Book Award. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 76 after a career spanning over 50 years.
John Updike was born in 1932 in Pennsylvania. He attended Harvard University and Oxford in England, and later worked for The New Yorker magazine. Some of his most notable works include his 1959 debut novel The PoorHouse Fair and the short story "Separating", which relates to the failure of his first marriage. Updike was praised for his writing style, which used symbolism to turn ordinary people and events into interesting stories that readers could easily relate to. He covered a wide range of topics and continued writing until his death in 2009.
John Updike was an American novelist born in 1932 in Pennsylvania. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 1954. Updike published his first book of poetry in 1958 and won two Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction, for Rabbit is Rich in 1982 and Rabbit at Rest in 1991. He spent his later years in Massachusetts where much of his fiction was set until his death from lung cancer in 2009.
The document provides a summary of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and discusses its history of censorship. It summarizes the plot, themes, characters, and setting of the novel. It then discusses instances where the book was banned, including in Kansas City in 1939 for reasons of indecency and obscenity. It also notes the book has been frequently challenged but is widely considered an important work of American literature.
John Steinbeck was an American author born in 1902 in Salinas, California. He showed an early love of literature encouraged by his mother and attended Stanford University before leaving without a degree. His early novels were ignored but his 1935 novel Tortilla Flat was successful, leading to his winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 in recognition of his realistic and imaginative writings. He died in 1968 but his works, including Of Mice and Men set in his hometown of Salinas, continue to teach readers about the human experience.
John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was an American writer born in Salinas, California. He drew from his experiences working on ranches and with migrant workers in California to write novels addressing social and economic issues faced by rural laborers, including Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck received critical and commercial success for his novels but was not fully accepted in his hometown of Salinas due to his writings bringing attention to social issues. He lived and worked in both California and New York during his career before passing away in 1968.
Gary Soto is an award-winning Mexican-American writer born in 1952 in Fresno, California. He began writing poetry in high school and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree. Soto has received numerous awards for his writing including the National Endowment for the Arts Award and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation. Some of Soto's most popular books for children include Chato Goes Cruisin', Chato's Kitchen, and The Old Man and His Door.
John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California to John and Olive Steinbeck. He came from a family of modest means. He attended Stanford University but did not complete his degree. Steinbeck wrote from a young age and took various odd jobs while working on his writing. He wrote several famous novels such as Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the latter. Steinbeck received many honors for his writing in his later years.
John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California to parents of moderate means. He showed an early interest in writing and decided to become a writer by age 14. Steinbeck attended Stanford University but dropped out in 1925 without a degree. He published his first novel, Cup of Gold, in 1929 and achieved critical success with Tortilla Flat in 1935. Steinbeck is best known for his novels Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath which addressed economic and social issues of rural laborers. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 and continued writing until his death in 1968.
John Ernest Steinbeck was an American author born in Salinas, California in 1902. He wrote several famous novels including Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, and Cannery Row. Steinbeck had a varied career, graduating from high school in 1919, attending but not graduating from Stanford University, getting married in 1930, and publishing his first book in 1929. He went on to win several prestigious awards including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 in recognition of his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.
Gary Soto was born in 1952 in Fresno, California and raised in a Mexican-American family that struggled financially, making it difficult for him to focus on his studies. He eventually found inspiration in writers like Hemingway and Steinbeck and went on to earn degrees from Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno. Soto is now an acclaimed author of both poetry and prose and has received several awards for his literary contributions, while also volunteering his time to teach English.
Washington Irving was America's first professional writer and the first American writer to achieve international fame. Some of his most famous works include The Sketch Book, which included the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Irving helped establish the short story as a popular literary form in America and influenced many later American authors through his humorous and realistic style. However, some critics argue that his sentimental style also hindered the development of modern short story techniques for decades.
March 8th is International Women's Day, which originated from women's labor actions and protests in New York City in 1857. Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist born in 1832 in Pennsylvania and raised in Massachusetts. She struggled to find work as a woman and supported her family through various jobs like teaching and nursing. Her most famous work, Little Women, was published in two volumes in 1868-1869 and was based loosely on her childhood with her sisters. It became a commercial and critical success and has since been adapted into several films.
Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Alabama and studied at Huntingdon College and the University of Alabama. She moved to New York in 1950 and worked as an airline reservation clerk until beginning work on her novel To Kill a Mockingbird in the late 1950s. Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird was an immediate bestseller and explores themes of prejudice and courage through the story of a black man falsely accused of a crime. After its success, Lee accompanied Truman Capote for research on his book In Cold Blood but published nothing further.
- Saul Bellow was born in 1915 in Lachine, Quebec to Russian Jewish immigrants. The family later moved to Chicago, where much of Bellow's writing was set.
- He studied at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. His first novel, Dangling Man, was published in 1944 when he was 30 years old.
- The Adventures of Augie March follows the protagonist Augie March growing up in Chicago during the Great Depression. Told through first-person narration, the story describes Augie's journey from childhood to maturity through a series of adventures and experiences.
Richard Wright was born in 1908 in Natchez, Mississippi. He grew up in extreme poverty and had an illiterate father and educated mother. Wright published his first story in 1924 in a local black newspaper. He later moved to Chicago and joined the Communist party. In 1937, he moved to New York and received a Guggenheim Fellowship for his series "Uncle Tom's Children". Wright's novel "Bright and Morning Star" follows a character named Sue whose son Johnny-Boy organizes meetings for the Communist Party. Sue is beaten by police for refusing to give up her son's plans. Johnny-Boy is eventually killed by police after another character betrays the group.
Pearl Buck (1892-1973) was an American author who was born in West Virginia but grew up in China where her parents were missionaries. She wrote novels about China including The Good Earth which won the Pulitzer Prize and became a bestseller. Buck received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938 for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and her biography of her missionary parents.
The document provides biographical information about three famous women writers: Emily Dickinson, Pearl S. Buck, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. It discusses their early lives, education, careers as writers, and some of their most famous works. Dickinson was a renowned American poet born in 1830 in Massachusetts. Buck was an American author best known for her book The Good Earth, and she spent much of her childhood in China. Stowe was an American abolitionist and author best known for her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.
This document provides an overview of the authors and readings for Week 2. It introduces several early American women writers who brought awareness to issues of gender inequality, including Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Kate Chopin, and Emily Dickinson. It also discusses 20th century authors like Audre Lorde who addressed racism, sexism, and homophobia. The document provides biographies of Justin Torres, Maia Kobabe, Alice Walker, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to help students choose topics for their literary analysis essay. It raises questions about the definitions of "truth" in creative nonfiction.
Charles Dickens was an English writer born in 1812 who wrote iconic novels like Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities. He had a difficult childhood where he worked in a factory after his father went to debtors' prison. Despite facing adversity, Dickens went on to become one of the most popular and influential writers of the Victorian era through his realistic yet entertaining novels that critiqued social issues. He married Catherine Hogarth and had 10 children before his death in 1870 from a stroke at his home in Kent.
Washington Irving was born in 1783 in New York City. He was the youngest of 11 children born to Scottish-English immigrant parents. He trained as a lawyer but practiced briefly. In 1809, he published A History of New York, which was designed solely for entertainment rather than teaching moral lessons. His fiancée died in 1809, which caused him melancholy for the rest of his life. He traveled throughout Europe, where he wrote The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, which included "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." He is considered the first American writer to popularize the short story genre.
The document contains summaries of several children's books from different genres including historical fiction, biography, and informational texts. Strategies are suggested for using each book in an educational setting, such as read alouds, writing prompts, research activities, and connecting to curricular standards.
This document provides summaries of readings for the week including short biographies of Jonathan Swift, Wilfred Owen, Katherine Mansfield, Jean Rhys, and Nadine Gordimer. It also summarizes Swift's satirical essay "A Modest Proposal" and analyzes some of his other works. For the poets Owen and Wilfred, it highlights some of their notable poems and discusses literary elements. Similarly, it introduces Mansfield, Rhys, and Gordimer's short stories and notes themes and social contexts.
John Updike was an American novelist born in 1932 in Pennsylvania. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 1954. Updike published his first book of poetry in 1958 and won two Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction, for Rabbit is Rich in 1982 and Rabbit at Rest in 1991. He spent his later years in Massachusetts where much of his fiction was set until his death from lung cancer in 2009.
The document provides a summary of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and discusses its history of censorship. It summarizes the plot, themes, characters, and setting of the novel. It then discusses instances where the book was banned, including in Kansas City in 1939 for reasons of indecency and obscenity. It also notes the book has been frequently challenged but is widely considered an important work of American literature.
John Steinbeck was an American author born in 1902 in Salinas, California. He showed an early love of literature encouraged by his mother and attended Stanford University before leaving without a degree. His early novels were ignored but his 1935 novel Tortilla Flat was successful, leading to his winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 in recognition of his realistic and imaginative writings. He died in 1968 but his works, including Of Mice and Men set in his hometown of Salinas, continue to teach readers about the human experience.
John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was an American writer born in Salinas, California. He drew from his experiences working on ranches and with migrant workers in California to write novels addressing social and economic issues faced by rural laborers, including Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck received critical and commercial success for his novels but was not fully accepted in his hometown of Salinas due to his writings bringing attention to social issues. He lived and worked in both California and New York during his career before passing away in 1968.
Gary Soto is an award-winning Mexican-American writer born in 1952 in Fresno, California. He began writing poetry in high school and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree. Soto has received numerous awards for his writing including the National Endowment for the Arts Award and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation. Some of Soto's most popular books for children include Chato Goes Cruisin', Chato's Kitchen, and The Old Man and His Door.
John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California to John and Olive Steinbeck. He came from a family of modest means. He attended Stanford University but did not complete his degree. Steinbeck wrote from a young age and took various odd jobs while working on his writing. He wrote several famous novels such as Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the latter. Steinbeck received many honors for his writing in his later years.
John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California to parents of moderate means. He showed an early interest in writing and decided to become a writer by age 14. Steinbeck attended Stanford University but dropped out in 1925 without a degree. He published his first novel, Cup of Gold, in 1929 and achieved critical success with Tortilla Flat in 1935. Steinbeck is best known for his novels Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath which addressed economic and social issues of rural laborers. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 and continued writing until his death in 1968.
John Ernest Steinbeck was an American author born in Salinas, California in 1902. He wrote several famous novels including Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, and Cannery Row. Steinbeck had a varied career, graduating from high school in 1919, attending but not graduating from Stanford University, getting married in 1930, and publishing his first book in 1929. He went on to win several prestigious awards including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 in recognition of his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.
Gary Soto was born in 1952 in Fresno, California and raised in a Mexican-American family that struggled financially, making it difficult for him to focus on his studies. He eventually found inspiration in writers like Hemingway and Steinbeck and went on to earn degrees from Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno. Soto is now an acclaimed author of both poetry and prose and has received several awards for his literary contributions, while also volunteering his time to teach English.
Washington Irving was America's first professional writer and the first American writer to achieve international fame. Some of his most famous works include The Sketch Book, which included the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Irving helped establish the short story as a popular literary form in America and influenced many later American authors through his humorous and realistic style. However, some critics argue that his sentimental style also hindered the development of modern short story techniques for decades.
March 8th is International Women's Day, which originated from women's labor actions and protests in New York City in 1857. Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist born in 1832 in Pennsylvania and raised in Massachusetts. She struggled to find work as a woman and supported her family through various jobs like teaching and nursing. Her most famous work, Little Women, was published in two volumes in 1868-1869 and was based loosely on her childhood with her sisters. It became a commercial and critical success and has since been adapted into several films.
Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Alabama and studied at Huntingdon College and the University of Alabama. She moved to New York in 1950 and worked as an airline reservation clerk until beginning work on her novel To Kill a Mockingbird in the late 1950s. Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird was an immediate bestseller and explores themes of prejudice and courage through the story of a black man falsely accused of a crime. After its success, Lee accompanied Truman Capote for research on his book In Cold Blood but published nothing further.
- Saul Bellow was born in 1915 in Lachine, Quebec to Russian Jewish immigrants. The family later moved to Chicago, where much of Bellow's writing was set.
- He studied at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. His first novel, Dangling Man, was published in 1944 when he was 30 years old.
- The Adventures of Augie March follows the protagonist Augie March growing up in Chicago during the Great Depression. Told through first-person narration, the story describes Augie's journey from childhood to maturity through a series of adventures and experiences.
Richard Wright was born in 1908 in Natchez, Mississippi. He grew up in extreme poverty and had an illiterate father and educated mother. Wright published his first story in 1924 in a local black newspaper. He later moved to Chicago and joined the Communist party. In 1937, he moved to New York and received a Guggenheim Fellowship for his series "Uncle Tom's Children". Wright's novel "Bright and Morning Star" follows a character named Sue whose son Johnny-Boy organizes meetings for the Communist Party. Sue is beaten by police for refusing to give up her son's plans. Johnny-Boy is eventually killed by police after another character betrays the group.
Pearl Buck (1892-1973) was an American author who was born in West Virginia but grew up in China where her parents were missionaries. She wrote novels about China including The Good Earth which won the Pulitzer Prize and became a bestseller. Buck received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938 for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and her biography of her missionary parents.
The document provides biographical information about three famous women writers: Emily Dickinson, Pearl S. Buck, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. It discusses their early lives, education, careers as writers, and some of their most famous works. Dickinson was a renowned American poet born in 1830 in Massachusetts. Buck was an American author best known for her book The Good Earth, and she spent much of her childhood in China. Stowe was an American abolitionist and author best known for her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.
This document provides an overview of the authors and readings for Week 2. It introduces several early American women writers who brought awareness to issues of gender inequality, including Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Kate Chopin, and Emily Dickinson. It also discusses 20th century authors like Audre Lorde who addressed racism, sexism, and homophobia. The document provides biographies of Justin Torres, Maia Kobabe, Alice Walker, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to help students choose topics for their literary analysis essay. It raises questions about the definitions of "truth" in creative nonfiction.
Charles Dickens was an English writer born in 1812 who wrote iconic novels like Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities. He had a difficult childhood where he worked in a factory after his father went to debtors' prison. Despite facing adversity, Dickens went on to become one of the most popular and influential writers of the Victorian era through his realistic yet entertaining novels that critiqued social issues. He married Catherine Hogarth and had 10 children before his death in 1870 from a stroke at his home in Kent.
Washington Irving was born in 1783 in New York City. He was the youngest of 11 children born to Scottish-English immigrant parents. He trained as a lawyer but practiced briefly. In 1809, he published A History of New York, which was designed solely for entertainment rather than teaching moral lessons. His fiancée died in 1809, which caused him melancholy for the rest of his life. He traveled throughout Europe, where he wrote The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, which included "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." He is considered the first American writer to popularize the short story genre.
The document contains summaries of several children's books from different genres including historical fiction, biography, and informational texts. Strategies are suggested for using each book in an educational setting, such as read alouds, writing prompts, research activities, and connecting to curricular standards.
This document provides summaries of readings for the week including short biographies of Jonathan Swift, Wilfred Owen, Katherine Mansfield, Jean Rhys, and Nadine Gordimer. It also summarizes Swift's satirical essay "A Modest Proposal" and analyzes some of his other works. For the poets Owen and Wilfred, it highlights some of their notable poems and discusses literary elements. Similarly, it introduces Mansfield, Rhys, and Gordimer's short stories and notes themes and social contexts.
2. Segment 1 – History Born in Shillington, Pennsylvania on March 18th, 1932 Only child, lived with parents and grandparents Loved consumed popular fiction - especially humor and mysteries, gifted at drawing lifelong churchgoer, student of Christian theology Mother was also a writer, encouraged him to write and draw Excelled in school - president and co-valedictorian of his class at Shillington High School Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard 1954, majored in English Wrote stories, drew cartoons for Harvard Lampoon magazine, was magazines president senior year Before graduating, married fellow student Mary E. Pennington After graduating, spent a year studying art in England, studied at Oxford's Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. Had 3 children After England, came back to America, worked at The New Yorker
3. Segment 1 – History cont. First stories appeared at The New Yorker, worked there for almost two years, remained a regular contributor until death. Later in 1950s, left The New Yorker and left NYC with family Settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts to become at home, full time writer His work achieved through dedicated, steady work. His books were said to be “the fruit of patience, leisure, and craft.” In 1970s, Updike traveled as a cultural ambassador of the United States Separated from his wife Mary in 1974 Moved to Boston and briefly taught at Boston University Two years later, divorced wife Mary 1977 he married Martha RugglesBernhard Settled with her and her three children in Georgetown, Massachusetts. Spent his last years in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts Died of lung cancer in 2009
4. Segment 2 – Awards, Honors and Important Works His first novel published in 1958 called The Poorhouse Fair Since first novel, not only published many novels and stories but also seven books of poetry, a play, and large store of book reviews and other writings Book of poetry - The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures, published by Harper and Brothers, 1958 Most admired by some readers as author of the “Olinger” stories Readers say a sense of life is found in his stories, novels and poetry Wrote 5 childrens books - the magic flute (1962) the ring (1964) a child’s calendar (1965) bottoms dream (1969) and a helpful alphabet of friendly objects (1995) Said to be our era’s most sensitive craftsman of personal and social manners 1963, received the National Book Award for novel The Centaur, inspired by childhood in PN 1964, age 32, became the youngest person ever elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters Was invited by State Department to tour Europe as part of a cultural exchange program between US and USSR
5. Segment 2 – Awards, Honors, and Important Works cont. 1968, novel Couples created a national sensation Couples stayed on the best-seller lists for over a year Couples lead to Time magazine cover story featuring Updike Rabbit is Rich, 1981 - received many awards, most notably - Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1983, published Bechis Back, prompted second Time magazine cover story – Going Great at 50 1991, received second Pulitzer Prize for Rabbit at Rest – 3rd American to win a 2nd Pulitzer Prize in fiction Famously identified sex, art, and religion as "the three great secret things" in human experience Grandson of a Presbyterian minister, all writings had philosophical questions awarded Campion Award from Jesuit Magazine of America ,1997 received National Medal of Art from President Bush 1989, and 2003 received National Medal for the Humanities from President George W. Bush. One of very few Americans to receive both these honors 2008, last book - The Widows of Eastwick- sequel to 1984 novel, The Witches of Eastwick.
6. Segment 3- Summary of John Updike’s “Seperating” In this story Richard and his wife Joan’s marriage has been falling apart and they don’t seem to even enjoy each other’s company anymore. The story centers around this couple’s separation. It is never made clear the exact reason for the ending of the marriage; although it is made known that it is Richard’s decision to leave. The story follows the family through the decision of how to tell their kids about their separation up to each of their different reactions. In this story some traits you would associate with a dominant male figure are inherited by Joan, the wife, and some actions you would expect from a female are taken on by Richard. For example at the dinner table Richard starts to cry uncontrollably and his wife, Joan, seems to stay cool, calm, and collected during the whole ordeal of revealing their decision of separating. When they break the news each child reacts differently, his daughters both stayed pretty calm, his son John flipped out and had to be consoled on a walk by his father. Richard picked up his son Dickie from the train station to break the news to him on the ride home. Dickie took the news in stride and went to bed so he could get up early for work. Although right at the end when he goes to kiss him goodnight he whispers in his father’s ear, “why?”. This was like “a knife thrust” to Richard and then he seems to have forgotten why he wanted to separate in the first place.
7. Segment 3- Analysis of “Separating” John Updike’s short story “Separating” focuses on what a modern day family is like, it is just another classic example of how he is such a great writer when it comes to “middleness” in America. This story was very detailed and descriptive when dealing with the character’s emotions and actions. This is a story I am sure a lot of Americans can relate to with either going through a divorce themselves or being a kid and having your mom and dad separate. John Updike is known for taking things that middle America goes through and putting them in a light that his readers can relate to and “Separating” is a prime example of this. He shows the family member’s different feelings and aspects to show how something can affect everyone in different ways.
8. Works Cited The Norton Anthology, American Literature. (2007). New York, London: W.W. Norton and Company. Retrieved March, 23rd 2010 Liukkonen, Petri (2008). Retrieved March 23rd, 2009. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/updike.htm