Frances Gray Patton
Encyclopedia
Frances Gray Patton was an American
short story writer and novelist. She is best known for her 1954 novel Good Morning Miss Dove.
She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina
to Robert Lily, an editor
for the Raleigh Times and Mary McRae, a writer
and the first female to enroll at the University of North Carolina. From childhood, Patton expressed an interest in writing. She began to pursue a writing career at the University of North Carolina
where she held a playwriting fellowship. She was active in the theater and published her first play in the college magazine. Following her marriage to Lewis Patton, a professor at Duke University
, Patton settled into her role as a faculty wife and raised three children, a son and twin daughters. She began to focus her writing on short stories and in 1945, she published her first story titled "A Piece of Bread." The story won a Kenyon Review Prize and was included in 1945 edition of the O. Henry Memorial Prize Stories.
During the next decade, Patton established a relationship with The New Yorker
magazine and they would publish over two dozen of her stories. Her stories also appeared in such publications as Harper's, McCalls, The Saturday Review of Literature and Collier's Weekly
. A collection of stories from the New Yorker comprised her first book, The Finer Things of Life, which was published in 1951. The book received praise from critics. Marge Lyon wrote in the Chicago Sunday Tribune that the stories were "whimsical in spots, faintly poignant in others, but lit with a glowing, humorous aura made up of bright observations, sparkles of wit, and diamond bright philosophy, shot with incandescent characterizations."
Patton published Good Morning Miss Dove in 1954 which became a bestseller. The book, which tells the story of a beloved geography teacher in a small town, originated from an earlier story Patton wrote titled The Terrible Miss Dove. Charles Poore wrote in the New York Times that the novel was "ruthlessly sentimental" and "a cheerful mixture of Goodbye Mr. Chips and Mary Poppins
, with touches of the rigorous way to salvation from Life With Father
." The book was featured as a Book of the Month Club selection and made into a successful 1955 film
starring Jennifer Jones in the title role.
Patton published another short story collection in 1959 titled A Piece of Luck and a final collection in 1969 titled 28 Stories. In addition to writing, she taught creative writing courses at both Duke University and the University of North Carolina.
Patton's stories of Southern life and manners eventually earned her the nickname The Jane Austen of the South.
She died at the age of 94 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
short story writer and novelist. She is best known for her 1954 novel Good Morning Miss Dove.
She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
to Robert Lily, an editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
for the Raleigh Times and Mary McRae, a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and the first female to enroll at the University of North Carolina. From childhood, Patton expressed an interest in writing. She began to pursue a writing career at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
where she held a playwriting fellowship. She was active in the theater and published her first play in the college magazine. Following her marriage to Lewis Patton, a professor at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, Patton settled into her role as a faculty wife and raised three children, a son and twin daughters. She began to focus her writing on short stories and in 1945, she published her first story titled "A Piece of Bread." The story won a Kenyon Review Prize and was included in 1945 edition of the O. Henry Memorial Prize Stories.
During the next decade, Patton established a relationship with The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine and they would publish over two dozen of her stories. Her stories also appeared in such publications as Harper's, McCalls, The Saturday Review of Literature and Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
. A collection of stories from the New Yorker comprised her first book, The Finer Things of Life, which was published in 1951. The book received praise from critics. Marge Lyon wrote in the Chicago Sunday Tribune that the stories were "whimsical in spots, faintly poignant in others, but lit with a glowing, humorous aura made up of bright observations, sparkles of wit, and diamond bright philosophy, shot with incandescent characterizations."
Patton published Good Morning Miss Dove in 1954 which became a bestseller. The book, which tells the story of a beloved geography teacher in a small town, originated from an earlier story Patton wrote titled The Terrible Miss Dove. Charles Poore wrote in the New York Times that the novel was "ruthlessly sentimental" and "a cheerful mixture of Goodbye Mr. Chips and Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a series of children's books written by P. L. Travers and originally illustrated by Mary Shepard. The books centre on a magical English nanny, Mary Poppins. She is blown by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London and into the Banks' household to care for their...
, with touches of the rigorous way to salvation from Life With Father
Life with Father
Life with Father is the title of a humorous autobiographical book of stories compiled in 1935 by Clarence Day, Jr., which was adapted in 1939 into a long-running Broadway play by Lindsay and Crouse, which was, in turn, made into a 1947 movie and a television series.-The book:Clarence Day wrote...
." The book was featured as a Book of the Month Club selection and made into a successful 1955 film
Good Morning Miss Dove
Good Morning, Miss Dove is a 1955 film which tells the sentimental story of a beloved schoolteacher who reflects back on her life and former students when she is hospitalized...
starring Jennifer Jones in the title role.
Patton published another short story collection in 1959 titled A Piece of Luck and a final collection in 1969 titled 28 Stories. In addition to writing, she taught creative writing courses at both Duke University and the University of North Carolina.
Patton's stories of Southern life and manners eventually earned her the nickname The Jane Austen of the South.
She died at the age of 94 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
.
Sources
- Contemporary Authors
- New York Times Obituary, April 2, 2000.
- The New Yorker On-Line Archive www.newyorker.com/search/query?query=authorName:%22Frances%20Gray%20Patton%22
- Harper’s Magazine Website – www.harpers.org/subjects/FrancesGrayPatton