Lorrie Moore
Encyclopedia
Lorrie Moore is an American
fiction
writer
known mainly for her humorous and poignant short stories
.
, and nicknamed "Lorrie" by her parents. She attended St. Lawrence University
. At 19, she won Seventeen
magazine's fiction contest. After graduating from St. Lawrence, she moved to Manhattan
and worked as a paralegal for two years.
In 1980, Moore enrolled in Cornell University's
M.F.A.
program, where she was taught by Alison Lurie
. Upon graduation from Cornell, Moore was encouraged by a teacher to contact agent Melanie Jackson
. Jackson sold her collection, Self-Help, composed almost entirely of stories from her master's thesis, to Knopf in 1983.
. She has contributed to The Paris Review. Her first story to appear in The New Yorker
, "You're Ugly, Too," was later included in The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike
. Another story, "People Like That Are the Only People Here," also published in The New Yorker, was reprinted in the 1998 edition of the annual collection The Best American Short Stories
; the tale of a young child falling sick, the piece was loosely paterned on events in Moore's own life. The story was also included in the 2005 anthology Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
, edited by David Sedaris
.
Moore's Collected Stories was published by Faber in the UK in May 2008. It included selections from each of her previously published collections, excerpts from her novel Anagrams, and three previously uncollected stories first published in The New Yorker.
(1994), and A Gate at the Stairs
(2009). Who Will Run the Frog Hospital is the story of a woman vacationing with her husband who recalls an intense friendship from her adolescence. A Gate at the Stairs takes place just after the September 11 attack and is about a twenty-year-old Midwestern woman's coming of age.
for her short story "People Like That Are the Only People Here," published in The New Yorker
on January 27, 1997. In 1999, Moore was named as the winner of the The Irish Times
International Fiction Prize for Birds of America
. In 2004, she was selected as winner of the Rea Award for the Short Story
, for outstanding achievement in that genre.
She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2006, and is a fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. In 2008, she delivered Oxford University's annual Esmond Harmsworth Lecture in American Arts and Letters at the university's Rothermere American Institute
. Her 2009 novel, A Gate at the Stairs, was a finalist for the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and for the Orange Prize
.
Professor in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, where she teaches creative writing. She joined the faculty in 1984. She has also taught at Cornell University
, as the Sidney Harman
Writer-in-Residence at Baruch College
, and at the Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at the University of Michigan
.
about her current readings (Friend of My Youth
by Alice Munro
), her Internet usage (Wikipedia
), her listenings (Al Green
, Joni Mitchell
, and Tuck & Patti
), and her television habits (Mark Shields
, Stephen Colbert
, Jon Stewart
. Eugene Robinson
, and Rachel Maddow
).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
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....
known mainly for her humorous and poignant short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
.
Biography
Marie Lorena Moore was born in Glens Falls, New YorkGlens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
, and nicknamed "Lorrie" by her parents. She attended St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
. At 19, she won Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
magazine's fiction contest. After graduating from St. Lawrence, she moved to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and worked as a paralegal for two years.
In 1980, Moore enrolled in Cornell University's
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
M.F.A.
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
program, where she was taught by Alison Lurie
Alison Lurie
Alison Lurie is an American novelist and academic. She won the Pulitzer Prize for her 1984 novel Foreign Affairs. Although better known as a novelist, she has also written numerous non-fiction books and articles, particularly on children's literature and the semiotics of dress.-Personal...
. Upon graduation from Cornell, Moore was encouraged by a teacher to contact agent Melanie Jackson
Melanie Jackson
Melanie Jackson is a leading literary agent. She founded the highly respected Melanie Jackson Agency. Among the many awards won by her clients are: the Nobel Prize in Literature, four Pulitzer Prizes, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.-Biography:Melanie Jackson is...
. Jackson sold her collection, Self-Help, composed almost entirely of stories from her master's thesis, to Knopf in 1983.
Themes
Moore writes frequently about failing relationships and terminal illness and is known for her mordant wit and pithy one-liners. Her stories often take place in the Midwest.Short stories
Her short story collections are Self-Help, Like Life, and the New York Times bestseller Birds of AmericaBirds of America (stories)
Birds of America is a collection of short stories by American writer Lorrie Moore. The stories in this collection originally appeared in The New Yorker, Elle, The New York Times, and The Paris Review. The story "People Like That Are the Only People Here" won an O. Henry Award in 1998...
. She has contributed to The Paris Review. Her first story to appear in 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...
, "You're Ugly, Too," was later included in The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
. Another story, "People Like That Are the Only People Here," also published in The New Yorker, was reprinted in the 1998 edition of the annual collection The Best American Short Stories
The Best American Short Stories 1998
The Best American Short Stories 1998, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor Garrison Keillor.-Short stories included:-Other notable stories:...
; the tale of a young child falling sick, the piece was loosely paterned on events in Moore's own life. The story was also included in the 2005 anthology Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a 2005 anthology of short stories edited by David Sedaris.Sedaris published this book in order to support 826NYC, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center in Brooklyn, New York...
, edited by David Sedaris
David Sedaris
David Sedaris is a Grammy Award-nominated American humorist, writer, comedian, bestselling author, and radio contributor....
.
Moore's Collected Stories was published by Faber in the UK in May 2008. It included selections from each of her previously published collections, excerpts from her novel Anagrams, and three previously uncollected stories first published in The New Yorker.
Novels
Moore's novels are Anagrams (1986), Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? is the second novel by American author Lorrie Moore, published by Vintage Books in 1994. The novel was inspired by a drawing of the same name by Nancy Mladenoff. While visiting an art gallery, Moore saw Mladenoff's drawing, which she bought and later named the novel...
(1994), and A Gate at the Stairs
A Gate at the Stairs
A Gate at the Stairs is a novel by American fiction writer Lorrie Moore. It was published by Random House in 2009. The novel won Amazon.com's "best of the month" designation and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction....
(2009). Who Will Run the Frog Hospital is the story of a woman vacationing with her husband who recalls an intense friendship from her adolescence. A Gate at the Stairs takes place just after the September 11 attack and is about a twenty-year-old Midwestern woman's coming of age.
Children's books
Moore has written a children's book entitled The Forgotten Helper, about an elf whom Santa mistakenly leaves behind at the home of the worst child on his "good" list. The elf must help the child be good for the coming year so Santa will return next Christmas.Awards
Moore won the 1998 O. Henry AwardO. Henry Award
The O. Henry Award is the only yearly award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American master of the form, O. Henry....
for her short story "People Like That Are the Only People Here," published in 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...
on January 27, 1997. In 1999, Moore was named as the winner of the The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
International Fiction Prize for Birds of America
Birds of America (stories)
Birds of America is a collection of short stories by American writer Lorrie Moore. The stories in this collection originally appeared in The New Yorker, Elle, The New York Times, and The Paris Review. The story "People Like That Are the Only People Here" won an O. Henry Award in 1998...
. In 2004, she was selected as winner of the Rea Award for the Short Story
Rea Award for the Short Story
The Rea Award for the Short Story is an annual award given to a living American or Canadian author chosen for unusually significant contributions to short story fiction.-The Award:...
, for outstanding achievement in that genre.
She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2006, and is a fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. In 2008, she delivered Oxford University's annual Esmond Harmsworth Lecture in American Arts and Letters at the university's Rothermere American Institute
Rothermere American Institute
The Rothermere American Institute is an institution at the University of Oxford dedicated to the interdisciplinary and comparative study of the USA. It was opened in May 2001 by US President Bill Clinton and hosts regular conferences, lectures and seminars, particularly in the fields of American...
. Her 2009 novel, A Gate at the Stairs, was a finalist for the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and for the Orange Prize
Orange Prize for Fiction
The Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year...
.
Academic career
Moore is the Delmore SchwartzDelmore Schwartz
Delmore Schwartz was an American poet and short story writer from Brooklyn, New York.-Biography:Schwartz was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Harry and Rose, both Romanian Jews, separated when Schwartz was nine, and their divorce had a profound effect on him. Later, in 1930,...
Professor in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, where she teaches creative writing. She joined the faculty in 1984. She has also taught at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, as the Sidney Harman
Sidney Harman
Sidney Harman was an American businessman active in education, government, industry, and publishing. He was the Chairman Emeritus of Harman International Industries, Inc. Harman served as the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce in 1977 and 1978. As of August 2010 Harman was also the publisher of...
Writer-in-Residence at Baruch College
Baruch College
Bernard M. Baruch College, more commonly known as Baruch College, is a constituent college of the City University of New York, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, New York City. With an acceptance rate of just 23%, Baruch is among the most competitive and diverse colleges in the nation...
, and at the Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Personal life
Moore was profiled in the September 2009 Reader's DigestReader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
about her current readings (Friend of My Youth
Friend of My Youth
Friend of My Youth is a book of short stories by Alice Munro, published by McClelland and Stewart in 1990. It won the 1990 Trillium Book Award.-Stories:* "Friend of My Youth"* "Five Points"* "Meneseteung"* "Hold Me Fast, Don't Let Me Pass"...
by Alice Munro
Alice Munro
Alice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction, and a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize...
), her Internet usage (Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
), her listenings (Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, and Tuck & Patti
Tuck & Patti
Tuck & Patti are an American husband and wife jazz duo.Oklahoma born guitarist Tuck Andress met singer Patti Cathcart, a native of San Francisco, at an audition in Las Vegas in 1980. Prior to this, Tuck had been a session performer with The Gap Band....
), and her television habits (Mark Shields
Mark Shields
Mark Shields is an American political columnist and commentator.Since 1988, Shields has provided weekly political analysis and commentary for PBS’ award-winning PBS NewsHour. His current sparring partner is David Brooks of The New York Times. Previous counterparts were the late William Safire,...
, Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
, Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
. Eugene Robinson
Eugene Robinson
Eugene Keefe Robinson is a former professional American football player who played free safety. He played collegiately at Colgate University...
, and Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow
Rachel Anne Maddow is an American television host and political commentator. Maddow hosts a nightly television show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on MSNBC. Her syndicated talk radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, aired on Air America Radio...
).
Short stories
- (1985) Self Help; ISBN 0446671924
- (1990) Like Life; ISBN 0375719164
- (1998) Birds of AmericaBirds of America (stories)Birds of America is a collection of short stories by American writer Lorrie Moore. The stories in this collection originally appeared in The New Yorker, Elle, The New York Times, and The Paris Review. The story "People Like That Are the Only People Here" won an O. Henry Award in 1998...
; ISBN 0312241224 - (2008) The Collected Stories; ISBN 9780571239344
Novels
- (1986) Anagrams; ISBN 0307277283
- (1994) Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?; ISBN 1400033829
- (2009) A Gate at the Stairs ISBN 9780375409288
External links
- University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty profile
- "About Lorrie Moore: A Profile" Ploughshares (Fall 1998)
- Salon interview (1998)
- The Believer interview (2005)
- Interview with Lorrie Moore, Lewis Burke FrumkesLewis Burke FrumkesLewis Frumkes is an American humorist and writer. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. Frumkes attended a number of institutions such as New York University, Trinity College, Columbia University, and Pace University. He earned his B.A...
Radio Show (October 2009) - Interview for KCRW's Bookworm (22 October 2009)
- “Words, Wit, & Wild Hearts: A Conversation with Author Lorrie Moore”, On Wisconsin (Spring 2010)
- Moore book reviews at The New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
- Archive of Moore's writings for The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
.