Mary Lee Settle
Encyclopedia
Mary Lee Settle was an American
writer
and winner of the National Book Award
for her 1978 novel Blood Tie. She was also one of the founders of the annual PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
.
for two years, then moved to New York City
in pursuit of a career as an actress and model, and even tested for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
. During World War II
, she joined the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force
, and then the Office of War Information. She taught at Bard College
, the Iowa Writers' Workshop
, and University of Virginia
.
Settle lived for many years in Canada, in England, and in Turkey.
Settle is most famous for a series of novel
s called the "Beulah Quintet", {Prisons, O Beulah Land, Know Nothing, The Scapegoat, The Killing Ground) which cover the history of West Virginia
, and by extension, the United States. She also wrote several works of non-fiction
.
She died of lung cancer
in Ivy, Virginia, near Charlottesville.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 winner of the National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
for her 1978 novel Blood Tie. She was also one of the founders of the annual PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is awarded annually by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to the authors of the year's best works of fiction by living American citizens. The winner receives US $15,000 and each of four runners-up receives US $5000. The foundation brings the winner and runners-up to...
.
Life
She attended Sweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar College
Sweet Briar College is a liberal arts women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, about north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The school's Latin motto translates as: "She who has earned the rose may bear it."...
for two years, then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in pursuit of a career as an actress and model, and even tested for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she joined the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air...
, and then the Office of War Information. She taught at Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
, and University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Settle lived for many years in Canada, in England, and in Turkey.
Settle is most famous for a series of novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s called the "Beulah Quintet", {Prisons, O Beulah Land, Know Nothing, The Scapegoat, The Killing Ground) which cover the history of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and by extension, the United States. She also wrote several works of non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
.
She died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in Ivy, Virginia, near Charlottesville.
Novels and Memoirs
- The Love Eaters (1954)
- The Kiss of Kin (1955)
- O Beulah Land (1956)
- Know Nothing (1960)
- Fight Night on a Sweet Saturday (1964)
- All the Brave Promises: The Memories of Aircraft Woman 2nd Class 2146391 (1966)
- The Clam Shell (1970)
- Prisons (1973)
- Blood Tie (1977)
- The Scapegoat (1980)
- The Killing Grounds (1982)
- "Celebration" (1986)
- Charley Bland (1989)
- Turkish Reflections: A Biography of Place (1991)
- Addie: A Memoir (1998)
- I, Roger Williams: A Novel (2002)
- Spanish Recognitions: The Road from the Past (2004)
External links
- "Mary Lee Settle" by Brian O. Hogbin