Ron Hansen (novelist)
Encyclopedia
Ron Hansen is an American
novel
ist, essay
ist, and professor.
, attended a Jesuit high school, Creighton Preparatory School
and earned a Bachelor's
degree in English from Creighton University
in Omaha in 1970. Following military service, he earned an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop
in 1974 and held a Wallace Stegner Creative Writing Fellowship at Stanford University
. He later earned an M.A. in Spirituality from Santa Clara University
. Hansen has received fellowships from the Michigan Society of Fellows, the National Endowment for the Arts
, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, and the Lyndhurst Foundation
, as well as an Award in Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
Hansen is the Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.
Professor in the Arts and Humanities at Santa Clara University
, where he teaches courses in writing and literature. He is married to the writer Bo Caldwell
and is the stepfather of her two children, John Scott "Scotty" Caldwell Arnold and Kate Arnold. Scotty attends Hansen's place of employment, Santa Clara University, and Kate is pursuing her medical degree at Georgetown University.
In January 2007, Hansen was ordained as a permanent deacon of the Catholic Church.
In May 2009, Hansen was inducted to the college of fellows at Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
.
, mixing history with morality and drama. Hansen's first novel, Desperadoes (1979), reimagines the story of the Dalton Gang
. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford , a 1983 novel chronicling the life and death of the iconic outlaw
, was Hansen's most popular work and brought him wide critical acclaim, as well as his being a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award.
Catholic
themes of unconditional love, redemption and resurrection also recur in Hansen's novels and stories. Mariette in Ecstasy (1991), a study of the faith and religious experience in the context of a cloistered Catholic
nun who apparently bears the stigmata
, earned him near universal critical praise, as well as the fiction prize from the Bay Area Reviewers Association and the Gold Medal for Excellence in Fiction from the Commonwealth Club of California. Hansen's latest novel, Exiles (2008), tells the story of the shipwreck that cost the lives of five young nuns and prompted Jesuit
poet Gerard Manley Hopkins to write what some consider his masterpiece, The Wreck of the Deutschland
.
Hansen's 1996 novel, Atticus, about the bond of love between a father and a son who has died under mysterious circumstances in a dusty Mexican town, was a finalist for both the National Book Award
and the PEN/Faulkner Award. Hitler's Niece (1999) is a historical novel
that offers a view of Hitler
as seen through the eyes of Geli Raubal
, the daughter of his half-sister. Isn't It Romantic? (2003) is a comic novel about two sophisticated Paris
ians stranded in small-town Nebraska.
Hansen has published numerous short stories
in literary magazines nationwide. His short story collection, Nebraska, was published in 1989. Hansen also edited the anthology You Don't Know What Love Is: Contemporary American Stories (1987) and co-edited with Jim Shepard You've Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories That Held Them in Awe (1994).
In addition to his novels and short stories, Hansen has published a compilation of essays on faith and fiction (A Stay Against Confusion) and a children's book (The Shadowmaker). Hansen also wrote the screenplay for the 1996 film adaptation of Mariette in Ecstasy.
In 2006, The Assassination of Jesse James
was adapted for the screen in a film written and directed by Andrew Dominik
and starring Brad Pitt
as James. Initially intended for a 2006 release, the film was postponed and re-edited for a September 21, 2007 release.
In 2009, "Mariette In Ecstasy" was adapted for the stage at Lifeline Theatre
in Chicago.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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....
ist, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist, and professor.
Biography
Hansen was born in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, attended a Jesuit high school, Creighton Preparatory School
Creighton Preparatory School
Creighton Preparatory School , is a private, Jesuit college prep school founded in 1878 for young men. Centrally located in Omaha, Nebraska at 7400 Western Avenue, Prep is the largest Catholic high school in the state of Nebraska, USA with an enrollment of 1,038 young men...
and earned a Bachelor's
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English from Creighton University
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
in Omaha in 1970. Following military service, he earned an M.F.A. from 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...
in 1974 and held a Wallace Stegner Creative Writing Fellowship at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He later earned an M.A. in Spirituality from Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
. Hansen has received fellowships from the Michigan Society of Fellows, the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, and the Lyndhurst Foundation
Lyndhurst Foundation
The Lyndhurst Foundation is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based grant-making foundation organized in 1938 as The Memorial Welfare Foundation by Coca-Cola Bottling Company magnate Cartter Lupton...
, as well as an Award in Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
Hansen is the Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. was an English poet, Roman Catholic convert, and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous 20th-century fame established him among the leading Victorian poets...
Professor in the Arts and Humanities at Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, where he teaches courses in writing and literature. He is married to the writer Bo Caldwell
Bo Caldwell
Bo Caldwell is an author who became most popular for writing a book, The Distant Land of My Father. She became popular after this book became the book of Silicon Valley Reads 2008. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband, Ron Hansen, and her two children.-References:...
and is the stepfather of her two children, John Scott "Scotty" Caldwell Arnold and Kate Arnold. Scotty attends Hansen's place of employment, Santa Clara University, and Kate is pursuing her medical degree at Georgetown University.
In January 2007, Hansen was ordained as a permanent deacon of the Catholic Church.
In May 2009, Hansen was inducted to the college of fellows at Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
The Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology is a Roman Catholic college, seminary, and graduate school in Berkeley, California. It is located at 2301 Vine Street in Berkeley....
.
Novels and short stories
Hansen frequently writes about the Old WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, mixing history with morality and drama. Hansen's first novel, Desperadoes (1979), reimagines the story of the Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford , a 1983 novel chronicling the life and death of the iconic outlaw
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
, was Hansen's most popular work and brought him wide critical acclaim, as well as his being a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award.
Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
themes of unconditional love, redemption and resurrection also recur in Hansen's novels and stories. Mariette in Ecstasy (1991), a study of the faith and religious experience in the context of a cloistered Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
nun who apparently bears the stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
, earned him near universal critical praise, as well as the fiction prize from the Bay Area Reviewers Association and the Gold Medal for Excellence in Fiction from the Commonwealth Club of California. Hansen's latest novel, Exiles (2008), tells the story of the shipwreck that cost the lives of five young nuns and prompted Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
poet Gerard Manley Hopkins to write what some consider his masterpiece, The Wreck of the Deutschland
The Wreck of the Deutschland
The Wreck of the Deutschland is a long poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins with Christian themes, composed in 1875 and 1876, though not published until 1918. The poem depicts the shipwreck of the SS Deutschland...
.
Hansen's 1996 novel, Atticus, about the bond of love between a father and a son who has died under mysterious circumstances in a dusty Mexican town, was a finalist for both 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...
and the PEN/Faulkner Award. Hitler's Niece (1999) is a historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
that offers a view of Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
as seen through the eyes of Geli Raubal
Geli Raubal
Angelika Maria "Geli" Raubal was Adolf Hitler's half niece. Born in Linz, Austria-Hungary, she was the second child and eldest daughter of Leo Raubal Sr. and Hitler's half-sister, Angela Raubal...
, the daughter of his half-sister. Isn't It Romantic? (2003) is a comic novel about two sophisticated Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ians stranded in small-town Nebraska.
Hansen has published numerous 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...
in literary magazines nationwide. His short story collection, Nebraska, was published in 1989. Hansen also edited the anthology You Don't Know What Love Is: Contemporary American Stories (1987) and co-edited with Jim Shepard You've Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories That Held Them in Awe (1994).
In addition to his novels and short stories, Hansen has published a compilation of essays on faith and fiction (A Stay Against Confusion) and a children's book (The Shadowmaker). Hansen also wrote the screenplay for the 1996 film adaptation of Mariette in Ecstasy.
In 2006, The Assassination of Jesse James
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 American Western drama film. The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as his killer, Robert Ford.Filming took place in rural Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba...
was adapted for the screen in a film written and directed by Andrew Dominik
Andrew Dominik
Andrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
and starring Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
as James. Initially intended for a 2006 release, the film was postponed and re-edited for a September 21, 2007 release.
In 2009, "Mariette In Ecstasy" was adapted for the stage at Lifeline Theatre
Lifeline Theatre
- Mission :Lifeline Theatre specializes in original literary adaptations. Its ensemble of artists uses imaginative, unconventional staging to portray sprawling stories in an intimate space. Lifeline is committed to promoting the arts in its Rogers Park neighborhood and is an anchor of the Glenwood...
in Chicago.
Novels
- Desperadoes (1979)
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (novel)The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 1983 novel by Ron Hansen based on the killing of American Wild West bandit Jesse James at the hands of Robert Ford....
(1983) - The Shadowmaker (1987)
- Mariette in Ecstasy (1991)
- Atticus (1996) ISBN 0-06-092786-0
- Hitler's Niece (1999) ISBN 0-06-093220-1
- Isn't It Romantic? (2003)
- Exiles (2008)
- A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion (2011)
Collections
- Nebraska (1989)
- A Stay Against Confusion: Essays On Faith And Fiction (2001)
As editor or contributor
- You Don't Know What Love Is: Contemporary American Stories (Compiler) (1987)
- You've Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories That Held Them in Awe (Editor, with Jim Shepard) (1994)
- John of the Cross: Selections from The Dark Night and Other Writings (Foreword) (2004)
- Flyover Fiction, series from University of Nebraska Press (Series editor) (2005-present)