Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott
Born (1954-04-10) April 10, 1954
San Francisco, California, United States
Occupation Novelist, non-fiction writer, essayist, memoirist
Nationality American
Genre Drama, humor, literary fiction, Reviews

Anne Lamott (born April 10, 1954) is an American novelist and non-fiction writer.

She is also a progressive political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher. Lamott is based in Marin County, California, her nonfiction works are largely autobiographical.[1] Marked by their self-deprecating humor and openness, Lamott's writings cover such subjects as alcoholism, single-motherhood, depression, and Christianity.[2]

Life and career

Lamott was born in San Francisco, and is a graduate of Drew School. She was a student at Goucher College for two years where she wrote for the newspaper.[3] Her father, Kenneth Lamott, was also a writer. Her first published novel Hard Laughter was written for him after his diagnosis of brain cancer. She has one son, Sam, who was born in August 1989 and a grandson, Jax, born in July 2009.[4]

Lamott's life was documented in Freida Lee Mock's 1999 documentary Bird by Bird with Annie: A Film Portrait of Writer Anne Lamott.[5] Because of the documentary and her following on Facebook and other online networks, she is often called the "People's Author".[6]

Lamott has described why she writes:

I try to write the books I would love to come upon, that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families, secrets, wonder, craziness—and that can make me laugh. When I am reading a book like this, I feel rich and profoundly relieved to be in the presence of someone who will share the truth with me, and throw the lights on a little, and I try to write these kinds of books. Books, for me, are medicine.[7]

Lamott is cited as a writer who captures well the style of narrative nonfiction called "particularism", coined by Howard Freeman.[8]

Awards and honors

Lamott was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1985.[9] She was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2010.[10]

Bibliography

Novels

  • Hard Laughter. Viking Press. 1980. ISBN 0-670-36140-2.
  • Rosie. Viking Press. 1983. ISBN 0-670-60828-9.
  • Joe Jones. North Point Press. 1985. ISBN 0-86547-209-2.
  • All New People. North Point Press. 1989. ISBN 0-86547-394-3.
  • Crooked Little Heart. Pantheon Books. 1997. ISBN 0-679-43521-2.
  • Blue Shoe. Riverhead Books. 2002. ISBN 1-57322-226-7.
  • Imperfect Birds. Riverhead Books. 2010. ISBN 1-59448-751-0.

Non-fiction

  • Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year. Pantheon Books. 1993. ISBN 978-0-679-42091-0.
  • Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Pantheon Books. 1994. ISBN 978-0-679-43520-4.
  • Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. Pantheon Books. 1999. ISBN 978-0-679-44240-0.
  • Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. Riverhead Books. 2005. ISBN 978-1-57322-299-0.
  • Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. Riverhead Books. 2007. ISBN 978-1-59448-942-6.
  • Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son. Riverhead Books. 2012. ISBN 978-1-59448-841-2. (with Sam Lamott)
  • Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. Riverhead Books. 2012. ISBN 978-1-59463-129-0.
  • Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair. Riverhead Books. 2013. ISBN 978-1-59463-258-7.
  • Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace. Riverhead Books. 2014. ISBN 978-1-59448-629-6.
  • Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy. Riverhead Books. 2017. ISBN 9780735213586.
  • Almost Everything: Notes on Hope. Riverhead Books. 2018. ISBN 978-0525537441.

References

  1. ↑ "Author Anne Lamott selling Marin home for $1.199 million". The Mercury News. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  2. ↑ Lamott, Anne. "My son, the stranger". Salon. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  3. ↑ Flanagan, Mark. "Anne Lamott". About Entertainment. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Hetter, Katia (6 April 2012). "Anne Lamott's directions for grandparents: 'Some Assembly Required'". CNN. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  5. ↑ Freida Lee Mock (Director) (1999-08-01). Bird by Bird with Annie (Documentary). Vanguard International Cinema.
  6. ↑ Smiley, Tavis (14 April 2010). "Interview with Anne Lamott". PBS. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "Quote of the Day". Religion Blog. Dallas Morning News. 2008-02-10.
  8. ↑ Rice, Priscilla. New York Times Bestseller Anne Lamott and Son Sam Record New Novel at Live Oak Studio in Berkeley. PR News. January 26, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Anne Lamott - Fellow - 1985 - Fiction". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  10. ↑ Tagg, Mariel. "2010 CA Hall of Fame, red carpet induction ceremony". Sacramento Press. Retrieved 4 November 2014.

Further reading

  • Bochynski, Pegge. (2010) "Anne Lamott" in American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies, Supplement XX, Mary Antin to Phillis Wheatley. Ed. Jay Parini. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons p131-146.
  • Bouris, Karen (Jan–Feb 2013). "Anne Lamott : life as a black-belt codependent". Interview. Spirituality & Health. 15 (6): 48–53.
  • Vandenburgh, Jane. (2010) Architecture of the Novel: A Writer's Handbook. Anne Lamott (Foreword). Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint ISBN 1582435979
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