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Allegra Goodman

アレグラ・グッドマン

Aregura Guddo-man

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1967-07-05 （New York City (Brooklyn), U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Conservative Judaism
Residence History
Brooklyn, New York → Hawaii (raised) → Cambridge, Massachusetts

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Short story writer
Active Years
1989-
Influenced By

Education

Punahou School
Degree: High school diploma
Year of Graduation: 1985
Country: United States
Harvard University
English
Degree: A.B. (Bachelor of Arts)
Year of Graduation: 1989
Country: United States
Stanford University
English
Degree: Ph.D.（英文学）
Year of Graduation: 1996
Country: United States
Earned Ph.D. in English literature (1996)

Awards

Whiting Award
1991
Category: Fiction
Organization: Whiting Foundation
Result: Won
National Book Award (shortlisted)
1998
Work: Kaaterskill Falls
Category: Fiction
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: Shortlisted
Wellcome Book Prize (shortlisted)
2009
Work: Intuition
Organization: Wellcome Trust / Wellcome Book Prize
Result: Shortlisted
Sunday Times Short Story Award (shortlisted)
2018
Work: "F.A.Q.s"
Organization: The Sunday Times
Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

O. Henry Award 1 appearances
  1. Edition 102 (2024) Winner
    Work: The Last Grownup

    "The Last Grownup" is a short story selected for the O. Henry Prize 2024 anthology. In a compact sequence of scenes, it captures shifts in relationships and emotional tension.

    A sharp short story included in the O. Henry Prize 2024 anthology.

    short storyrelationshipsemotional tension

Works

Major Works

Kaaterskill Falls

1998 Literary fiction

An ensemble novel focusing on a Jewish family in upstate New York, exploring family history, interpersonal conflicts, and social change.

familyJewish identityintergenerational conflict

Paradise Park

2001 Literary fiction

A novel that weaves family history and personal memory, blending humor and pathos in its character-driven storytelling.

memoryfamilyhumor and pathos

Intuition

2006 Literary fiction

Set in research laboratories, the novel examines ethics, competition, and interpersonal dynamics among scientists, exploring motives and uncertainties in research.

science and ethicsresearch communityhuman relationships

The Cookbook Collector

2010 Literary fiction

A story about family and generations of women centered around a collection of cookbooks, exploring food, memory, and life choices.

food and memorywomen across generationsfamily

The Chalk Artist

2017 Literary fiction

A novel about an artist and those around them, dealing with creativity, relationships, and the restoration of memory.

artmemorycreation

Sam

2023 Literary fiction

A recent novel focusing on family and interpersonal relationships, told with delicate characterization.

familyrelationships

Isola

2025 Literary fiction

Published in 2025, this work is reported to be set on an island or secluded environment and explores human drama (details limited).

isolationhuman drama

Bibliography

  • Total Immersion (short story collection)
  • The Family Markowitz (short story collection)
  • Kaaterskill Falls
  • Paradise Park
  • Intuition
  • The Other Side of the Island
  • The Cookbook Collector
  • The Chalk Artist
  • Sam
  • Isola

Style & Themes

Literary Style
delicate characterisationquiet realismblend of humour and melancholy
Recurring Motifs
family and generationsJewish identitymemory and the past

Legacy

Allegra Goodman is an American novelist known for delicate characterisation and works focusing on family and science. Winner of a Whiting Award and shortlisted for major prizes like the National Book Award, she has established a solid place in contemporary literature.

Academic Societies

  • Harvard University Alumni
  • Stanford University Alumni

Quotes

  • I wrote and illustrated my first novel at the age of seven.
    Source: Interview / web article (source unspecified)

Trivia

  • Wrote and illustrated her first novel at age seven.
  • Met husband David Karger at Harvard.
  • Has four children (three sons and one daughter).
  • Raised in a Conservative Jewish environment.