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Anthony Doerr

アンソニー・ドーア

Anthony Doerr

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1973 （Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Cleveland, Ohio (raised) → Boise, Idaho (resident)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Short story writer, Essayist
Active Years
2002-

Education

Bowdoin College
College of Arts and Sciences / History
Degree: AB
Period: 1991–1995
Year of Graduation: 1995
Country: United States
Majored in history
Bowling Green State University
College of Arts (MFA program) / Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree: MFA
Country: United States
Earned an MFA (year not specified)

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
2015
Work: All the Light We Cannot See
Organization: Pulitzer Prize Board
Result: Winner
National Book Award for Fiction
2014
Work: All the Light We Cannot See
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: Finalist
The Story Prize
2011
Work: Memory Wall
Organization: The Story Prize
Result: Winner
Rome Prize (Literature)
2005
Organization: American Academy in Rome
Result: Winner
O. Henry Prize
2002
Work: The Hunter's Wife
Organization: O. Henry Awards
Result: Winner
O. Henry Prize
2012
Work: The Deep
Organization: O. Henry Awards
Result: Winner
Barnes & Noble Discover Prize
2002
Work: The Shell Collector
Organization: Barnes & Noble
Result: Winner
Ohioana Book Award (Fiction)
2015
Work: All the Light We Cannot See
Organization: Ohioana Library Association
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Shell Collector

2002 Short story collection

A collection of short stories often set near the sea and in natural settings, notable for detailed nature and character descriptions.

NatureMemoryHuman solitude

About Grace

2004 Novel

A novel focusing on its protagonist's inner life and family relationships, blending elements of the uncanny with everyday struggles.

FamilyFateUncertainty

Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World

2007 Memoir

A memoir recounting life during a residency in Rome, parenting twins, insomnia, and daily observations.

FamilyEveryday observationTravel

Memory Wall

2010 Short story collection

A collection of short stories that probe memory, history, and personal experience.

MemoryHistoryPersonal history

All the Light We Cannot See

2014 Historical novel (World War II) 531 pages

Set in occupied France during World War II, the novel follows a blind French girl and a German boy whose lives intersect, exploring themes of science, morality, and survival.

War and humanityLight and darknessFate and coincidence

Cloud Cuckoo Land

2021 Novel (multi-era, multi-voiced)

A multi-threaded novel spanning 1453 Constantinople, present-day America, and a future world, in which ancient stories connect disparate characters.

Power of storiesConvergence of timePreservation and transmission

Bibliography

  • The Shell Collector (short story collection, 2002)
  • About Grace (novel, 2004)
  • Four Seasons in Rome (memoir, 2007)
  • Memory Wall (short story collection, 2010)
  • All the Light We Cannot See (novel, 2014)
  • Cloud Cuckoo Land (novel, 2021)
  • The Best American Short Stories 2019 (editor)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed, meticulous nature descriptionReflections of interest in science and technologyLyrical writing with multi-voiced narratives
Recurring Motifs
Light and darknessMemory and preservationLibraries and booksNature

Legacy

Anthony Doerr achieved international recognition with All the Light We Cannot See, winning the 2015 Pulitzer Prize. He is a widely read contemporary American author known for his short stories and novels that emphasize nature and the power of storytelling.

Trivia

  • Resides in Boise, Idaho; sometimes noted as the first Pulitzer Prize winner associated with Idaho.
  • Has coached flag football and enjoys skiing and hiking with his family.