Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (2002) Winner
Arthur Phillips
アーサー・ピーター・モンロー・フィリップス
Āsā Pītā Monrō Firippusu
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1969-04-23 （Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- Budapest, Hungary (1990–1992) → Paris, France (2001–2003) → New York City, United States (current)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, writer, jazz musician (saxophone), screenwriter, copywriter
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Influenced By
- Henry James, Vladimir Nabokov, Stephen King
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | — | History | BA | 1986–1990 | United States |
| Berklee College of Music | — | Jazz studies (saxophone) | — | 1992–1993 | United States |
Harvard University
History
Degree:
BA
Period:
1986–1990
Year of Graduation:
1990
Country:
United States
Received a BA in history
Berklee College of Music
Jazz studies (saxophone)
Period:
1992–1993
Country:
United States
Attended four semesters; no clear record of degree
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Los Angeles Times/Art Seidenbaum Award for Best First Fiction | Prague | — | Los Angeles Times | 受賞 |
| 2007 | New York Times Notable Book of the Year | Angelica | — | The New York Times | 選出 |
| 2009 | New York Times Notable Book of the Year | The Song Is You | — | The New York Times | 選出 |
| 2007 | Washington Post Best Fiction | Angelica | — | The Washington Post | 受賞／選評で高評価 |
Los Angeles Times/Art Seidenbaum Award for Best First Fiction
2003
Work:
Prague
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
受賞
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
2007
Work:
Angelica
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
選出
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
2009
Work:
The Song Is You
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
選出
Washington Post Best Fiction
2007
Work:
Angelica
Organization:
The Washington Post
Result:
受賞／選評で高評価
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Prague
2002 Literary fictionSet largely in Budapest despite its title, Prague follows a group of young Western expatriates in 1990, interweaving their lives with historical interludes. Themes include nostalgia, authenticity, and the search for meaning.
nostalgiaauthenticitycoming-of-age
The Egyptologist
2004 Historical fiction / Epistolary pasticheStructured as journals, letters, telegrams, and drawings, the novel centers on a would-be explorer in 1922 who becomes obsessed with finding the tomb of an apocryphal Egyptian king.
questobsessionnarrative reliability
Angelica
2007 Ghost story / Literary fictionA Victorian-style ghost story retold four times from different perspectives, each account casting doubt on the previous, leaving readers to judge truth and fantasy.
truth vs. fictionunreliable perspectivesmemory and storytelling
Adaptations
- [Film] Angelica (film) / Mitchell Lichtenstein (2017)
The Song Is You
2009 Literary fictionSet in New York, it follows a middle-aged man's pursuit of a young Irish pop singer, exploring grief, obsession, and the mentor-muse dynamic.
obsessiongriefmentor-muse relationships
The Tragedy of Arthur
2011 Literary fictionIncorporates classical elements while examining identity and questions about art and authorship.
identityliterature vs. reality
The King at the Edge of the World
2020 Historical-tinged fictionA recent epic novel with historical elements; a later work in Phillips's bibliography.
kingshippower of storytelling
Bibliography
- Prague (2002)
- The Egyptologist (2004)
- Angelica (2007)
- The Song Is You (2009)
- The Tragedy of Arthur (2011)
- The King at the Edge of the World (2020)
Adaptations
- Angelica (film adaptation directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein)
- Adaptation of the short story 'Wenceslas Square' (planned film, Sophia Takal attached)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- multiple perspectivesepistolary/montage techniquesprecise, crafted prose
- Recurring Motifs
- nostalgiauncertainty of memory and truthintersection of history and the personal
Legacy
Arthur Phillips earned critical acclaim with his debut and is known for a versatile, genre-crossing body of work. He has been recognized by major newspapers and is considered an important contemporary American novelist for his craft and narrative experimentation.
In Popular Culture
- Five-time champion on Jeopardy! in 1997
- Read his short story on This American Life
Quotes
-
Phillips still looks like the best American novelist to have emerged during the present decade.
Source: Kirkus Reviews (book review) (2009) -
The Washington Post opined that the novel cemented Phillips' reputation as 'one of the best writers in America.'
Source: The Washington Post (review) (2007)
Trivia
- Five-time champion on Jeopardy! in 1997
- Has described himself as a former child actor
- Married to film producer Barbara Muschietti
- Short story 'Wenceslas Square' was read on radio and has a planned film adaptation