Edgar Allan Poe Awards
3 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2010) Winner
Dorothy Edith Gilman
ドロシー・ギルマン
Doroshī Giruman
Aliases:
Dorothy Gilman Butters
Pen Names:
Dorothy Gilman Butters（Used during marriage, primarily for children's and young adult works）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1923-06-25 （New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.）
- Died
- 2012-02-02 （Rye Brook, New York, U.S.） age 88
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Unitarian (Unitarian Universalism)
- Residence History
- Nova Scotia, Canada → Connecticut, U.S. → Maine, U.S. → New Mexico, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Children's author, Art teacher
- Active Years
- 1949-2002
- Influenced By
- Agatha Christie, John le Carré, Graham Greene
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | School of Fine Arts | Painting / Illustration | — | 1940–1945 | United States |
| University of Pennsylvania | — | — | — | 1963–1964 | United States |
| Art Students' League | — | — | — | 1963–1964 | United States |
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
School of Fine Arts
/ Painting / Illustration
Period:
1940–1945
Year of Graduation:
1945
Country:
United States
Attended with the aim of writing and illustrating children's books
University of Pennsylvania
Period:
1963–1964
Year of Graduation:
1964
Country:
United States
Attended briefly; details unspecified
Art Students' League
Period:
1963–1964
Year of Graduation:
1964
Country:
United States
Took additional art studies
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Grand Master Award | — | Lifetime Achievement | Mystery Writers of America | Winner |
| 1975 | Catholic Book Award | A Nun in the Closet | — | Catholic Book Award (organization details unclear) | Winner |
Grand Master Award
2010
Category:
Lifetime Achievement
Organization:
Mystery Writers of America
Result:
Winner
Catholic Book Award
1975
Work:
A Nun in the Closet
Organization:
Catholic Book Award (organization details unclear)
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
1966 Spy fiction / MysteryA retired grandmother, Emily Pollifax, volunteers for the CIA and becomes a spy — a humorous, adventurous spy novel and the first book of the Mrs. Pollifax series.
Empowerment of older womenAdventure and humorTravel / exotic settings
Adaptations
- [Film] Mrs. Pollifax-Spy (1970 film) (1970)
- [TV movie] The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1999 TV movie) (1999)
Translations
The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax
1970 Spy fiction / MysteryThe second book in the series, following Emily Pollifax on another of her international adventures.
CourageAdventures in later life
Translations
A Nun in the Closet
1975 General fiction with mystery elementsA novel reflecting knowledge of medicinal herbs and folk remedies, combining religious themes with mystery elements. Published in 1975 and winner of a Catholic Book Award.
Religion and faithHerbalism / natural remediesPersonal renewal
Translations
A New Kind of Country
1978 Memoir / Non-fictionA memoir of life in a small Nova Scotia village, focusing on self-sufficiency and rural living.
Rural lifeLiving with natureSelf-sufficiency
Translations
Thale's Folly
1999 General fictionOne of Gilman's few novels featuring a male protagonist; reflects her knowledge of herbs and regional culture.
IdentityHerbal remediesInterpersonal relationships
Translations
Bibliography
- Enchanted Caravan (1949)
- Carnival Gypsy (1950)
- The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1966)
- The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax (1970)
- A Nun in the Closet (1975)
- A New Kind of Country (1978)
- Mrs. Pollifax on Safari (1977)
- Thale's Folly (1999)
- Kaleidoscope: A Countess Karitska Novel (2002)
Adaptations
- Mrs. Pollifax-Spy (1970 theatrical film starring Rosalind Russell) and The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1999 TV movie starring Angela Lansbury)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Humorous, breezy narrationRealistic locale-based descriptionsIncorporation of practical knowledge (herbalism, gardening)
- Recurring Motifs
- Travel and exotic settingsActive older womenGardening and herbalism
Health
-
Alzheimer's disease2000年代後半–2012年Affected her health in later years and contributed to complications that led to her death in 2012
Legacy
Dorothy Gilman is best known for the unique Mrs. Pollifax spy series starring an older woman protagonist. Her work combined humor, vivid locale description, and knowledge of herbs and rural life; she received lifetime achievement recognition from the mystery community.
Academic Societies
- Mystery Writers of America (honorary)
Archives
In Popular Culture
- The Mrs. Pollifax stories were adapted into a 1970 film and a 1999 TV movie, bringing the character into popular culture.
Trivia
- Emily Pollifax has been described as perhaps the only spy in literature who belonged simultaneously to the CIA and a local garden club.
- Published many children's and young adult books under her married name, Dorothy Gilman Butters.