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Edition 13 (1993) Winner
Elizabeth Hardwick
エリザベス・ブルース・ハードウィック
Elizabeth Hardwick
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1916-07-27 （Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.）
- Died
- 2007-12-02 （New York City, U.S.） age 91
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Protestant
- Residence History
- Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. → New York City (Manhattan), U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- Literary critic, Essayist, Novelist, Short story writer, Editor, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1941-2007
- Affiliations
- The New York Review of Books (co-founder), Barnard College (lecturer), Columbia University School of the Arts (writing instructor)
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Fellow)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | — | — | BA, MA | 1935–1939 | United States |
| Columbia University | PhD program (withdrew) | — | — | 1939–1941 | United States |
University of Kentucky
Degree:
BA, MA
Period:
1935–1939
Year of Graduation:
1939
Country:
United States
Received BA (1938) and MA (1939)
Columbia University
PhD program (withdrew)
Period:
1939–1941
Country:
United States
Entered PhD program but withdrew in 1941 to concentrate on writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1977 | American Academy of Arts and Letters | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 選出/受賞 |
| 1996 | Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Sciences | 選出 |
Guggenheim Fellowship
1947
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
American Academy of Arts and Letters
1977
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
選出/受賞
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1996
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Ghostly Lover
1945 NovelAn early novel exploring solitude and interpersonal relationships through its characters and psychological detail.
SolitudeInterpersonal relationshipsCity and the individual
The Simple Truth
1955 NovelA novel concerned with morality and truth, reflecting Hardwick's mid-career literary interests.
MoralityTruthInterpersonal dynamics
Sleepless Nights
1979 Experimental novel / Memoir-like fictionA formally experimental novel weaving fragmented memories with sketches of urban life.
MemoryThe cityFeminine perspective
A View of My Own: Essays in Literature and Society
1962 Criticism / Essay collectionA representative collection of essays on literature and society, articulating her critical viewpoints.
Literary criticismSociety and literatureThe role of book reviewing
Seduction and Betrayal: Women and Literature
1974 CriticismAn essay collection treating the relationship between women and literature, including insights on gender and literary culture.
Women and literatureLiterary historyGender
Bartleby in Manhattan and Other Essays
1983 Criticism / Essay collectionA volume of literary essays presenting new readings of classics and reflections on city and literature.
The cityRereading the classicsCriticism
Sight-Readings: American Fictions
1998 Literary criticismA collection of criticism on American literature containing sharp observations in concise readings.
American literatureBrief readingsMethods of reading
Herman Melville
2000 Biography / Penguin Lives seriesA concise biography of Herman Melville, published as part of the Penguin Lives series.
Author biographyAmerican literary history
The New York Stories of Elizabeth Hardwick
2010 Short story collection (posthumous)A posthumous collection of short stories set in New York (published 2010).
New YorkUrban lifeShort fiction
Bibliography
- The Ghostly Lover (1945)
- The Simple Truth (1955)
- A View of My Own (1962)
- Sleepless Nights (1979)
- Seduction and Betrayal (1974)
- Bartleby in Manhattan (1983)
- Sight-Readings (1998)
- Herman Melville (2000)
- The New York Stories of Elizabeth Hardwick (2010, posthumous)
- The Collected Essays of Elizabeth Hardwick (2017, posthumous)
- The Uncollected Essays of Elizabeth Hardwick (2022, posthumous)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Clear, incisive critical proseFragmentary, memoir-like experimental narrationConcise, observational essay style
- Recurring Motifs
- Urban settings (especially New York)Memory and recollectionWomen's perspectives and representations in literatureThe relationship between literature and society
Legacy
Elizabeth Hardwick was an important postwar American critic and writer; as a co-founder of The New York Review of Books she significantly influenced the culture of criticism. Her criticism, fiction, and posthumous collections left a legacy of sharp observation and a distinctive voice.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Archives
- Elizabeth Hardwick Collection, Harry Ransom Center (University of Texas at Austin)
- Guide to the Elizabeth Hardwick manuscript, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections
In Popular Culture
- Biography 'A Splendid Intelligence: The Life of Elizabeth Hardwick' by Cathy Curtis (2021)
- Selected account included in Library of America two-century retrospective of American True Crime (2008)
Trivia
- Her 1959 essay 'The Decline of Book Reviewing' is known as a scathing critique of contemporary book reviewing.
- She was a co-founder of The New York Review of Books, inspired in part by the 1962 New York City newspaper strike.
- Married poet Robert Lowell in 1949; divorced in 1972. Their daughter is Harriet Lowell.
- Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1947; elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1977) and as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1996).
- Many of her essays and stories were collected and published posthumously, including The Collected Essays (2017).