Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 12 (1986) Winner
Hortense Calisher
ホーテンス・キャリッシャ
Hortense Calisher
Pen Names:
Jack Fenno（Pseudonym used for some works）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1911-12-20 （New York City）
- Died
- 2009-01-13 （Manhattan, New York City） age 97
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- New York City → Manhattan (New York City)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Short story writer, Essayist
- Active Years
- 1951-2004
- Affiliations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters, PEN America, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Letters, PEN America, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Influenced By
- Eudora Welty, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Henry James
- Nominations
- National Book Award finalist (3 times)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter College High School | — | — | — | 1924-1928 | United States |
| Barnard College | — | — | — | 1928-1932 | United States |
Hunter College High School
Period:
1924-1928
Year of Graduation:
1928
Country:
United States
High school graduate (1928)
Barnard College
Period:
1928-1932
Year of Graduation:
1932
Country:
United States
Graduated from Barnard College (1932)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters (position) | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 就任 |
| 1986 | President of PEN America (position) | — | — | PEN America | 就任（1986–1987） |
| — | O. Henry Award | The Night Club in the Woods and other works | — | O. Henry Awards | 受賞（複数回） |
| 1986 | Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize | The Bobby-Soxer | — | Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize (University of Rochester) | 受賞 |
| 1952 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | フェローシップ |
| 1955 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | フェローシップ |
| 1997 | Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Sciences | 選出 |
| — | National Book Award finalist | — | — | National Book Foundation | ファイナリスト（3回） |
President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters (position)
1987
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
就任
President of PEN America (position)
1986
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
就任（1986–1987）
O. Henry Award
Work:
The Night Club in the Woods and other works
Organization:
O. Henry Awards
Result:
受賞（複数回）
Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize
1986
Work:
The Bobby-Soxer
Organization:
Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize (University of Rochester)
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
1952
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
フェローシップ
Guggenheim Fellowship
1955
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
フェローシップ
Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1997
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Result:
選出
National Book Award finalist
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
ファイナリスト（3回）
Awards & Nominations
Ambassador Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 17 (2002) Lifetime Achievement Award
Works
Major Works
In the Absence of Angels
1951 Short storiesAn early collection of short stories featuring incisive character studies and unexpected narrative turns.
isolationfailurefamily
False Entry
1961 NovelA mid-career novel notable for its complex characters and examination of social contexts.
identitysociety
The Bobby-Soxer
1986 NovelOne of her notable works of the 1980s, depicting family rupture, generational divides, and individual isolation.
intergenerational relationsisolationfamily
Sunday Jews
2003 NovelA late-career novel addressing Jewish-American family history, memory, and identity.
memoryJewish identityfamily history
The Small Bang
1992 NovelPublished under the pseudonym Jack Fenno; shows experimentation in voice and narrative technique.
experimental stylenarration
Bibliography
- In the Absence of Angels (1951)
- False Entry (1961)
- Tale for the Mirror (1962)
- Textures of Life (1963)
- Extreme Magic (1964)
- Journal from Ellipsia (1965)
- The New Yorkers (1969)
- Queenie (1971)
- On Keeping Women (1977)
- Mysteries of Motion (1983)
- The Bobby-Soxer (1986)
- Age (1987)
- The Small Bang (1992, as Jack Fenno)
- In the Palace of the Movie King (1993)
- In the Slammer with Carol Smith (1997)
- Sunday Jews (2003)
- Herself (autobiography, 1972)
- Kissing Cousins: A Memory (memoir, 1988)
- Tattoo for a Slave (memoir, 2004)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- meticulous character studyrhetorical and often elegiac long-lined proseneo-realist tendencies
- Recurring Motifs
- isolationfailure (love, marriage, identity)intergenerational emotional wounds
Legacy
Hortense Calisher was a distinctive voice in late-20th-century American literature, known for meticulous character studies and inventive narration. She held leadership roles in PEN America and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and was a pioneer among women literary leaders.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Quotes
-
“Her unpredictable turns of phrase, intellectually challenging fictional situations and complex plots captivated and puzzled readers for a half-century.”
Source: The New York Times (obituary) (2009)
Trivia
- She published under the pen name Jack Fenno.
- In 1987 she became the second female president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
- She received Guggenheim Fellowships in 1952 and 1955.