John Dos Passos Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1987) Winner
Lee Smith
リー・スミス
Rī Sumisu
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1944-11-01 （Grundy, Virginia, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Grundy, Virginia → Roanoke, Virginia (attended Hollins College) → Chapel Hill, North Carolina → Hillsborough, North Carolina
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1968-
- Affiliations
- North Carolina State University (faculty)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollins University | — | — | — | 1962–1966 | United States |
Hollins University
Period:
1962–1966
Year of Graduation:
1966
Country:
United States
Received a Book-of-the-Month Club fellowship while a senior; classmate of Annie Dillard.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | O. Henry Award | — | — | O. Henry Awards | 受賞 |
| 1980 | O. Henry Award | — | — | O. Henry Awards | 受賞 |
| — | American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction | — | Fiction | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 受賞 |
| — | North Carolina Award for Literature | — | — | State of North Carolina | 受賞 |
| — | Southern Book Critics Circle Award | The Last Girls | — | Southern Book Critics Circle | 受賞 |
| 2002 | New York Times Bestseller | The Last Girls | — | The New York Times | 選出 |
O. Henry Award
1978
Organization:
O. Henry Awards
Result:
受賞
O. Henry Award
1980
Organization:
O. Henry Awards
Result:
受賞
American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
受賞
North Carolina Award for Literature
Organization:
State of North Carolina
Result:
受賞
Southern Book Critics Circle Award
Work:
The Last Girls
Organization:
Southern Book Critics Circle
Result:
受賞
New York Times Bestseller
2002
Work:
The Last Girls
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed
1968 FictionAn early coming-of-age novel, exploring origins and maturation; Smith's first published fiction.
Coming of ageHomeFamily
Something in the Wind
1971 FictionAn early novel that helped establish Smith's reputation; received generally favorable reviews.
Human relationshipsCommunity
Fair and Tender Ladies
1988 Fiction (generational saga)A multi-generational story told from Appalachian women's perspectives, focusing on regional landscape and daily lives.
GenerationsWomenRegional identity
The Last Girls
2002 FictionAn ensemble story about friendship and memory; listed on the New York Times bestseller list upon release.
FriendshipMemoryAging
On Agate Hill
2006 Historical fiction / Southern literatureSet in the Piedmont South during Reconstruction, the novel intertwines regional history and personal narrative through a young narrator.
HistoryCommunityMemory
Guests on Earth
2013 Historical fiction (biographical elements)Inspired by the life of Zelda Fitzgerald; through a woman in a mental hospital, it depicts the lives of artists of the era.
Mental illnessArtWomen's lives
Blue Marlin
2020 NovellaA novella following 13-year-old Jenny during a family trip to Key West after her father's affair is revealed; explores family dynamics.
FamilyComing of ageBetrayal
Silver Alert
2023 FictionA recent novel addressing aging and family issues (details not specified).
AgingFamily
Dimestore: A Writer's Life
2016 Memoir / EssaysA memoir composed of essays about her life in Grundy and her experiences as a writer.
MemoryHometownWriting life
Bibliography
- The Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed (1968)
- Something in the Wind (1971)
- Fancy Strut (1973)
- Black Mountain Breakdown (1980)
- Oral History (1983)
- Family Linen (1985)
- Fair and Tender Ladies (1988)
- Me and My Baby View the Eclipse (1990)
- The Devil's Dream (1992)
- Saving Grace (1995)
- The Christmas Letters (1996)
- News of the Spirit (1997)
- The Last Girls (2002)
- On Agate Hill (2006)
- Guests on Earth (2013)
- Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger (2010)
- Blue Marlin (2020)
- Dimestore: A Writer's Life (2016)
- Silver Alert (2023)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Rooted in Southern literary traditionDetailed psychological portraiture of characters and placeNarrative-driven storytelling
- Recurring Motifs
- Hometown and originsFamily relationshipsFemale perspectivesMemory and timeSmall-town life
Legacy
A writer known for works set in Appalachia and the American South, portraying regional life and women's experiences with care; recipient of multiple literary honors and both critical and popular recognition.
Archives
- Guide to the Lee Marshall Smith Papers, North Carolina State University Libraries
Trivia
- At age nine she sold stories about her neighbors for five cents each.
- While at Hollins she and classmate Annie Dillard were go-go dancers for an all-girl band.
- Taught for many years at North Carolina State University.
- Has been married twice and has two children (divorced from first husband; later married Hal Crowther).