American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 37 (2016) Lifetime Achievement Award
Louise Meriwether
ルイーズ・メリウェザー
Ruizu Meriwetheru
Pen Names:
Louise Jenkins（birth name）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1923-05-08 （Haverstraw, New York, U.S.）
- Died
- 2023-10-10 （New York City (Manhattan), New York, U.S.） age 100
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Haverstraw (birthplace) → Harlem, New York City → Los Angeles (residence/working period) → Manhattan, New York City (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, biographer, journalist, activist, essayist, children's author
- Active Years
- 1961-2023
- Affiliations
- Harlem Writers Guild, Watts Writers Workshop, Organization of Women Writers of Africa (board member)
- Influenced By
- James Baldwin, Paule Marshall, Maya Angelou
- Influenced
- Younger Black writers, especially women authors, Organizations supporting feminist and debut writers
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Commercial High School | — | — | — | 在学年不明（ニューヨークで成長） | United States |
| New York University | — | English | BA | 夜間学習で学位取得（詳細年不明） | United States |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | — | Journalism | MA | 1965 年修了 | United States |
Central Commercial High School
Period:
在学年不明（ニューヨークで成長）
Country:
United States
Graduated from a Manhattan public high school
New York University
English
Degree:
BA
Period:
夜間学習で学位取得（詳細年不明）
Country:
United States
Earned a BA in English while studying at night while working as a secretary
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Journalism
Degree:
MA
Period:
1965 年修了
Year of Graduation:
1965
Country:
United States
Earned an MA in Journalism
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Lifetime Achievement Award (Gold Pen Awards) | — | — | Black Writers Alliance (formerly African American Online Writers Guild) | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Clara Lemlich Award for Social Activism | — | — | Labor Arts | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Louise Meriwether First Book Prize (established in her honor) | — | — | The Feminist Press / TAYO Literary Magazine | 名称制定／創設 |
| 2016 | American Book Awards (Lifetime Achievement) | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Center for Black Literature Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — | National Black Writers Conference (Center for Black Literature) | 受賞 |
| 2023 | PEN Oakland/Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — | PEN Oakland | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Louise Meriwether Appreciation Day (declared by Manhattan Borough President) | — | — | Borough President of Manhattan | 記念日宣言 |
Lifetime Achievement Award (Gold Pen Awards)
2001
Organization:
Black Writers Alliance (formerly African American Online Writers Guild)
Result:
受賞
Clara Lemlich Award for Social Activism
2011
Organization:
Labor Arts
Result:
受賞
Louise Meriwether First Book Prize (established in her honor)
2016
Organization:
The Feminist Press / TAYO Literary Magazine
Result:
名称制定／創設
American Book Awards (Lifetime Achievement)
2016
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
Center for Black Literature Lifetime Achievement Award
2018
Organization:
National Black Writers Conference (Center for Black Literature)
Result:
受賞
PEN Oakland/Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award
2023
Organization:
PEN Oakland
Result:
受賞
Louise Meriwether Appreciation Day (declared by Manhattan Borough President)
2016
Organization:
Borough President of Manhattan
Result:
記念日宣言
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Daddy Was a Number Runner
1970 NovelA semi-autobiographical novel drawing on Meriwether's childhood in Harlem during the Depression and post–Harlem Renaissance era, portraying family struggles and daily life in the Black community.
Harlem lifeRace and povertyFamilyComing of age
Francie's Harlem
1988 NovelA novel set in Harlem that continues Meriwether's focus on community and individual narratives.
CommunityMemoryFamily
Fragments of the Ark
1994 NovelA novel published in the 1990s; detailed synopsis not provided here.
HistoricityMemory
Shadow Dancing
2000 NovelA 2000 novel addressing relationships between individuals and community within historical contexts.
Individual and communityHistory
The Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls
1971 Children's biographyA children's biography of Robert Smalls.
Black historyHeroism
The Heart Man: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
1972 Children's biographyA children's biography about the surgeon Daniel Hale Williams.
Medical historyBlack achievement
Bibliography
- Daddy Was a Number Runner (1970)
- The Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls (1971)
- The Heart Man: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (1972)
- Don't Ride the Bus on Monday: The Rosa Parks Story (1973)
- Francie's Harlem (1988)
- Fragments of the Ark (1994)
- Shadow Dancing (2000)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realist style with autobiographical elementsDetailed depiction emphasizing community life
- Recurring Motifs
- Family bonds and solidaritySurvival through humorUrban hardship and resilience
Health
-
COVID-19 (contracted)2020Contracted COVID-19 in 2020; health reportedly declined afterward, contributing to deteriorated condition in later years.
Legacy
Louise Meriwether is best known for her 1970 debut Daddy Was a Number Runner and is regarded as an important Black woman writer depicting Harlem life. She contributed significantly to supporting new writers and Black literature, including the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize established in her honor.
Academic Societies
- Center for Black Literature (associated)
Archives
- Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University (Louise Meriwether papers, 1968–2013)
Quotes
-
I am a writer, and also a dedicated activist and peacenik. ... Last year I helped set up a forum on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.
Source: Remarks cited when named as a recipient of the Clara Lemlich Award for Social Activism (2011)
Trivia
- Her debut Daddy Was a Number Runner (1970) reportedly sold more than 400,000 copies.
- Died on October 10, 2023, at the age of 100.
- Worked in Hollywood as one of the first Black women hired as a story analyst/story editor.