Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
2 appearances
-
Edition 42 (1963) Winner
-
Edition 60 (1981) Nominee
Madeleine L'Engle
マデレイン・エル・レングル
Madeleine L'Engle
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1918-11-29 （New York City, U.S.）
- Died
- 2007-09-06 （Litchfield, Connecticut, U.S.） age 88
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Christianity (Episcopal; tendencies toward Christian universalism)
- Residence History
- New York City (birth through adulthood) → Chamonix, France (childhood period) → Switzerland (boarding school) → Goshen, Connecticut (Crosswicks farmhouse, from 1952) → Manhattan, Upper West Side (residence and writing base) → Litchfield, Connecticut (final years)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Poet, Children's and YA author, Essayist
- Active Years
- 1945-2007
- Affiliations
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine (volunteer librarian / writer-in-residence), St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's School (teaching) , Authors Guild (former president)
- Memberships
- Authors Guild, Venerable Order of Saint John (Associate Dame of Justice)
- Influenced By
- George MacDonald, C. S. Lewis, Christian thought and classical literature
- Influenced
- Katherine Paterson and other children's writers, Numerous contemporary YA authors
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith College | — | — | — | 1937–1941 | United States |
Smith College
Period:
1937–1941
Year of Graduation:
1941
Country:
United States
Graduated cum laude
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Newbery Medal | A Wrinkle in Time | — | American Library Association (Association for Library Service to Children) | Winner |
| 1998 | Margaret A. Edwards Award | Meet the Austins; A Wrinkle in Time; A Swiftly Tilting Planet; A Ring of Endless Light | — | American Library Association (YALSA) | Recipient |
| 2004 | National Humanities Medal | — | — | National Endowment for the Humanities | Recipient |
| 1985 | Regina Medal | — | — | Catholic Library Association | Recipient |
| 1991 | Kerlan Award | — | — | Kerlan Award (associated organizations) | Recipient |
Newbery Medal
1963
Work:
A Wrinkle in Time
Organization:
American Library Association (Association for Library Service to Children)
Result:
Winner
Margaret A. Edwards Award
1998
Work:
Meet the Austins; A Wrinkle in Time; A Swiftly Tilting Planet; A Ring of Endless Light
Organization:
American Library Association (YALSA)
Result:
Recipient
National Humanities Medal
2004
Organization:
National Endowment for the Humanities
Result:
Recipient
Regina Medal
1985
Organization:
Catholic Library Association
Result:
Recipient
Kerlan Award
1991
Organization:
Kerlan Award (associated organizations)
Result:
Recipient
Awards & Nominations
Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1992) Winner
Works
Major Works
A Wrinkle in Time
1962 Children's literature; Science fiction; Fantasy 256 pagesFollows Meg Murry, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe as they travel through space and time to rescue Meg's father; blends scientific concepts with spiritual and philosophical themes and has become a classic of YA literature.
Family and connectionBattle of good vs. evilTime and dimensionsDialogue between faith and science
Adaptations
- [Television film] A Wrinkle in Time (2003 TV film) / John Kent Harrison (2004)
- [Theatrical film] A Wrinkle in Time (2018 film) / Ava DuVernay (2018)
Bibliography
- A Wrinkle in Time
- A Wind in the Door
- A Swiftly Tilting Planet
- Many Waters
- A Ring of Endless Light
- The Small Rain
- Meet the Austins
Adaptations
- Television and theatrical film adaptations of A Wrinkle in Time (2003, 2018)
- Television film adaptation of A Ring of Endless Light (2002)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Imaginative and poetic proseExploration of spirituality and Christian themesIncorporation of scientific concepts into fiction
- Recurring Motifs
- Family and intergenerational connectionsLight vs. darkness / good vs. evilDistortions of time and dimensionsCoexistence of faith and science
Health
-
Injuries from automobile accident1991Serious injury but recovered sufficiently to travel to Antarctica in 1992
-
Intracerebral hemorrhage2002Reduced mobility thereafter; curtailed teaching and travel engagements
-
Osteoporosis晩年Contributed to reduced mobility and decreased public engagements
Legacy
Madeleine L'Engle is a major figure in children's and YA literature; her distinctive blending of spiritual and scientific themes has had lasting influence. A Wrinkle in Time earned major awards, multiple adaptations, and continues to be studied and preserved in academic collections.
Museums
- Madeleine L'Engle Collection (Wheaton College) Wheaton, Illinois, U.S. Opened in 1976
- Sophia Smith Collection (Smith College) Northampton, Massachusetts (Smith College) Opened in 2019
Academic Societies
- New York Writers Hall of Fame (inductee)
- Various academic communities awarding honorary degrees
Archives
- Madeleine L'Engle papers at Wheaton College Archives
- Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College (papers donated 2019)
In Popular Culture
- Film adaptations of A Wrinkle in Time (2003, 2018) prompted wide media coverage and discussion
- Centenary events and conferences (2018) celebrated her work and legacy
Quotes
-
I cannot believe that God wants punishment to go on interminably. The entire purpose of loving punishment is to teach, and it lasts only as long as is needed for the lesson. And the lesson is always love.
Source: Quoted in essays/interviews (reflecting her writings on faith and theology) (1982) -
(About the film) I expected it to be bad, and it is.
Source: Interview with Newsweek (regarding a film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time) (2004)
Trivia
- A Wrinkle in Time was rejected more than thirty times before being published in 1962.
- A crater on Mercury was named 'L'Engle' in 2013.
- In later years she suffered an intracerebral hemorrhage and osteoporosis which limited mobility.
- Her papers and manuscripts are held at Wheaton College and Smith College.