Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2001) Winner
Mary Cennamo Robison
メアリー・チェンナモ・ロビソン
Mary Cennamo Robison
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1949-01-14 （Washington, D.C., United States）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Columbus, Ohio → Gainesville, Florida (University of Florida)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, short story writer, professor
- Active Years
- 1977-
- Affiliations
- University of Florida (tenured professor), Oberlin College (visiting/teaching), Ohio University (teaching), Harvard University (teaching)
- Influenced By
- John Barth, Jack Kerouac
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State University | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Johns Hopkins University (Writing Seminars) | Writing Seminars | — | MA | — | United States |
Ohio State University
Country:
United States
Undergraduate studies; grew up in Columbus, Ohio.
Johns Hopkins University (Writing Seminars)
Writing Seminars
Degree:
MA
Country:
United States
Studied with writers including John Barth.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Fiction) | Why Did I Ever | フィクション | Los Angeles Times | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Rea Award for the Short Story | — | — | Rea Award for the Short Story | 受賞 |
Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Fiction)
2001
Work:
Why Did I Ever
Category:
フィクション
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
受賞
Rea Award for the Short Story
2009
Organization:
Rea Award for the Short Story
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Days: Stories
1979 Short stories / FictionEarly collection of short stories showcasing Robison's spare style and character focus.
familyfragments of everyday lifeminimalism
Oh!
1981 Novel / FictionA novel from the early 1980s later adapted by Paramount into the film Twister (1989).
civilization critiquehumorhuman relationships
Adaptations
- [film] Twister (1989) / チャンネル情報不明 (1989)
An Amateur's Guide to the Night: Stories
1983 Short stories / Fiction1983 collection noted for Robison's fragmentary, concise narrative voice.
lonelinessdomestic lifeshort story craft
Believe Them: Stories
1988 Short stories / FictionPublished in 1988, this collection further established her reputation as a short story writer.
memoryfamily dynamicsabsurdities of everyday life
Subtraction
1991 Short stories / Fiction1991 collection continuing her emphasis on concision and narrative whitespace.
lossfragmentationlinguistic omission
Why Did I Ever
2001 Novel / Fiction (experimental structure)A novel constructed from thousands of index-card fragments Robison used to overcome writer's block; composed of 536 short chapters. Winner of the 2001 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction.
fragmentationmemory and selfthe writer's creative process
Tell Me: 30 Stories
2002 Short stories / FictionPublished in 2002, a collection of thirty short stories.
dialoguefragments of daily life
One D.O.A., One on the Way
2009 Novel / FictionA 2009 novel chosen for Oprah Winfrey's Book Club summer reading list, drawing renewed attention to Robison's work.
domestic lifelosshumor and pathos
Bibliography
- Days: Stories (1979)
- Oh! (1981)
- An Amateur's Guide to the Night: Stories (1983)
- Believe Them: Stories (1988)
- Subtraction (1991)
- Why Did I Ever (2001)
- Tell Me: 30 Stories (2002)
- One D.O.A., One on the Way (2009)
Adaptations
- Oh! → adapted into the film Twister (1989)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- minimalist, spare prosefragmentary / episodic structuredry humor
- Recurring Motifs
- family and disintegrationmemory and forgettingfragments of everyday lifecreative struggle (index-card fragments)
Health
-
writer's block1990年代Experienced severe writer's block in the 1990s; she wrote thoughts on thousands of index cards and later reworked them into the novel Why Did I Ever.
Legacy
Mary Robison is regarded as a key figure among minimalist short story writers, respected for her contributions to short fiction and experimental novels. Her work has been recognized with awards such as the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Rea Award for the Short Story.
In Popular Culture
- One D.O.A., One on the Way was selected for Oprah's Book Club summer reading list in 2009, drawing popular attention.
Trivia
- As a teenager she once ran away seeking Jack Kerouac.
- During a 1990s bout of writer's block she wrote thousands of index cards and reworked them into Why Did I Ever.
- She has been married twice and has two daughters from her first marriage.