Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
1 appearances
-
Edition 61 (1982) Winner
Nancy Willard
ナンシー・ウィラード
Nanshī Uirādo
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1936-06-26 （Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States）
- Died
- 2017-02-19 （Poughkeepsie, New York, United States） age 80
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Ann Arbor, Michigan → Poughkeepsie, New York
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Poet, Children's author, College professor
- Active Years
- 1966-2017
- Affiliations
- Vassar College
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan | — | — | B.A. | — | United States |
| Stanford University | — | — | M.A. | — | United States |
| University of Michigan | — | — | Ph.D. | — | United States |
University of Michigan
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
B.A. (year unknown); winner of Hopwood Awards while at University of Michigan
Stanford University
Degree:
M.A.
Country:
United States
M.A. (year unknown)
University of Michigan
Degree:
Ph.D.
Country:
United States
Ph.D. (year unknown)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Hopwood Awards | — | — | University of Michigan (Hopwood Awards) | winner |
| 1967 | Devins Award for Poetry | — | — | — | winner |
| 1970 | O. Henry Award | — | — | — | winner |
| 1982 | Newbery Medal | A Visit to William Blake's Inn | — | Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), American Library Association (ALA) | winner |
| 1976 | National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | fellowship |
| 1987 | National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | fellowship |
| 1977 | Lewis Carroll Shelf Award | Sailing to Cythera, and other Anatole Stories | — | University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education | listed |
| 1979 | Lewis Carroll Shelf Award | The Island of the Grass King: The Further Adventures of Anatole | — | University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education | listed |
Hopwood Awards
Organization:
University of Michigan (Hopwood Awards)
Result:
winner
Devins Award for Poetry
1967
Result:
winner
O. Henry Award
1970
Result:
winner
Newbery Medal
1982
Work:
A Visit to William Blake's Inn
Organization:
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), American Library Association (ALA)
Result:
winner
National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship
1976
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
fellowship
National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship
1987
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
fellowship
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1977
Work:
Sailing to Cythera, and other Anatole Stories
Organization:
University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education
Result:
listed
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1979
Work:
The Island of the Grass King: The Further Adventures of Anatole
Organization:
University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education
Result:
listed
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
A Visit to William Blake's Inn
1981 Children's poetryA collection of poems (with prose introduction and epilogue) about a child's overnight stay at William Blake's Inn, inhabited by Blake and various magical creatures.
ImaginationInnocenceDreamsSymbolism / references to William Blake
Sailing to Cythera, and other Anatole Stories
1974 Children's literature (short stories)A collection of Anatole stories with whimsical, fairy-tale qualities. Illustrated by David McPhail.
Fable-like storytellingAdventureAnthropomorphic animal characters
The Island of the Grass King: The Further Adventures of Anatole
1979 Children's literature (sequel)A second volume of Anatole adventures, again illustrated by David McPhail.
FriendshipAdventureImaginative worlds
Uncle Terrible: More Adventures of Anatole
1982 Children's literatureThe third Anatole book, a collection of further fantastical tales for children.
FantasyHumorAnthropomorphism
Things Invisible to See
1985 Fiction (novel)A novel set in 1940s Ann Arbor about two brothers involved with a paralyzed young woman; described as having fairy-tale qualities and a Manichean conflict between good and evil.
Conflict between good and evilHealing and coming-of-ageNostalgia
Bibliography
- In His Country (1966)
- Skin of Grace (1967)
- A Visit to William Blake's Inn (1981)
- Sailing to Cythera and other Anatole Stories (1974)
- The Island of the Grass King (1979)
- Uncle Terrible (1982)
- Things Invisible to See (1985)
- Sister Water (1993)
- The River That Runs Two Ways (2000)
- Gum (2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Poetic, fable-like prose and verseImagery-rich descriptionsNarrative voice that shifts between children's and adult audiences
- Recurring Motifs
- AngelsWaterDreams and nightAnimalsFolklore and myth
Legacy
Nancy Willard was a poet and children's author best known for winning the 1982 Newbery Medal for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She taught at Vassar College for many years and influenced both children's literature and poetry with her lyrical, fable-like style.
Quotes
-
According to Susan Fromberg Schaeffer, the novel 'has the quality of a fairy tale ... a paradigm of life as a Manichean conflict between good and evil.'
Source: Susan Fromberg Schaeffer (book review/commentary) (1985)
Trivia
- One poem from A Visit to William Blake's Inn, 'Two Sunflowers Move into the Yellow Room', has frequently been misattributed to William Blake online, though it was written by Willard for the book.
- She won multiple Hopwood Awards while a student at the University of Michigan.