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Rosellen Brown

ロゼレン・ブラウン

Rosellen Brown

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1939-05-12 （Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States）
Nationality
American
Languages
English
Residence History
Philadelphia (birthplace) → New York (Barnard College) → Chicago (taught at School of the Art Institute of Chicago) → Houston (taught at University of Houston)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Poet, Short story writer, Instructor of English and creative writing
Active Years
1970-
Affiliations
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (instructor), University of Houston (instructor)

Education

Barnard College
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Year of Graduation: 1960
Country: United States
Brandeis University
Country: United States
Attended/studied (details unspecified)

Awards

Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize
Organization: Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Some Deaths in the Delta and Other Poems

1970 Poetry

A poetry collection reflecting on the civil rights era and experiences in the American South.

Civil rights movementMemoryHuman relationships

Street Games

1974 Short stories

A collection of short stories addressing urban life and female perspectives.

Urban lifeFamilyFemale experience

The Autobiography of My Mother

1976 Novel

A novel exploring the figure of the mother and family history with experimental elements.

MotherhoodMemoryFamily

Tender Mercies

1978 Novel

A novel focusing on family relationships and themes of forgiveness.

FamilyForgivenessPersonal recovery

Civil Wars

1984 Novel

A novel that examines political and personal conflicts within family stories.

PoliticsFamilyConflict

Before and After

1992 Novel

A family novel with suspense elements about a family involved in a crime. Adapted into a 1996 film of the same name.

FamilyGuilt and responsibilityEthics
Adaptations
  • [Film] Before and After / Barbet Schroeder (1996)

Half a Heart

2000 Novel

A novel tracing the lives of people involved in the civil rights movement and their later lives. A television adaptation exists.

Civil rightsLegacy of historyCommunity
Adaptations
  • [Television] Half a Heart (TV adaptation)

The Lake on Fire

2018 Novel

A recent novel (2018). See author site and bibliographies for details.

MemoryFamilyHistory

Bibliography

  • Some Deaths in the Delta and Other Poems (1970)
  • Whole World Catalog, Teachers and Writers Collaborative (co-editor, 1972)
  • Street Games (stories, 1974)
  • The Autobiography of My Mother (novel, 1976)
  • Cora Fry (poems, 1977)
  • Tender Mercies (novel, 1978)
  • The Secret Garden (play adaptation, 1983)
  • Civil Wars (novel, 1984)
  • Before and After (novel, 1992)
  • A Rosellen Brown Reader: Selected Poetry and Prose (1992)
  • Inter-Office (short story, 1994)
  • Cora Fry's Pillow Book (poetry, 1994)
  • Half a Heart (novel, 2000)
  • The Lake on Fire (novel, 2018)

Adaptations

  • Before and After (1996 film adaptation)
  • Half a Heart (television adaptation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Realist prose focusing on character depictionDelicate narrative exploring family and community relationships
Recurring Motifs
FamilyMemoryForgivenessThe legacy of the civil rights movement

Legacy

Rosellen Brown is an American author known for works that explore family dynamics and the legacy of the civil rights movement. Several of her works have been adapted for screen, and she has taught creative writing in academia, earning recognition in contemporary American literature.

Archives

  • Works and related materials available at the Internet Archive

In Popular Culture

  • Before and After was adapted into a 1996 film starring Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep.

Trivia

  • Before and After was adapted as a film in 1996.
  • She has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Houston.
  • Recipient of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize (year unspecified in provided sources).