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Stacy Schiff

ステイシー・シフ

Stacy Schiff

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1961-10-26 （Adams, Massachusetts）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Adams, Massachusetts → New York City

Career

Occupations
Writer, Editor
Active Years
1982-
Affiliations
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (trustee), Phillips Academy (board member)
Memberships
American Academy of Arts and Letters (member), John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (trustee)
Nominations
1995 Pulitzer Prize (Biography) finalist — Saint-Exupéry: A Biography

Education

Phillips Academy (Andover)
Country: United States
Preparatory school (secondary education)
Williams College
Degree: BA
Period: 1978–1982
Year of Graduation: 1982
Country: United States
Bachelor's degree (major not specified in source)

Awards

Pulitzer Prize (Biography or Autobiography)
2000
Work: Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov)
Organization: The Pulitzer Prizes – Columbia University
Result: Winner
Pulitzer Prize (Biography) — Finalist
1995
Work: Saint-Exupéry: A Biography
Organization: The Pulitzer Prizes – Columbia University
Result: Finalist
George Washington Book Prize
2006
Work: A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America
Organization: George Washington Book Prize (awarding organizations)
Result: Winner
PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography
2011
Work: Cleopatra: A Life
Organization: PEN America
Result: Winner
Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center Fellowship
2002
Organization: New York Public Library
Result: Fellowship
Library Lion
2011
Organization: New York Public Library
Result: Honoree
Lapham's Quarterly Janus Prize
2015
Organization: Lapham's Quarterly
Result: Recipient
Literary Light
2016
Organization: Boston Public Library
Result: Recipient
New England Historic Genealogical Society: Lifetime Achievement Award in History and Biography
2017
Organization: New England Historic Genealogical Society
Result: Winner
Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
2018
Organization: French Ministry of Culture
Result: Awarded
Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award
2019
Organization: Tulsa Library
Result: Recipient
American Academy of Arts and Letters (Elected)
2019
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result: Elected
George Washington Book Prize (Finalist)
2023
Work: The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
Organization: George Washington Book Prize (awarding organizations)
Result: Finalist
Colonial Dames of America Book Prize
2024
Work: The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
Organization: Colonial Dames of America
Result: Winner
William Hickling Prescott Award for Excellence in Historical Writing
2024
Work: The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
Organization: Massachusetts Historical Society
Result: Winner
American Library in Paris: Writer in Residence
2024
Organization: American Library in Paris
Result: Residency

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Saint-Exupéry: A Biography

1994 Biography

A detailed biography of French aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, tracing his life and achievements.

AviationCreativity and lifeWorld War II era history

Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov)

1999 Biography

A biography of Véra Nabokov that explores her life, family background, and role in Vladimir Nabokov's life and work.

FamilyLiteratureWomen as supporters/partners

A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America

2005 History / Biography

A historical biography focusing on Benjamin Franklin's time in France and his diplomatic role in the birth of the United States.

DiplomacyAmerican independence18th-century international politics
Adaptations
  • [Miniseries] Franklin / 不明（制作：2024年のミニシリーズ、主演マイケル・ダグラス） (2024)

Cleopatra: A Life

2010 Biography / History 384 pages

A biography of Cleopatra that revisits myths and misunderstandings to present a nuanced portrait of the ancient Egyptian queen.

Power and politicsAncient historyWomen in history
Adaptations
  • [Film (in development)] Cleopatra (working title) / Denis Villeneuve

The Witches: Salem, 1692

2015 History / Non-fiction

A meticulous reconstruction of the Salem witch trials of 1692–93, following the people and events in detail.

Witch trialsJustice and social panicColonial-era culture

The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams

2022 Biography / History

A biography of Samuel Adams, examining his life and political role during the American Revolution.

Revolutionary historyPolitical movementsFounding-era America

Bibliography

  • Saint-Exupéry: A Biography (1994)
  • Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov) (1999)
  • A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America (2005)
  • Cleopatra: A Life (2010)
  • The Witches: Salem, 1692 (2015)
  • The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams (2022)

Adaptations

  • Miniseries 'Franklin' (2024), based on A Great Improvisation
  • Film adaptation of Cleopatra: A Life (Denis Villeneuve, in development)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detail-oriented biography based on primary-source researchClear, elegant essayistic proseNarrative-driven approach to non-fiction
Recurring Motifs
Intersection of individual lives and historyRoles and marginalization of womenInteraction of politics and culture

Legacy

Stacy Schiff is an acclaimed biographer whose meticulous archival research and accessible prose have earned major awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. Her work balances scholarly rigor with broad popular appeal.

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters

Archives

  • New York Public Library - Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center (fellowship)

In Popular Culture

  • Miniseries 'Franklin' (2024), based on A Great Improvisation
  • Film adaptation of Cleopatra: A Life (Denis Villeneuve, in development)

Quotes

  • Schiff does a rare thing: She gives us a book we'd miss if it didn't exist.
    Source: The Wall Street Journal (book review, 2010) (2010)

Trivia

  • Married Marc de La Bruyere in 1989.
  • Has three children.
  • Received a BA from Williams College in 1982.
  • Serves on the board/trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.