Aga Khan Prize for Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1982) Winner
Thomas Coraghessan Boyle
ティー・コラゲッサン・ボイル
T. Coraghessan Boyle
Pen Names:
T. C. Boyle（Pen name used professionally for publications）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1948-12-02 （Peekskill, New York, U.S.）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Peekskill, New York (born and raised) → Montecito, California (residence) → Iowa (study and academic residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Short-story writer, Professor of English
- Active Years
- 1975-
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (former faculty)
- Influenced By
- Gabriel García Márquez, Flannery O'Connor, Robert Coover
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State University of New York at Potsdam | — | English and History | BA | 1964–1968 | United States |
| University of Iowa, Iowa Writers' Workshop | — | Creative Writing (MFA) | MFA | 1972–1974 | United States |
| University of Iowa | — | Literary Studies (PhD program) | PhD | 1974–1977 | United States |
State University of New York at Potsdam
English and History
Degree:
BA
Period:
1964–1968
Year of Graduation:
1968
Country:
United States
Bachelor of Arts in English and History
University of Iowa, Iowa Writers' Workshop
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree:
MFA
Period:
1972–1974
Year of Graduation:
1974
Country:
United States
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
University of Iowa
Literary Studies (PhD program)
Degree:
PhD
Period:
1974–1977
Year of Graduation:
1977
Country:
United States
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction | World's End | — | PEN/Faulkner Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1997 | Prix Médicis étranger | The Tortilla Curtain | — | Prix Médicis (France) | 受賞 |
| 1988 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2014 | Rea Award for the Short Story | — | — | Rea Award committee | 受賞 |
| 1999 | PEN/Malamud Award | T.C. Boyle Stories (Collected Stories) | — | PEN/Faulkner Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1988 | O. Henry Award | Sinking House (short story) | — | O. Henry Award committee | 受賞 |
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
1988
Work:
World's End
Organization:
PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Result:
受賞
Prix Médicis étranger
1997
Work:
The Tortilla Curtain
Organization:
Prix Médicis (France)
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
1988
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Rea Award for the Short Story
2014
Organization:
Rea Award committee
Result:
受賞
PEN/Malamud Award
1999
Work:
T.C. Boyle Stories (Collected Stories)
Organization:
PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Result:
受賞
O. Henry Award
1988
Work:
Sinking House (short story)
Organization:
O. Henry Award committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1988) Winner
Prix Médicis
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
Water Music
1981 Historical novel / AdventureA historical-adventure novel set in the late 18th century, following explorations and personal fates against the backdrop of imperial encounters.
explorationimperialismhuman fate
World's End
1987 Historical novel / Family sagaAn epic novel spanning 300 years around Peekskill, intertwining local history and family destinies; a meditative treatment of upstate New York's past.
historyfamilylocality
The Tortilla Curtain
1995 Social novel / Contemporary fictionA satirical contemporary novel set in Southern California, dramatizing conflicts between immigrants and middle-class white communities, addressing immigration, environment, and class.
immigrationenvironmentclass conflict
The Road to Wellville
1993 Satirical novel / Historical fictionA satirical novel set around the turn of the 20th century, lampooning health fads and the wellness industry; features historical figures.
satirewellness industryhistorical figures
Adaptations
- [Film] The Road to Wellville (film) / Alan Parker (1994)
Bibliography
- Water Music (1981)
- Budding Prospects (1984)
- World's End (1987)
- The Tortilla Curtain (1995)
- The Road to Wellville (1993)
Adaptations
- 'The Road to Wellville' adapted as a film (1994, dir. Alan Parker)
- 'Greasy Lake' film adaptation (1988)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- satirical humorpostmodern elementsoccasional use of magical realismdetailed observational prose
- Recurring Motifs
- depictions of nature and environmentflawed male protagonistsdesires and contradictions of American middle-classdark or violent humor
Legacy
T. Coraghessan Boyle is a prominent American writer since the 1980s, highly regarded for both short stories and novels. Noted for satire, environmental concerns, and inventive plotting, he has received multiple major literary awards.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (inducted 2009)
Archives
- Papers at the Harry Ransom Center (University of Texas)
In Popular Culture
- The film adaptation of 'The Road to Wellville' (1994) was a commercial and critical failure.
Quotes
-
Boyle's stories and novels take the best elements of minimalism, postmodern extravaganzas, magical realism, and dark comedy to portray American life in an accessible, subversive, and inventive way.
Source: Paul William Gleason, Understanding T. C. Boyle (2009)
Trivia
- Born Thomas John Boyle, Jr.; changed his middle name to Coraghessan at age 17 after a maternal ancestor.
- Residence in Montecito placed him near the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent 2018 mudslides; he documented these events on his website and in The New Yorker.
- Has published more than 150 short stories and multiple novels.