Alice Adams Biography
Alice Adams understood unfulfilled dreams like no one else. Her work was often defined by everyday people whose lives did not turn out the way they had hoped or expected. Adams’ perspective was based on experience. She toiled in unfulfilling jobs and spent much of her early adulthood in an unhappy marriage. One of her best-beloved stories, “Beautiful Girl,” is a case in point: it focuses on a past-her-prime beauty queen who has lapsed into alcoholism. As “Beautiful Girl” attests, Adams was keenly aware of the struggles and disappointments of women. Her characters could be difficult to like, but they were based on the real-life dreams and real-world failures faced by many American women, including Adams herself.
Facts and Trivia
- Born in Virginia, Adams studied at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, graduating at the end of the Second World War.
- Adams was widely recognized for her short stories and was the recipient of the prestigious O. Henry Award 23 times.
- Her prolific output as a writer frequently puts her in the company of other authors with lengthy bibliographies, such as John Updike and Joyce Carol Oates.
- A divorcee raising a child on her own, Adams was over forty years old before she found success (and permanent employment) as a writer.
- Adams’ stories were often drawn from her own life. Her experiences as a secretary formed the basis for the novel Medicine Men.
Biography
Alice Adams, a celebrated author known for her prolific output of short stories and novels, faced numerous obstacles before achieving literary success. Born on August 14, 1926, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, to southern parents Nicholson and Agatha Adams, she was part of a generation where women were often expected to remain silent. Despite entering Radcliffe College at sixteen, her aspirations were initially discouraged, steering her towards marriage rather than a career in writing. It was only at the age of forty that Adams published her first novel, marking the beginning of her professional writing journey.
The Early Years: Struggles and Setbacks
Adams faced significant resistance to her writing ambitions from the start. Although she graduated from Radcliffe with a degree in arts, she was pressured to focus on marriage instead of her literary dreams. Reluctantly, she married Mark Linenthal Jr. shortly after graduation, a union that proved to be unhappy. During this period, Adams struggled to get her work published, and her attempts met with little success. The marriage did result in the birth of her son, Peter, in 1951, but it was not until her divorce in 1958 that Adams began to focus earnestly on her writing career.
Life as a Single Mother and Writer
Post-divorce, Adams's life was fraught with challenges as a single mother. She juggled the responsibilities of raising her son with the necessity of earning a living. Writing remained her passion, yet financial survival required her to accept various low-paying jobs. These roles, although exhausting, provided her with valuable insights into the societal struggles and prejudices faced by women. During this time, Adams often questioned her writing talent, as rejection letters piled up and her confidence waned. A psychiatrist even advised her to abandon her writing aspirations. However, Adams's perseverance paid off when, in the late 1960s, her writing began to gain recognition, particularly from prestigious publications like the New Yorker.
Recognition and Success
As her literary career gained momentum, Adams became well-known for her short stories, which she later revealed were her preferred form. Her skill in crafting short narratives garnered her numerous O. Henry Awards, leading to the distinguished O. Henry Special Award for Continuing Achievement in 1982, an honor shared by only two other writers. Her stories appeared frequently in the esteemed publication, Best American Short Stories. By 1992, she had received the Academy and Institute Award in Literature, a testament to her standing in the literary community.
A Legacy of Literary Excellence
Alice Adams passed away peacefully at the age of seventy-two on May 27, 1999, in San Francisco. Her literary contributions continued to be celebrated posthumously with the release of The Stories of Alice Adams in 2002. This collection included "Greyhound People," recognized as a standout piece. Adams's legacy endures through her evocative stories, which continue to resonate with readers and affirm her place in American literature.
Criticism by Alice Adams
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