Alice McDermott

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Alice McDermott Criticism

Alice McDermott is a distinguished American novelist and short story writer known for her profound exploration of perception, memory, and the loss of innocence. Her works often delve into childhood experiences, using children's perspectives to highlight the transition into adult awareness of mortality and loss. Born in Long Island, New York, McDermott pursued her education at SUNY Oswego and later at the University of New Hampshire, where she honed her writing skills. She gained critical acclaim with her debut novel, A Bigamist's Daughter (1982), which explores themes of love and familial expectations through the story of Elizabeth Connelly, as observed by critics such as Anne Tyler, Stephen Harvey, and Timothy J. Wood.

Contents

  • Principal Works
  • Essays
    • A Bigamist's Daughter
    • A Bigamist's Daughter
    • A Bigamist's Daughter
    • Lost Illusions
    • Fathers, Daughters and Hoodlums
    • That Night
    • Adolescent Angst
    • A Streetcar Named Syosset
    • Families
    • All-American Novels
    • The Lessons of Loss Learned in Childhood
    • Alice McDermott
    • Letting a Little Air In
    • Grief That Lasts Forever
    • Imperishable Identities
    • Peculiar Realism
  • Further Reading