Anne Tyler Biography

Anne Tyler was in charge—until the cows came home! Tyler’s parents valued a rural lifestyle and settled in the hills of North Carolina in a Quaker community. The principal of the local school often had to go home in the afternoons to feed his cows, and he would leave Tyler in charge of the school during his absence.

Often humorous and always smart, her stories were influenced by these early Southern memories and by Eudora Welty’s writing, despite the fact that many of Tyler’s own books are set in Baltimore, Maryland, where she now resides. She is most famous for writing The Accidental Tourist, which was made into a film in 1988, and Breathing Lessons, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1989.

Facts and Trivia

  • Tyler graduated from Duke University at the age of nineteen. Later, she was a bibliographer at Duke and worked in the law library at McGill University.
  • Tyler did graduate work in Russian studies at Columbia University before becoming a full-time author.
  • Tyler loves the rewriting process and often rewrites her novels in longhand.
  • Tyler’s newest novel, Digging to America, was inspired by her witnessing a family adopting a new baby at the airport. It’s also taken from her experience with her late husband’s Iranian family.

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Biography

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Anne Tyler, a celebrated American novelist, is renowned for her ability to transform the mundane aspects of daily life into profound literary art. Her unique narrative voice and insightful depictions of human nature have earned her numerous accolades and a devoted readership. Over several decades, Tyler's works have continued to resonate deeply with audiences for their nuanced exploration of family dynamics and personal identity.

Formative Years

Anne Tyler's formative years unfolded in the South, beginning at age six. She lived in Celo, a rural community nestled in North Carolina's mountains, where her parents, Phyllis and Lloyd Tyler, joined a Quaker community. Her upbringing in this tranquil setting, followed by her time in Raleigh, where she attended high school, instilled in her an appreciation for life's ordinary moments. This period was influential in shaping her writing style, as she discovered through Eudora Welty’s works that literature could emerge from everyday life. Tyler pursued her academic interests at Duke University, majoring in Russian and studying creative writing under the tutelage of the author Reynolds Price. Her talent was evident early on, as she contributed short stories to Duke's literary magazine, Archive, and twice received the prestigious Anne Flexner Award for creative writing. After earning her bachelor's degree, she furthered her studies at Columbia University.

The 1960s: A Decade of Growth

In the early 1960s, Tyler returned to Duke University, this time working as a Russian bibliographer in its library. Her talent for storytelling found outlets in various magazines, ranging from popular ones like Seventeen, Mademoiselle, and McCall’s to more literary-focused publications such as The New Yorker, Harper’s, and Southern Review. Her writing earned her recognition and accolades, including a Mademoiselle magazine award in 1966 and a feature in Prize Stories 1969: The O. Henry Awards.

May 1963 marked a significant personal milestone for Tyler as she married Thigh Mohammed Madeiras, an Iranian psychiatrist and fellow writer she met at Duke University. The couple moved to Montreal, Canada, where Tyler dedicated six months to crafting her first novel, If Morning Ever Comes, published in 1964. The following year, Tyler welcomed her first daughter, Tezh, and released her second novel, The Tin Can Tree. In 1967, her family expanded with the birth of a second daughter, Metra, and they settled in Baltimore, Maryland—a city that would become a backdrop for much of her later work.

By the end of the 1960s, Tyler's literary voice had begun to attract readers and critics alike. Her novels from this era frequently explored themes of familial confinement and the struggle for personal identity, often employing a narrative structure that resembled a cyclical journey. She described herself as a "southern writer," skillfully using local dialect and vivid detail to bring small-town settings and characters to life. Her thematic focus on stagnation amidst change, or vice versa, as well as the emotional distance many of her characters experience from their present circumstances, became hallmarks of her mature work.

Prolific Years and Acclaim

Between 1970 and 1977, Tyler's literary output was substantial, with the publication of five novels. In 1977, she was honored with the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award for Literature. Her 1980 novel, Morgan’s Passing, garnered widespread acclaim and won the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. Tyler's subsequent novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant (1982), earned her the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, while her works The Accidental Tourist (1985) and Breathing Lessons (1988) received the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize, respectively. Her novels from the 1990s, including the bestseller Ladder of Years

(This entire section contains 859 words.)

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Ladder of Years (1996), continued to explore familiar themes, solidifying her place in American literature.

Legacy and Literary Style

Anne Tyler has carved out a distinctive niche in contemporary American literature by eschewing fleeting literary trends to focus on timeless themes. Her narratives delve into the values of perception and memory, portraying characters who, while flawed, are neither wholly good nor evil. Tyler captivates readers with her wit, meticulous attention to detail, and compassionate humor.

Comprehensive Bibliography

Several key works offer an in-depth look at Tyler's literary contributions. Paul Bail's Anne Tyler: A Critical Companion provides an extensive biography and an analysis of her novels, exploring their place in southern regional literature, women's literature, and popular culture. Robert W. Croft's Anne Tyler: A Bio-Bibliography details her life and works, while Elizabeth Evans' Anne Tyler offers a comprehensive overview and bibliography. Jansen's Laughter Among the Ruins explores Tyler's work alongside other postmodern authors.

Susan S. Kissel's Moving On examines Tyler's heroines and her identity as a southern writer. Alice Hall Petry's article "Bright Books of Life" analyzes Tyler's portrayal of African Americans, while Rose Quiello's Breakdowns and Breakthroughs includes Tyler among contemporary women writers. Shannon Ravenel's Best of the South features Tyler's reflections on southern settings and storytelling. Dale Salwak's Anne Tyler as Novelist compiles essays on her development and literary reputation, while C. Ralph Stephens' The Fiction of Anne Tyler is a collection of papers from the Anne Tyler Symposium. Tyler’s personal essay "Still Just Writing" provides insight into her balancing act between writing and family life. Lastly, Joseph C. Voelker's Art and the Accidental in Anne Tyler offers a detailed study of her aesthetics and narrative style.

Criticism by Anne Tyler

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Critical Essays

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