Barbara Kingsolver
Born	April 8, 1955
Occupation	novelist, poet, essayist
Nationality	USA
Writing period	1988-present
Genres	Fiction, Historical fiction, Nonfiction
Subjects	Social justice, Feminism, Environmentalism
Official website http://www.kingsolver.com

Barbara Kingsolver (born April 8, 1955) is an American writer. She has written, or collaborated on, 12 books, most of which are novels, but including some poems, short stories and essays. Kingsolver established the Bellwether Prize for "literature of social change", named after the bellwether. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about work. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... Sappho and Alcaeus of Mytilene, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1881). ... An essayist is an author who writes compositions which can be about any particular subject. ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or content. ... For other uses, see Fiction (disambiguation). ... Look up historical fiction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Non-fiction is a truthful account or representation of a subject which is composed of facts. ... Social justice refers to the concept of an unjust society that refers to more than just the administration of laws. ... Feminists redirects here. ... The historic Blue Marble photograph, which helped bring environmentalism to the public eye. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... The Chinese poem Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain by Emperor Gaozong (Song Dynasty) Poetry (from the Greek , poesis, making or creating) is a form of art in which language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its ostensible meaning. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Essay, a short work that treats of a topic from an authors personal point of view, often taking into account subjective experiences and personal reflections upon them. ... The Bellwether Prize for fiction is a biennial award given to previously unpublished works of fiction which address issues of social justice. ... Social change (or Social development) is a general term which refers to: change in the nature, the social institutions, the social behaviour or the social relations of a society, community of people, or other social structures. ... This article is about Bellwethers in general. ...

Biography

Kingsolver was born in Annapolis, Maryland, spent some of her young childhood in Africa, and grew up near Carlisle, Kentucky. [1] City nickname: Americas Sailing Capital Location in the state of Maryland Founded 1649 Mayor Ellen O. Moyer (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 19. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... Carlisle is a city located in Nicholas County, Kentucky. ...

Kingsolver attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana on a music scholarship, studying classical piano. Eventually, however, she changed her major to biology. This school is not to be confused with DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, which has a similar pronunciation. ... Greencastle is a city in Putnam County, Indiana, United States. ... For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation). ...

In the late 1970s, Kingsolver lived in a number of places, including Greece, France, and Tucson, Arizona, working variously as an archaeological digger, copy editor, housecleaner, biological researcher and translator. She earned a Master's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona. She then took a job as a science writer for the university. The science writing led to some freelance feature writing and journalism. In 1986, she won an Arizona Press Club award for outstanding feature writing. Her first novel, The Bean Trees, was published in 1988. Tucson (pronounced ) is the seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles (98 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. ... For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...

Her subsequent books were Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983 (non-fiction); a short story collection, Homeland and Other Stories (1989); the novels Animal Dreams (1990), Pigs in Heaven (1993), The Poisonwood Bible (1998) and Prodigal Summer (2000); a poetry collection, Another America (1992); the essay collections High Tide in Tucson(1995) and Small Wonder: Essays (2002) Last Stand: America's Virgin Lands, prose poetry with the photographs of Annie Griffiths Belt; and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007), a description of eating locally. The Poisonwood Bible (1998) was a bestseller that won the National Book Prize of South Africa, was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award, and was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection. In 2000, Kingsolver was awarded the National Humanities Medal by U.S. President Bill Clinton. The Arizona Copper Mine Strike of 1983 began as a bargaining dispute between the Phelps Dodge Corporation and a group of union copper miners. ... The Poisonwood Bible is a 1998 novel by Barbara Kingsolver, which details a missionary familys life in the Congo beginning in the 1960s as experienced by the five women in the family. ... High Tide in Tucson is a book of twenty-five essays by author Barbara Kingsolver on issues around family, community and ecology. ... It has been suggested that Local food network be merged into this article or section. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ... The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is awarded annually by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to an American author. ... Oprahs Book Club is a book club segment of the American talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, highlighting books chosen by host Oprah Winfrey. ... The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities, broadened citizens’ engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to important resources in the humanities. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

In 1994, Kingsolver was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from her alma mater, DePauw University. Alma mater is Latin for nourishing mother. It was used in ancient Rome as a title for the mother goddess, and in Medieval Christianity for the Virgin Mary. ...

She is a member of the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock and roll band consisting of published writers, including Stephen King. The Rock Bottom Remainders is a rock & roll band consisting of published writers, most of them both amateur musicians and popular English-language book, magazine, and newspaper authors. ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ...

Kingsolver is scheduled to speak at Duke University's 2008 commencement.

Barbara Kingsolver lives with her husband Steven Hopp, their daughter Lily, and her daughter Camille, on a farm in Southwest Virginia.

Literary themes

Community, economic injustice and cultural difference inform the themes of Kingsolver's work. In The Bean Trees, the main character meets a family of Guatemalan immigrants whose daughter was taken by the government in an effort to force them to speak out about their underground teaching circle. They were forced to escape torture and death in their home country. In The Poisonwood Bible, Kingsolver examined the role of the United States and other political powers in colonial and post-colonial Africa. The sequel to "The Bean Trees", her 1993 novel Pigs in Heaven, examines the conflicts between individual and community rights, through a story about a Cherokee child adopted out of her tribe. The Poisonwood Bible is a 1998 novel by Barbara Kingsolver, which details a missionary familys life in the Congo beginning in the 1960s as experienced by the five women in the family. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

Kingsolver has said, "If we can't, as artists, improve on real life, we should put down our pencils and go bake bread." [2]

Works

• The Bean Trees, 1988, 1st UK edition 1989, Limited edition (200) 1992
• Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983, 1989
• Homeland and Other Stories, 1989
• Animal Dreams, 1990
• Another America, 1992
• Pigs in Heaven, 1993
• High Tide in Tucson, 1995, also: Limitied edition (150)1995
• The Poisonwood Bible, 1998
• Prodigal Summer, 2000
• Small Wonder: Essays, 2002
• Last Stand: America's Virgin Lands, 2002 (with photographer Annie Griffiths Belt)
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle 2007, (with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver)

The Bean Trees, first published in 1988, is the first book written by Barbara Kingsolver, followed by a sequel Pigs in Heaven. ... Animal Dreams is a 1990 novel by Barbara Kingsolver. ... Pigs in Heaven is a 1994 novel by Barbara Kingsolver; it is the sequel to her first novel, The Bean Trees. ... High Tide in Tucson is a book of twenty-five essays by author Barbara Kingsolver on issues around family, community and ecology. ... The Poisonwood Bible is a 1998 novel by Barbara Kingsolver, which details a missionary familys life in the Congo beginning in the 1960s as experienced by the five women in the family. ...

References

• About Barbara: Biography. Barbara Kingsolver official website. Retrieved on 2006-04-13.

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Barbara Kingsolver

• Official website
• The Patience of a Saint. National Geographic, 2000.
• 1990 Audio Interview with Barbara Kingsolver by Don Swaim of CBS Radio - RealAudio at Wired for Books.
• Faber and Faber reading guide for 'The Poisonwood Bible'
• 1994 Commencement Address at DePauw University - MP3
• Transcript of Interview with Living on Earth, May 4th, 2007. Also available in MP3.
• Official page of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"