Jodi Picoult Explained

Jodi Picoult
Birth Date:1966
Birth Place:Nesconset, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Novelist
Period:1992–present
Education:
Spouse:Timothy Warren Van Leer (m. 1989)
Children:3

Jodi Lynn Picoult (;[1] born 1966) is an American writer. Picoult has published 28 novels and short stories, and has also written several issues of Wonder Woman.[2] Approximately 40 million copies of her books are in print worldwide and have been translated into 34 languages.[3] In 2003, she was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for fiction.[4]

Picoult writes popular fiction which can be characterized as family saga, frequently centering story lines on moral dilemmas or procedural dramas which pit family members against one another. Over her writing career, Picoult has covered a wide range of controversial or moral issues, including abortion, the Holocaust, assisted suicide, race relations, eugenics, LGBT rights, fertility issues, religion, the death penalty, and school shootings. She has been described by Janet Maslin as "a solid, lively storyteller, even if she occasionally bogs down in lyrical turns of phrase."[5]

Early life

Picoult was born in Nesconset, New York, on Long Island in 1966.[6] She has one younger brother.[7] She graduated from Smithtown High School East in June 1983. She has described her family as "non-practicing Jewish".[8] Picoult wrote her first story at age five, titled "The Lobster Which Misunderstood". Picoult's mother and grandmother were both teachers, and she says that their influence on her was very important.

Education

Picoult studied creative writing at Princeton University with Mary Morris, and graduated in 1987 with an A.B. in English after completing a 320-page-long senior thesis titled "Developments."[9] She published two short stories in Seventeen magazine while still in college. Immediately after graduation, she began a variety of jobs, ranging from editing textbooks to teaching eighth-grade English. She earned a master's degree in education from Harvard University.[10] Picoult has two honorary Doctor of Letters degrees: one from Dartmouth College in 2010,[11] the other from the University of New Haven in 2012.[12]

In 2016, Picoult was selected to be Princeton's Class Day Speaker before commencement.[13]

Career

Picoult became the writer of the DC Comics series Wonder Woman (vol. 3), following the departure of Allan Heinberg.[14] [15] Her first issue (number 6) was released on March 28, 2007, and her last was issue number 10, released on June 27, 2007.

Nineteen Minutes, Picoult's novel about the aftermath of a school shooting in a small town, published on March 9, 2007, was her first book to debut at number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. Her book Change of Heart, published on March 4, 2008, was her second novel to debut at number 1 on that list.[16] Handle with Care in 2009 and House Rules in 2010 also reached number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Often categorized as a chick-lit author, a somewhat derisive label, Picoult has claimed to accept a lack of critical acclaim in exchange for popularity: "I'm never going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, not going to win a National Book Award, never even going to be nominated. What you trade for that is sales and readership. And I would rather reach more people. It would be very nice to not be unfairly accused of being a bad writer, but hopefully if you do pick up one of my books, you will be quickly disabused of that notion."[17]

In November 2019, Picoult participated in the criticism of Brooke Nelson, a college student who was mentioned in her local newspaper as saying she thought that author Sarah Dessen's YA novels were not suitable for the Common Read program run by Northern State University, Aberdeen, and had instead advocated for the inclusion of Just Mercy, a memoir by civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson.[18] Picoult described Nelson's views as "sinister" and "demeaning to women", and encouraged her followers on Twitter to "fight the patriarchy" in response to Nelson's comments.[19] When the story was reported in Jezebel,[20] The Guardian,[21] The Washington Post,[22] and Slate,[23] Picoult posted an apology on Twitter, noting that her remarks had resulted in harassment and bullying of Nelson.[24] [25]

Her 2024 novel By Any Other Name is based on the premise that the poet Emilia Lanier was the actual author of several works of William Shakespeare. Picoult says "I think that, back then, people in theatre knew that William Shakespeare was a catch-all name for a lot of different types of authors." and that Shakespeare could not have written proto-feminist characters.[26] [27] [28]

Advocacy

In 2016, Picoult joined the advisory board of,[29] a "non-profit feminist organization committed to creating transparency around the lack of gender parity in the literary landscape and to amplifying historically marginalized voices, including people of color; writers with disabilities; and queer, trans and gender nonconforming individuals".[30] Picoult's website says that VIDA: Women in Literary Arts is a research-driven organization.

She was a member of the inaugural Writers Council of the National Writing Project in 2013,[31] an organization which recognizes the "universality of writing as a communicative tool and helps teachers enhance student writing".[32] This inaugural group consisted of 30 published authors.

She was a spokesperson for Positive Tracks,[33] which helps young people to fundraise through athletics.

In 2010, Picoult led the 5th Annual Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Hero Half Marathon & Relay 5K Walk around Occom Pond and through the town of Hanover, New Hampshire.[34]

She is a member of the Advisory Committee for the New Hampshire Coalition Against the Death Penalty,[35] an organization that successfully sought to end the death penalty in the state of New Hampshire through outreach, education and advocacy.

She was the co-founder, with Marjorie Rose, of the Trumbull Hall Troupe in 2004 as a means of providing children with a fun, educational theatre experience. Children from grade 6 through grade 12 audition to be in an original musical written by Picoult and composer Ellen Wilber. The proceeds are donated to local charities.[36] The organization's contributions since its founding have exceeded $120,000.

On January 21, 2017, Picoult spoke at the New Hampshire Women's Day of Action and Unity in support of the Women's March on Washington.[37] [38] [39] [40]

Book bannings

In March 2023, 20 of Picoult's books were removed from Florida's Martin County School District for review of potentially inappropriate content. According to Picoult, the complaint was made by a sole parent who characterized her books as "adult romance", which Picoult has refuted, saying: "What [the books] do have, however, are issues like racism, abortion rights, gun control, gay rights, and other topics that encourage kids to think for themselves." Picoult criticized Moms for Liberty for demanding the removal of her books.[41] [42]

During the summer of 2023, an Iowa law banning books with sex acts from school libraries was applied by the Urbandale Community School District to include Nineteen Minutes as part of a list of 374 books being considered for removal.[43]

Honors and awards

Personal life

Picoult has been married, since 1989, to Timothy Warren van Leer, whom she met in college.[55] They reside in Hanover, New Hampshire, with their three children. Picoult has published two books with her daughter Samantha.[56]

Recurring characters

"It's always great fun to bring a character back, because you get to catch up on his/her life; and you don't have to reinvent the wheel—you already know how he speaks, acts, thinks."[58]

Bibliography

Film and television adaptations

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jodi Picoult: Leaving Time. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/m9zVaDy6faQ . 2021-12-21 . live. Nat Geo Live. National Geographic. December 1, 2014. March 13, 2018.
  2. Web site: Jodi Picoult: You Can't Edit a Blank Page. Meloyd Joy . Kramer. Marc. Silver. 2006. If it's writing time, I write. I may write garbage, but you can always edit garbage. You can't edit a blank page. npr.org. NPR.
  3. Web site: Yabroff, Jennie . Does Jodi Picoult Hurt Literature? . Newsweek . April 11, 2009 . 2011-05-10.
  4. Web site: New England Book Awards. New England Independent Booksellers Association. October 13, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111002115558/http://www.newenglandbooks.org/Default.aspx?pageId=608673. October 2, 2011. mdy-all.
  5. Geoff Hamilton and Brian Jones (2010), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Writers and Their Works, Infobase Publishing
  6. News: Rear . Jack . Jodi Picoult: ‘I’m one of the most banned authors in America’ . 2 November 2024 . . 21 October 2024.
  7. News: My Family Values. Moor head. Joanna. July 17, 2009. interview. The Guardian. 2017-04-21. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  8. Web site: A Conversation with Jodi About Keeping Faith. JodiPicoult.com. October 13, 2011.
  9. Picoult. Jodi Lynn. 1987. Developments. Undergraduate senior thesis. Princeton University. Dataspace. http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp0144558f674. limited.
  10. Web site: Jorgensen . Marin . 2009-06-10 . One on One with Jodi Picoult Harvard Graduate School of Education . 2023-11-14 . www.gse.harvard.edu . en.
  11. Web site: 2023-11-13 . Dartmouth's 2010 Honorary Degree Recipients to be Recognized at Commencement Ceremonies on June 13 Dartmouth . 2023-11-14 . home.dartmouth.edu . en.
  12. Web site: Sullo . Michelle Tuccitto . 2012-01-14 . University of New Haven grads told to dream big . 2023-11-14 . New Haven Register . en-US.
  13. Web site: Novelist Picoult Selected as 2016 Class Day Speaker. Princeton.edu. en. 2017-04-21.
  14. News: Bestselling Author Tackles Comic Books: Bestselling Novelist Jodi Picoult Writing 'Wonder Woman' . CNN.com . April 26, 2007 . 2011-05-10.
  15. News: Wood. Sean M.. Novelist Takes a Comic Turn. . March 26, 2007.
  16. News: Print & E-Books. New York Times . Gregory . Cowles .
  17. News: Jodi Picoult: 'Trump supporters need my book'. 23 December 2016. The Guardian. 29 June 2020.
  18. News: Common Read hits 10 years at Northern. 12 November 2019. Aberdeen News. 23 November 2019.
  19. Web site: Shapiro. Lila. 2019-11-16. Famous Authors Drag Student in Surreal YA Twitter Controversy. 2020-09-07. Vulture. en-us.
  20. Web site: Bestselling Authors Band Together to Dunk on a College Student. Jezebel. November 13, 2019 .
  21. News: War of words breaks out after YA novelist's fans go after critical reader. 15 November 2019. The Guardian. 23 November 2019.
  22. News: A student opposed a YA novel for mandatory college reading. The backlash from famous authors was fierce.. The Washington Post. 23 November 2019.
  23. Web site: The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into. Graham. Ruth. 2019-11-15. Slate Magazine. en. 2019-11-23.
  24. News: Sarah Dessen Is Sorry. 11 November 2019. Jezebel. 23 November 2019.
  25. Web site: Picoult. Jodi. 16 November 2019. Tweet. 2020-09-07. Twitter. en.
  26. News: Singh . Anita . Shakespeare's plays were written by a woman, says Jodi Picoult . 19 August 2024 . . 25 May 2024.
  27. News: Saunders . Emma . Jodi Picoult: 'It's not a badge of honour to have books banned' . 19 August 2024 . BBC . 25 May 2024.
  28. News: Roberts . Gareth . Shakespeare wasn't a woman . 19 August 2024 . . 29 May 2024.
  29. News: VIDA Welcomes Jodi Picoult to Its Advisory Board!. VIDAweb.org. 2017-04-21. en-US. February 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227060954/https://www.vidaweb.org/vida-welcomes-jodi-picoult-to-its-advisory-board/. dead.
  30. News: About VIDA. 2017-04-21. en-US.
  31. Web site: National Writing Project Launches Writers Council to Draw Attention to the Importance of Writing. NWP.org. en. 2017-04-21.
  32. Web site: Jodi Picoult · Biographical sketch. Taylor. James. JodiPicoult.com. en. 2017-04-21.
  33. News: Grassroot Soccer and Positive Tracks Expand Partnership . 2014-01-13. GrassrootSoccer.org. 2017-04-21. en-US.
  34. Web site: Bestselling Author Jodi Picoult Will Lead 5th Annual CHaD Hero Half Marathon & Relay 5K Walk. Dartmouth-Hitchcock.org. en. 2017-04-21. April 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170422033845/http://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/news/newsdetail/56958/. dead.
  35. Web site: Board of Directors and Advisory Committee. NoDeathPenaltyNH.org. en-US. 2017-04-21. April 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170422041037/http://nodeathpenaltynh.org/steering-and-advisory-committees/. dead.
  36. Web site: About Us. TrumbullHallTroupe.com. en-US. 2017-04-21.
  37. Web site: Book Tours, Book Signings, Special Events, and Appearances.. Taylor. James. JodiPicoult.com. en. 2017-04-21.
  38. Web site: Thousands Gather at State House for N.H.'s Version of Women's March. Duffort. Lola. 22 January 2017. Concord Monitor. 21 April 2017.
  39. News: Picoult to Speak at Women's Rally at State House. Tuohy, Dan. New Hampshire Union Leader. 2017-04-21. en. April 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170422035640/http://www.unionleader.com/Jodi_Picoult_to_speak_at_Womens_rally_after_Trump_inauguration. dead.
  40. News: Massive Women's March Turnouts Prompt Change of Plans in D.C., Chicago. CBSNews.com. 2017-04-21. en.
  41. News: Jodi Picoult doubles down against Florida book bans in new op-ed . . Mueller . Julia . 2023-03-13 . 2023-03-14 . en.
  42. News: Holocaust novel by Jodi Picoult removed as Florida school district purges libraries to comply with state law . . Lapin . Andrew . 2023-03-13 . 2023-03-14 . en.
  43. News: Jodi Picoult speaks out about Iowa school district banning her New York Times bestseller. . Stahl . Jay . 2023-09-01 . 2023-09-05 . en.
  44. Web site: New England Book Awards . NewEnglandBooks.org. en-US. 2017-04-21.
  45. News: 2005 Alex Awards. 2007-07-30. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), ALA.org. 2017-04-21. en.
  46. News: Current and Previous Winners of the BookBrowse Awards. BookBrowse.com. 2017-04-21.
  47. News: Joshua. Peacock. Savannah Book Fest: Bestselling beach-book author Jodi Picoult broaches heavier topics in 'Small Great Things'. Savannah Morning News. 14 February 2024. 2024-06-23.
  48. News: Cosmo Celebrates Fun and Fearless Fiction. Adage.com. 2017-04-21. en.
  49. Web site: Green Mountain Book Award . Department of Libraries, Libraries.Vermont.gov. en. 2017-04-21.
  50. Web site: Past Winners. https://web.archive.org/web/20151004042008/https://www.vsra.org/vrc/past-winners/. usurped. October 4, 2015. Virginia State Reading Association, VSRA.org. en. 2017-04-21.
  51. News: Lincoln Award Past Winners. Google Docs. 2017-04-21. en.
  52. Web site: Past Winners. Maryland Association of School Librarians, MASLMD.org. en-US. 2017-04-21. April 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170422041230/http://maslmd.org/about-bes/winners/past-winners/. dead.
  53. Web site: Our Most Influential Alumni. Princeton Alumni Weekly. 14 April 2018. en. 29 December 2017.
  54. Web site: Jodi Picoult · Biographical sketch. Taylor. James. Jodi Picoult. en. 2019-05-17.
  55. News: November 19, 1989 . Jodi Picoult Weds Timothy van Leer. New York Times. 2007-05-29.
  56. News: Heese . Monica . June 29, 2012 . "Between the Lines," by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer . Washington Post .
  57. Web site: Jodi Picoult author interview . BookBrowse.com . 13 January 2023 . en.
  58. Web site: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult . Jodipicoult.com . 2011-05-10.
  59. Web site: THE PI-CULT: December, 2007 – Edition . Jodipicoult.com . 2011-05-10 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110713111831/http://www.jodipicoult.com/email/2007-12/index.htm . July 13, 2011 .
  60. Web site: novels about family, relationships, love, & more . Jodi Picoult . 2011-05-10.
  61. Gay, Roxanne (2016-10-11). "Jodi Picoult's New Novel Reviewed by Roxanne Gay". NYTimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  62. Web site: By Any Other Name . . 2024-01-30.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jodi Picoult".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.