Laura Kalpakian Explained

Laura Anne Kalpakian (born June 28, 1945) ^[1] is an American author. She has also published under the pen names Juliet Fitzgerald^[2] and Carenna Jane Greye. She is known for her work in the memoir genre.

Life and career

Kalpakian was born in Long Beach, California, the daughter of Peggy (Kalpakian), a secretary, and William Johnson, a technical representative.^{[3] [4]} She grew up in southern California. She earned her undergraduate degree from University of California, Riverside in 1967. After starting her career as a social worker, she earned a master's degree from the University of Delaware in 1970. She earned a Ph.D. in literature from the University of California, San Diego in 1977.

She has received funding from the National Endowment of the Arts and has won a Pushcart Prize, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, and the first Anahid Literary Award for an American writer of Armenian descent.^{[5] [6]}

Kalpakian's 1992 novel Graced Land was adapted into the TV movie The Woman Who Loved Elvis, directed by Bill Bixby and starring Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold.^[7]

Her sons are composer Bear McCreary and singer/musician Brendan McCreary.

Selected works

As Laura Kalpakian

• The Great Pretenders (Penguin Group, 2019), ^[8]
• American Cookery (St. Martin's Griffin, 2007)
• The Memoir Club (St. Martin's Griffin, 2005)
• Educating Waverly (William Morrow, 2002)
• The Delinquent Virgin (Graywolf Press, 1999)
• Steps and Exes: a novel of family (Bard, 1999)
• Caveat (John F. Blair, 1998)
• Cosette: the sequel to Les Misérables (HarperCollins, 1995)
• Graced Land (Grove Weidenfeld, 1992)
• Dark Continent and Other Stories (Viking, 1989)
• Crescendo (Random House, 1987)
• The Swallow Inheritance (Headline, 1987)
• Fair Augusto and Other Stories (Graywolf Press, 1986)
• These Latter Days (Times Books, 1985)
• Beggars and Choosers (Little, Brown, 1978)

As Juliet Jackson

• Belle Haven (Viking, 1990)

As Carenna Jane Greye

• Tiger Hill (Piatkus Books, 1985)

External links

• Laura A. Kalpakian Papers, ca. 1980- via Online Archive of California

Notes and References

1. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt4g5020tn/
2. Pilcer, Sonia (December 2, 1990). Fiction. (review of Belle Haven). Los Angeles Times
3. Book: Contemporary Authors: A Bio-bibliographical Guide to Current Authors and Their Works. Ed. Frances Carol Locher. 9780810300460. Locher. Frances Carol. Evory. Ann. 1979. Gale Research International, Limited .
4. Web site: "I'd like to thank…..". Laura. Kalpakian. Goodreads.
5. Polk, James (November 11, 1990). In short: Fiction. New York Times
6. Staff report (September 19, 1999). Booksellers trade show comes to Spokane. Spokane Spokesman-Review
7. News: Wilson . Margo . San Bernadino's Elvis shrine will shake up TV tonight . 14 September 2024 . The San Bernadino County Sun . 18 April 1993.
8. Web site: The Great Pretenders by Laura Kalpakian: 9781101990186 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books. PenguinRandomhouse.com.