Lauren Groff Explained

Lauren Groff
Birth Date:23 July 1978
Birth Place:Cooperstown, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Novelist
Education:Amherst College (BA)
University of Wisconsin–Madison (MFA)
Genre:Literary fiction
Relatives:Sarah True (sister)

Lauren Groff (born July 23, 1978) is an American novelist and short story writer. She has written five novels and two short story collections, including Fates and Furies (2015), Florida (2018), Matrix (2022), and The Vaster Wilds (2023).

She was named one of the 100 most influential people by TIME in 2024.[1]

Early life and education

Groff, the second child of Jeannine and Gerald Groff, was born and raised in Cooperstown, New York.[2] [3] She graduated from Amherst College and from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction.[4] [5] [6]

Career

Groff's first novel, The Monsters of Templeton, was published by Hyperion on February 5, 2008, and debuted on the The New York Times Best Seller list.[7] It was well received by Stephen King, who read it before publication and wrote an early review in Entertainment Weekly.[8] The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers in 2008, and named one of the Best Books of 2008 by Amazon.com and the San Francisco Chronicle.[9] [10] [11]

The Monsters of Templeton is a contemporary tale about coming home to Templeton, a representation of Cooperstown, New York. It is interspersed with voices from characters drawn from the town's history as well as James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers, which is also set in a fictionalized Cooperstown called Templeton. Groff's first collection of short stories, Delicate Edible Birds, was released in January 2009. It featured stories published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Five Points, Ploughshares, and the anthologies Best New American Voices 2008, Pushcart Prize XXXII, and The Best American Short Stories 2007, 2010, and 2014 editions.

Groff's second novel, Arcadia, was released in 2012[12] and tells the story of the first child born in a fictional 1960s commune in upstate New York. A New York Times and Booksense bestseller, it received favorable reviews from the New York Times Sunday Book Review,[13] The Washington Post,[14] and Miami Herald.[15] The novel was recognized as one of the Best Books of 2012 by The New York Times,[16] The Washington Post,[17] NPR,[18] Vogue,[19] The Globe and Mail,[20] The Christian Science Monitor,[21] and Kirkus Reviews.[22]

Her third novel, Fates and Furies, was released in 2015 and was also a New York Times and Booksense bestseller. Fates and Furies is a portrait of a 24-year marriage from two points of view, first the husband's and then the wife's. It was nominated for the 2015 National Book Award for Fiction,[23] the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction,[24] and was featured in numerous "Best of 2015" fiction lists, including the selection by Amazon.com as the Best Book of 2015.[25] President Barack Obama chose it as his favorite book of 2015.[26]

In 2017, Granta named Groff one of the Best of Young American Novelists of her generation.[27] In 2018, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Fiction.[28]

Groff's fifth book, a short story collection titled Florida, was released in 2018. Florida was the winner of The Story Prize for short story collections published in 2018.[29] It was also a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction.[30] [31] The Guardian called Groff's storytelling "a heroic pushback against the way we live now, against waste, against the artificial environments in which we find ourselves maintained by corporations, but equally against the pressures on women to be flawless, effortlessly excellent mothers, wives, sisters, lovers, friends, within this dire state of affairs."[32]

Groff's fourth novel, Matrix, was released in 2021. Matrix is about a "seventeen-year-old Marie de France... sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease."[33] The Observer called it "a strange and poetic piece of historical fiction set in a dreamlike abbey, the fictional biography of a 12th-century mystic."[34] Matrix was shortlisted for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction[35] and the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.[36]

Groff's fifth novel, The Vaster Wilds, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list in September 2023. The Vaster Wilds chronicles a servant girl's escape from a colonial settlement during the "starving time" of 1609.

In 2024, she opened a bookstore, The Lynx, in Gainesville, Florida.[37] [38]

Personal life

Groff is married and has two children and lives in Gainesville, Florida. Her sister is the Olympic triathlete Sarah True.[39]

Bibliography

Novels

Short fiction

Collections

List of short stories

width=25%TitleYearFirst publishedReprinted/collectedNotes
L. Debard and Aliette2006The Atlantic Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories[52]
Lucky Chow Fun2006 PloughsharesDelicate Edible Birds and Other Stories
The Ballad of Sad OphineHobart
Elaborate Washington Square
Delicate Edible Birds2009 Glimmer Train Delicate Edible Birds and Other Storiesdeb">Groff. Lauren. Spring 2009. Delicate Edible Birds. dead. The Glimmer Train. 70. https://web.archive.org/web/20110711100437/http://www.glimmertrain.com/issue70spring.html. 11 July 2011. 21 June 2011. dmy-all.
Above and Below 2011The New Yorker Florida (2018)[53]
Amaranth 2013Lucky Peach
Ghosts and empties 2015Groff, Lauren . July 20, 2015 . . The New Yorker . 91 . 20 . 60–63 . 2022-06-12-->. Florida (2018)
data-sort-value="midnight zone"The midnight zone2016Groff, Lauren . May 23, 2016 . . The New Yorker . 92 . 15 . 68–73 . 2016-12-22-->. Florida (2018)
Flower Hunters 2016The New Yorker Florida (2018)[54]
Boca Raton 2018Amazon Original Stories[55]
Brawler 2019The New Yorker [56]
Birdie2020The Atlantic[57]
The Wind2021The New Yorker[58]
Annunciation2022The New Yorker[59]

Critical studies and reviews of Groff's work

Florida

External links

Notes and References

  1. 2024-04-17 . Lauren Groff: The 100 Most Influential People of 2024 . 2024-04-23 . TIME . en.
  2. Web site: 2021-09-11. Lauren Groff: 'I often get very lonely because my job is very lonely'. 2021-09-27. the Guardian. en.
  3. Web site: Mother shares daughter’s Olympic journey with students . Cooperstown Crier . 24 May 2012 . 27 July 2024.
  4. Web site: Groff, Lauren. Fresh Fiction.
  5. Web site: Groff, Lauren. Ploughshares.
  6. Web site: Lauren Groff '01 Class of 2024 Honorees Amherst College . 2024-06-12 . www.amherst.edu.
  7. News: New York Times Bestsellers. The New York Times. March 2, 2008. May 7, 2010.
  8. Web site: Harry Potter Fans, Break Out the Tissues. Entertainment Weekly. https://web.archive.org/web/20070708104304/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20044270_20044274_20044682,00.html. dead. July 8, 2007.
  9. Web site: Orange Prize Shortlist. Orange Prize for Fiction.
  10. Web site: Amazon.com Best Books of 2008. Amazon.com.
  11. News: San Francisco Chronicle Best Books of 2008. San Francisco Chronicle. August 17, 2010.
  12. Book: Groff, Lauren. Arcadia. Hyperion. 978-1-4013-4087-2. March 6, 2012. January 24, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120117222638/http://www.laurengroff.com/books/arcadia/. January 17, 2012. dead. mdy-all.
  13. News: 'Arcadia,' by Lauren Groff. John. Wilwol. The New York Times . 6 April 2012. 11 June 2018. NYTimes.com.
  14. Web site: Lauren Groff's 'Arcadia': Trouble in paradise. Ron. Charles. 13 March 2012. 11 June 2018. www.washingtonpost.com.
  15. Web site: Lauren Groff recreates a paradise in 'Arcadia' - Books - MiamiHerald.com . . 2012-04-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120402063312/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/12/2684761/lauren-groff-recreates-a-paradise.html . 2012-04-02 . dead .
  16. News: 100 Notable Books of 2012. The New York Times . 27 November 2012. 11 June 2018. NYTimes.com.
  17. Web site: The 10 best books of 2012. The Washington Post. staff. 16 November 2012. 11 June 2018. www.washingtonpost.com.
  18. Web site: Best Books Of 2012: The Complete List. . 24 December 2012 . 11 June 2018.
  19. Web site: Top Ten: The Best Books of 2012 - Culture - Vogue . 2013-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130129103123/http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/top-ten-the-best-books-of-2012/#6 . 2013-01-29 . dead .
  20. News: The Globe's top 29 picks for international fiction of 2012. 11 June 2018. The Globe and Mail. 24 November 2012 .
  21. 10 best books of 2012 – fiction. 3 December 2012. 11 June 2018. Christian Science Monitor.
  22. Web site: Best Fiction of 2012 - Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews. 11 June 2018.
  23. Web site: National Book Award Nominees for 2015 (Fiction Category). The New York Times. 17 September 2015.
  24. Web site: National Book Critics Circle Award Nominees for 2015 (Fiction Category). https://web.archive.org/web/20160121163654/http://bookcritics.org/blog/archive/nbcc-awards-finalists-balakian-sandrof-john-leonard-award-winners. dead. January 21, 2016.
  25. Web site: Amazon Unveils the Best Books of 2015. Business Wire. 11 November 2015.
  26. Web site: Kendrick Lamar Vs. Bruno Mars: POTUS and FLOTUS' Favorite Songs, Movies and Moments of 2015. 11 June 2018.
  27. News: Granta 139: Best of Young American Novelists 3. Granta Magazine. 2018-04-23. en-US.
  28. Web site: 2018 Guggenheim Fellows. Groff. Lauren. April 1, 2018. Guggenheim Foundation.
  29. Web site: Lauren Groff's 'Florida' wins $20,000 Story Prize. .
  30. News: The 2018 National Book Award finalists are in. Here's the full list.. Vox. 2018-10-11.
  31. News: Harris . Elizabeth A. . 2023-09-09 . How Lauren Groff, One of 'Our Finest Living Writers,' Does Her Work . 2024-06-12 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  32. News: Elkin. Lauren. 2018-06-14. Florida by Lauren Groff review – rage and refusal as Earth reaps the whirlwind. en-GB. The Guardian. 2020-09-25. 0261-3077.
  33. News: Penguin Random House. About Matrix. April 23, 2021. en-us.
  34. Web site: 2021-09-27. Matrix by Lauren Groff review – thrilling trip into the mystic. 2021-09-27. The Observer. en.
  35. Web site: 2021-10-06. National Book Awards 2021 shortlists announced. 2021-10-10. Books+Publishing. en-AU.
  36. Web site: 2022 Winners . November 16, 2021 . American Library Association. 17 October 2021 .
  37. News: Alter . Alexandra . 2024-05-10 . Book Bans Are Surging in Florida. So Lauren Groff Opened a Bookstore. . 2024-06-12 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  38. Web site: Andrew . Scottie . 2024-05-02 . In Florida, a bestselling author is building a new community of literary resistance . 2024-06-12 . CNN . en.
  39. Web site: Sarah Groff is One Tough Bird. TeamUSA.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075439/http://www.teamusa.org/News/2011/November/08/Sarah-Groff-is-one-tough-bird. dead. March 4, 2016.
  40. Web site: Lauren Groff offers stunning view of a long marriage. Joe Peschel Special to the. Post-Dispatch. 20 September 2015 . 11 June 2018.
  41. Web site: Puckett-Pope. Lauren. 2021-04-01. An Exclusive First Look at Lauren Groff's 'Matrix'. 2021-07-15. ELLE. en-US.
  42. Briefly reviewed in the September 20, 2021 issue of The New Yorker, p.71.
  43. News: Silcox . Beejay . 2023-09-21 . The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff review – a survival story . 2024-06-12 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  44. News: Mozley . Fiona . 2023-09-08 . Lauren Groff's Latest Is a Lonely Novel of Hunger and Survival . 2024-06-12 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  45. Web site: September 30, 2022 . Lauren Groff's next novel is set in the 17th-century American wilderness. . June 19, 2023 . Literary Hub . en-US.
  46. Web site: March 29, 2023 . Lauren Groff Reveals the Cover of Her Upcoming Novel, 'The Vaster Wilds' . June 19, 2023 . ELLE . en-US.
  47. News: Kois . Dan . 2023-09-12 . Why Lauren Groff Decided to Venture Into The Vaster Wilds . 2024-06-12 . Slate . en-US . 1091-2339.
  48. Web site: Grady . Constance . 2023-09-12 . The book of the year so far is Lauren Groff's The Vaster Wilds . 2024-06-12 . Vox . en-US.
  49. Web site: Starkey . David . 2024-02-14 . Book Review 'The Vaster Wilds' by Lauren Groff . 2024-06-12 . The Santa Barbara Independent . en-US.
  50. Web site: September 11, 2023 . Lauren Groff has a go bag and says so should you . npr.org.
  51. Web site: Maury. Laurel. 2009-03-09. 'Delicate' Stories In A Best-Friend-Forever Voice. . https://web.archive.org/web/20200407195911/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101558035. 2020-04-07. 2022-02-17.
  52. Web site: Groff. Lauren. 2006-08-01. L. DeBard and Aliette. 2020-09-25. The Atlantic. en-US.
  53. Groff. Lauren. Above And Below. 2020-09-25. The New Yorker. en-us.
  54. Groff. Lauren. Flower Hunters. 2020-09-25. The New Yorker. en-us.
  55. Web site: Groff. Lauren. Boca Raton (Warmer collection). 2021-10-24. Amazon. 30 October 2018 . en-us.
  56. Groff. Lauren. Brawler. 2021-02-19. The New Yorker. en-us.
  57. Lauren Groff, January 14, 2020, The Atlantic, Birdie: A Short Story, Retrieved January 15, 2020
  58. Groff. Lauren. The Wind. 2021-02-01. The New Yorker. en-us.
  59. Groff. lauren. 2022-02-02. "Annunciation". https://web.archive.org/web/20220214234334/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/02/14/annunciation. 2022-02-14. 2022-02-17. The New Yorker. en-US.

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

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.