Susan Shreve Explained

Susan Shreve
Birth Date:	2 May 1939
Birth Place:	Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation:	Professor, writer
Nationality:	American
Education:	University of Pennsylvania (BA) University of Virginia (MA)
Genre:	novel, memoir, children's literature
Subjects:	-->
Notablework:	-->
Spouses:	-->
Partners:	-->

Susan Shreve (also known as Susan Richards Shreve) is an American novelist, memoirist, and children's book author. She has published fifteen novels, most recently More News Tomorrow (2019), and a memoir Warm Springs: Traces of a Childhood (2007).^[1] She has also published thirty books for children, most recently The Lovely Shoes (2011), and edited or co-edited five anthologies. Shreve co-founded the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing program at George Mason University in 1980, where she teaches fiction writing. She is the co-founder and the former chairman of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. She lives in Washington, D.C.^[2]

Early life

Susan Richards Shreve was born May 2, 1939, in Toledo, Ohio, but moved with her family to Washington, D.C., at the age of three.^[3] She attended and graduated from Sidwell Friends School in 1957.

Education

Shreve received a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania in 1961, and an MA in English from the University of Virginia in 1969.

Career

She founded the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at George Mason University in 1980^[4] and has taught there ever since. She has been a visiting professor at Columbia School of the Arts, Princeton University, and Goucher College. She has received a Guggenheim Award for Fiction, a National Endowment grant for Fiction, the Jenny Moore Chair in Creative Writing at George Washington University, the Grub Street Prize for non-fiction, the Poets and Writers’ Service award, and the Sidwell Friends School Outstanding Alumni Award. In 1980, Shreve co-founded the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, which presents the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction annually.^[5]

Shreve published her first novel, A Fortunate Madness, in 1974.^[6] Thirteen novels have followed. She published a novel Glimmer under the pseudonym Annie Waters in 1997.^[7] Shreve wrote about her experience as a patient at FDR's polio clinic in her memoir Warm Springs: Traces of a Childhood (2007).^[8] Her most recent novel, More News Tomorrow, was published in 2019.^[9]

Shreve's children's books include the Joshua T. Bates series (1984-2000), Blister (2001), an ALA Notable Book and a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book, and most recently The Lovely Shoes (2011). When writing for young readers, she publishes as Susan Shreve.^[10]

Works

Novels

• More News Tomorrow, New York: W W Norton, 2019.
• You Are the Love of My Life New York : W W Norton, 2012.,
• A Student of Living Things, New York, N.Y.: Plume, 2007.,
• Plum and Jaggers Seattle, WA : AmazonEncore, 2001.,
• Glimmer, New York : Berkley Books, 1997.,, published under the pseudonym Annie Waters
• The Visiting Physician New York: N.A. Talese, 1996.,
• The Train Home New York : Ivy Books, 1993.,
• Daughters of the New World New York : Ballantine Books, 1994.,
• A Country of Strangers Sceptre, 1990.,
• Queen of Hearts New York : Pocket Books, 1988.,
• Dreaming of Heroes New York : Berkley Books, 1984.,
• Miracle Play New York : Playboy, 1982.,
• Children of Power New York : Berkley Books, 1979.,
• A Woman Like That] New York : Atheneum, 1977; London : H. Hamilton, 1978.,
• A fortunate madness Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1974.,

Memoir

• Warm Springs : Traces of a Childhood at Fdr's Polio Haven, Boston : Mariner Books, 2008.

Edited Anthologies

• Dream Me Home Safely: Writers on Growing up in America Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2003.,
• With son Porter Shreve:
  • Tales out of School: Contemporary Writers on Their Student Years (2000)
  • How We Want to Live: Narratives on Progress (1998)
  • Outside the Law: Narratives on Justice (1997)
• With Marita Golden:
  • Skin Deep: Black Women and White Women Write About Race (1995)

Novels for Children (as Susan Shreve)

• The search for Baby Ruby, New York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2015.,
• The Lovely Shoes New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011.,
• Under the Watson's Porch (2004)
• Trout and Me New York : Dell Yearling, 2002.,
• Blister, New York : Scholastic Signature, 2001., companion novel to Jonah, the Whale
• Ghost Cats] New York : Scholastic, 2000.,
• Jonah, the Whale New York : Scholastic, 1999.,
• Joshua T. Bates takes charge Dan Andreasen illustrator, New York : Dell Yearling, 1997.,
• Warts, illustrated by Gregg Thorkelson (1996)
• The Goalie New York : Morrow Junior ; London : Hi Marketing, 1999.,
• Zoe and Columbo], illustrated by Gregg Thorkelson, New York : Tambourine Books, 1995.,
• The Formerly Great Alexander Family, illustrated by Chris Cart, New York : Tambourine Books, 1995.,
• Lucy Forever, Miss Rosetree, and the Stolen Baby, illustrated by Eric Jon Nones, New York: Tambourine Books, 1994.,
• Amy Dunn Quits School, illustrated by Diane de Groat (1993)
• Wait for Me, illustrated by Diane de Groat, New York : Tambourine Books, 1992.,
• The Gift of the Girl Who Couldn't Hear (1991)
• Lily and the Runaway Baby, illustrated by Sue Truesdell, New York : Random House, 1987.,
• Lucy Forever and Miss Rosetree, Shrinks Beech Tree Bks, 1997.,
• How I Saved the World on Purpose], illustrated by Suzanne Richardson, New York : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985.,
• The Bad Dreams of a Good Girl, illustrated by Diane de Groat, New York, N.Y. : Beech Tree Books, 1993.,
• The Revolution of Mary Leary (1982)
• The Masquerade New York, N.Y. : Dell, 1980.,
• Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories, illustrated by Richard Cuffari (1979)
• Loveletters (1978)
• The Nightmares of Geranium Street (1977)

Personal life

She married Porter Shreve, with whom she had four children. Shreve later married noted literary agent Timothy Seldes.^[11] Her oldest son is the author Porter Shreve.

External links

• http://english.gmu.edu/people/sshreve

Notes and References

1. Web site: Susan Richards Shreve W. W. Norton & Company. books.wwnorton.com. May 23, 2019.
2. Web site: Faculty and Staff: Susan R Shreve. English. May 6, 2016.
3. Book: Patrick Allen. Literary Washington, D.C.. September 27, 2012. Trinity University Press. 978-1-59534-125-9. 191–.
4. Web site: English Programs: MFA in Creative Writing. English. en. February 28, 2020.
5. News: Albin Krebs and Robert Thomas. Notes on People; New York Writer Getting PEN/Faulkner Award. April 18, 1981. The New York Times. February 28, 2020.
6. Web site: A FORTUNATE MADNESS by Susan Richards Shreve Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews. en-us. June 12, 2016.
7. News: A Storyteller Finds Comfort in a Cloak of Anonymity. Shreve. Susan Richards. August 27, 2001. The New York Times. 0362-4331. June 12, 2016.
8. Web site: Author Recalls Polio-Stricken Childhood at FDR's Haven. PBS NewsHour. 31 July 2007 . en-US. June 12, 2016.
9. Book: MORE NEWS TOMORROW by Susan Richards Shreve Kirkus Reviews. en.
10. Web site: Susan Shreve's Biography Scholastic.com. Scholastic Teachers. June 12, 2016.
11. News: Timothy Seldes, Agent Who Championed Literary Stars, Dies at 88. Weber. Bruce. December 8, 2015. The New York Times. June 12, 2016. 0362-4331.