Anna Quindlen

File:Anna Quindlen, author, journalist .jpg

Anna Quindlen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 8, 1952, the daughter of Prudence (née Pantano, 1928–1972) and Robert Quindlen.{{cite web |url=https://www.myheritage.com/names/anna_quindlen |title=Anna Quindlen – Historical Records |publisher=MyHeritage |access-date=2016-08-24 |archive-date=2016-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827195931/https://www.myheritage.com/names/anna_quindlen |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2012/0511/Anna-Quindlen-talks-about-her-new-memoir-Lots-of-Candles-Plenty-of-Cake |title=Anna Quindlen talks about her new memoir 'Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake' |first=Quindlen |last=Krovatin |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |date=May 11, 2012 |quote=I'd done the research that showed that in the year I was born, 1952, average life expectancy was 68. |access-date=August 24, 2016 |archive-date=October 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009215422/http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2012/0511/Anna-Quindlen-talks-about-her-new-memoir-Lots-of-Candles-Plenty-of-Cake |url-status=live }}{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofpulitze00bren |url-access=registration |title=Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |first1=Elizabeth A. |last1=Brennan |first2=Elizabeth C. |last2=Clarage |page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofpulitze00bren/page/66 66] |date=1999 |isbn=978-1-57356-111-2 |access-date=March 8, 2017}} Her father was Irish American and her mother was Italian American. Quindlen graduated in 1970 from South Brunswick High School in South Brunswick, New Jersey,{{cite news |last=Kalet |first=Hank |url=http://www.pacpubserver.com/new/news/6-21-01/pulitzer.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001753/http://www.pacpubserver.com/new/news/6-21-01/pulitzer.html |url-status=unfit |title=From South Brunswick High School to a Pulitzer Prize: Nationally renowned writer, journalist has local roots |newspaper=South Brunswick Post |date=June 21, 2001 |archive-date=September 27, 2007}} and then attended Barnard College, from which she graduated in 1974. She was married to New Jersey attorney Gerald Krovatin, whom she met while in college. Their sons Quindlen Krovatin and Christopher Krovatin are published authors, and daughter Maria is an actress, comedian and writer.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/fashion/weddings/lynn-feng-and-quindlen-krovatin.html |title=Weddings/Celebrations: Lynn Feng and Quindlen Krovatin |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 15, 2014 |access-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-date=July 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729144434/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/fashion/weddings/lynn-feng-and-quindlen-krovatin.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news|url=http://observer.com/2009/07/chris-krovatin-anna-quindlens-metalhead-son-sells-novel-to-broadway/ |title=Chris Krovatin, Anna Quindlen's Metalhead Son, Sells Novel to Broadway |first=Leon |last=Neyfakh |newspaper=The New York Observer |date=July 7, 2009 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011132548/http://observer.com/2009/07/chris-krovatin-anna-quindlens-metalhead-son-sells-novel-to-broadway/ |archive-date=October 11, 2012 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.toledoblade.com/Books/2013/05/05/On-The-Beauty-of-Aging-Quindlen-It-can-be-so-glorious.html |title=On The Beauty of Aging, Quindlen: 'It can be so glorious' |first=Tahree |last=Lane |newspaper=The Blade (Toledo) |date=May 5, 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2016 |archive-date=August 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828015055/http://www.toledoblade.com/Books/2013/05/05/On-The-Beauty-of-Aging-Quindlen-It-can-be-so-glorious.html |url-status=live }}

Anna Quindlen left journalism in 1995 to become a full-time novelist.

In 1999, she joined Newsweek, writing a bi-weekly column until she announced her semi-retirement in the May 18, 2009, issue of the magazine. Quindlen is known as a critic of what she perceives to be the fast-paced and increasingly materialistic nature of modern American life. Much of her personal writing centers on her mother, who died from ovarian cancer, when Quindlen was 19 years old.

She has written ten novels, several of which have been adapted into motion pictures. One True Thing was made into a feature film in 1998. It starred Meryl Streep, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the role. Black and Blue and Blessings were made into television movies in 1999 and 2003, respectively.

In 1994, her semi-autobiographical novel, titled One True Thing, was published. The book focuses on the relationship between a young woman and her mother, who is dying from cancer. Quindlen's own mother, Prudence Quindlen, died in 1972 while in her 40s from ovarian cancer. At the time Quindlen was a college student, but came home to take care of her mother.{{cite news |url=http://people.com/archive/her-own-true-thing-vol-42-no-16/ |title=Her Own True Thing |magazine=People |date=October 17, 1994 |access-date=March 8, 2017 |archive-date=October 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030000717/http://people.com/archive/her-own-true-thing-vol-42-no-16/ |url-status=live }} In 1998, a film of the same name was released. The movie starred Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger as Kate and Ellen Gulden, fictionalized versions of Prudence and Anna Quindlen. Streep was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

Writing in The New Republic, critic Lee Siegel cited Quindlen as an example of the "monsters of empathy" who "self subjugate and domesticate and assimilate every distant tragedy." He coined the term "The Quindlen Effect" to describe this phenomenon and suggested that it began with her Times column of December 13, 1992, in which Quindlen assailed the four alleged perpetrators of the Glen Ridge rape. "True to her niche," Siegel wrote, "Quindlen attacked with scathing indignation actions that no sane Times reader would ever defend."{{Cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/books-and-arts/sweet-and-low|title=Sweet And Low|magazine=The New Republic|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US|archive-date=2015-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910093222/http://www.newrepublic.com/article/books-and-arts/sweet-and-low|url-status=live}} Siegel also referred to Barbara Kingsolver in the same essay, along with Quindlen, derisively as "Nice Queens".

In 1999, Villanova University invited Anna Quindlen to deliver the annual commencement address. But once the announcement was made, a group of anti-abortion students planned a protest against Quindlen's positions on reproductive rights, and she withdrew as speaker.{{cite news |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |title=Anna Quindlen Withdraws As Villanova Graduation Speaker |url=http://articles.philly.com/1999-05-11/news/25516316_1_anna-quindlen-abortion-rights-graduation-ceremony |first=Russell E. Jr. |last=Eshleman |date=May 11, 1999 |access-date=2015-07-08 |archive-date=2016-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401182102/http://articles.philly.com/1999-05-11/news/25516316_1_anna-quindlen-abortion-rights-graduation-ceremony |url-status=dead }} The following year, however, she spoke at Villanova's graduation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~wender/quindlen.html|title=Anna Quindlen's Commencement Address at Villanova|website=www.cs.oswego.edu|access-date=2018-03-15|archive-date=2018-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406155549/http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~wender/quindlen.html|url-status=live}}

{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= | video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?40730-1/thinking-loud Booknotes interview with Quindlen on Thinking Out Loud, May 16, 1993], C-SPAN{{cite web | title =Thinking Out Loud | publisher =C-SPAN | date =May 16, 1993 | url =https://www.c-span.org/video/?40730-1%2Fthinking-loud | access-date =March 11, 2017 | archive-date =June 17, 2017 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20170617130036/https://www.c-span.org/video/?40730-1%2Fthinking-loud | url-status =live }} }}

• A Quilt of a Country* (2001)
• Living Out Loud (1988)
• Thinking Out Loud (1994)
• How Reading Changed My Life (1998)
• Homeless (1998)
• A Short Guide to a Happy Life (2000) {{ISBN|978-0-375-50461-7}} from part of a cancelled commencement address that was to be given at Villanova
• Loud and Clear (2004)
• Imagined London (2004)
• Being Perfect (2005)
• Good Dog. Stay. (2007)
• Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake (2012)[http://nyjournalofbooks.com/review/lots-candles-plenty-cake-review-ii Plenty of Cake review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429170014/http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/lots-candles-plenty-cake-review-ii |date=2012-04-29 }} New York Journal of Books{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2012 |title=Anna Quindlen: Over 50, And Having 'Plenty Of Cake' |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/04/24/150738848/anna-quindlen-over-50-and-having-plenty-of-cake |website=National Public Radio}}
• Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting (2019)
• Write for Your Life (2022)

• Object Lessons (1991)
• One True Thing (1994)
• Black and Blue (1998)
• Blessings (2002)
• Rise and Shine (2006)
• Every Last One: A Novel (2010){{Cite web |last=Ciabattari |first=Jane |date=April 21, 2010 |title=Suburbia Interrupted In Anna Quindlen's New Novel |url=https://www.npr.org/2010/04/21/126142809/suburbia-interrupted-in-anna-quindlens-new-novel |website=National Public Radio}}
• Still Life with Bread Crumbs (2013)
• Miller's Valley (2016)
• Alternate Side (2018){{Cite web |last=Rhule |first=Patty |title=Anna Quindlen's charged new novel 'Alternate Side' erupts over NYC 'parking rage' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2018/03/19/anna-quindlens-charged-new-novel-alternate-side-erupts-over-nyc-parking-rage/401117002/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Corbett |first=Sue |date=2018-04-03 |title=Real Estate, Parking and Violence: A Novel of New York |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/books/review/alternate-side-anna-quindlen.html |access-date=2024-02-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
• After Annie (2024){{Cite news |last=Newman |first=Catherine |date=2024-02-23 |title=Anna Quindlen Is Back, With Four Seasons of Loss and Survival |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/23/books/review/after-annie-anna-quindlen.html |access-date=2024-02-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Szewczyk {{!}} |first=Elaine |title=Anna Quindlen Wants You to Get a Good Life |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/94039-anna-quindlen-wants-you-to-get-a-good-life.html |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=PublishersWeekly.com |language=en}}

• The Tree That Came To Stay (Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter) (1992){{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anna-quindlen/the-tree-that-came-to-stay/ |title=THE TREE THAT CAME TO STAY {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}
• Happily Ever After (Illustrated by James Stevenson) (1997)

• Naked Babies (Photographs by Nick Kelsh) (1996)
• Siblings (Photographs by Nick Kelsh) (1998)

• [https://web.archive.org/web/19991010062930/http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/oped/Quindlen.shtml 1999 commencement speech, Mount Holyoke College]
• [http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~wender/quindlen.html 2000 commencement speech, Villanova University]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120616125405/http://www.inspirationforthespirit.com/writing/writing-quindlen/sarah-lawrence-commencement-speech/ 2002 commencement speech, Sarah Lawrence College]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080604175415/http://www.colby.edu/news_events/commencement/2006/speaker/index.cfm?clear=y, 2006 commencement speech, Colby College]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090220141521/http://www.kenyon.edu/x39790.xml 2008 commencement speech, Kenyon College]
• [http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2009/05/24/quindlen-p07-embrace-transformation/ 2009 commencement speech, Wesleyan University]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110612083156/http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/confops/commencement/commencement-live-stream/2011-commencement-address 2011 commencement speech, Grinnell College]
• [https://source.wustl.edu/2017/05/anna-quindlens-2017-commencement-address-washington-university-st-louis/ 2017 commencement speech, Washington University in St. Louis]

• 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
• 2001 Mothers At Home Media Award
• 2001 Clarion Award for Best Regular Opinion Column in a magazine
• 2002 Clarion Award for Best Opinion Column from the Association for Women in Communications

• Colby College
• Dartmouth College
• Denison University
• Grinnell College, May 2011
• Hamilton College, May 2006
• Kenyon College, May 2008
• Moravian College
• Mount Holyoke College
• Nantucket High School
• Penn State
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Smith College
• Springfield College, May 2018
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Villanova University
• Washington University in St. LouisAnnounced by WUSTL Chancellor April 4, 2017
• Wesleyan University{{Cite news|url=http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2009/03/25/quindlen-p07-premji-p99-masselli-alexander-88-to-receive-honorary-degrees/|title=Quindlen P'07, Premji P'99, Masselli, Alexander '88, to Receive Honorary Degrees|work=News @ Wesleyan|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-us|archive-date=2018-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308182927/http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2009/03/25/quindlen-p07-premji-p99-masselli-alexander-88-to-receive-honorary-degrees/|url-status=live}}

• University Medal of Excellence from Columbia
• Poynter Fellow in Journalism at Yale
• Victoria Fellow in Contemporary Issues at Rutgers
• Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Honorary Doctorate from The Pennsylvania State University (Aug.18 2007)
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Washington University in St. Louis. (pending for 2017){{Cite news|url=https://source.wustl.edu/2017/04/best-selling-author-social-critic-anna-quindlen-deliver-commencement-address-may-19/|title=Best-selling author, social critic Anna Quindlen to deliver Commencement address May 19 {{!}} The Source {{!}} Washington University in St. Louis|date=2017-04-04|work=The Source|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526022512/https://source.wustl.edu/2017/04/best-selling-author-social-critic-anna-quindlen-deliver-commencement-address-may-19/|url-status=live}}

• 2006 Amelia Earhart Award from Crittenton Women's Union
• 2016 inductee into the New Jersey Hall of Fame

{{Reflist}}

{{wikiquote}}

• [http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/annaquindlen/ Anna Quindlen] at Random House
• {{IMDb name|id=0703683|name=Anna Quindlen}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090930195813/http://search.newsweek.com/search?byline=anna%20quindlen Anna Quindlen's columns] for Newsweek
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083506/http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=363 Anna Quindlen talks about her novel Rise and Shine]}} video
• {{C-SPAN|1674}}
• [https://www.npr.org/2012/04/24/150738848/anna-quindlen-over-50-and-having-plenty-of-cake Interview on NPR in April 2012]

{{PulitzerPrize Commentary 1976–2000}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quindlen, Anna}}

Category:1952 births

Category:20th-century American novelists

Category:21st-century American novelists

Category:American children's writers

Category:American columnists

Category:American women novelists

Category:Barnard College alumni

Category:Wesleyan University people

Category:American people of Irish descent

Category:American writers of Italian descent

Category:Living people

Category:Newsweek people

Category:Writers from Manhattan

Category:People from South Brunswick, New Jersey

Category:South Brunswick High School (New Jersey) alumni

Category:Pulitzer Prize for Commentary winners

Category:Writers from Philadelphia

Category:The New York Times columnists

Category:American women columnists

Category:Writers from Middlesex County, New Jersey

Category:American women children's writers

Category:20th-century American women writers

Category:21st-century American women writers

Category:Novelists from New York (state)

Category:Novelists from Pennsylvania

Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers

Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers