Barbara
Kingsolver was born in a rural community in Kentucky in 1955. From
the ages of 7 to 9, she and her family lived in the Congo, an experience that
influenced her later novel “The
Poisonwood Bible”. She loved stories as she grew up, and kept a journal
from the age of 8. However, she never considered becoming a writer, as all the
books she came across seemed to be by dead, white English men. She couldn’t see
how you could make a living from writing when there were so many other jobs
that needed doing for survival in the country. She went on to read Biology at
DePauw University, Indiana, where she took up one creative writing course, and
became a participant in social justice organizations. In the 80s, she was
awarded a Masters of Science degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Barbara Kingsolver also studied creative writing at this time in one of
Francine Prose’s classes. She embarked on a series of careers: copy editor, X-ray
technician, archaeologist, translator of medical documents, housecleaner, and
biological researcher. However, it was her job as a science writer for the
University of Arizona that really sparked her career, as her articles soon
began to enjoy widespread circulation. In 1986, she won an Arizona Press Club
award for outstanding feature writing. Barbara Kingsolver considers herself to
be basically a shy person, so her career helped her encounter people and
subjects that she would otherwise not have come across. Barbara Kingsolver
married a chemist in 1985, and became pregnant the following year. She suffered
insomnia throughout her pregnancy, and set about writing a novel whenever she
couldn’t sleep. “The Bean
Trees”, the resultant novel, was published in 1988, and has never been out
of print since. Her next book was an oral history, “Holding the
Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983” (1989), followed by a
collection of short stories, “Homeland and
other stories” (1989). Both her next books were novels: “Animal Dreams”
in 1990 and “Pigs in
Heaven” in 1993. 1992 saw the publication of a collection of poems,
“Another America”. In 1995, a collection of prose was published as “High Tide in
Tucson: Essays from Now and Never”. Barbara Kingsolver’s next book, “The
Poisonwood Bible” (1998), is her most famous novel, which became a finalist for
the Pulitzer and was an Oprah Book Club selection. However, we at
Authortrek.com enjoyed her next novel, “Prodigal Summer” (2000), even more. In
2002, “Small
Wonder”, another collection of essays, was published, and that year also
saw the release of “Last Stand:
America’s Virgin Lands”, a collaboration with photographer Annie Griffiths
Belt. Barbara Kingsolver credits her success to her adherence to plot, and the
accessibility of her prose to a wide audience, with elements that appeal to
college professors and rural labourers alike. Barbara Kingsolver is married to
Stephen Hopp, a faculty member of the University of Arizona, with whom she
occasionally collaborates on musical and literary projects. She founded the
Bellwether Prize to award “literature of social change”.
Stone Soup: What does it mean to be a family
anyway? – an extract from “High Tide in Tucson”
The
way to Nueva Vida – an environmental article by Barbara Kingsolver from
2003
A pure, high note of
anguish – a Barbara Kingsolver editorial following 9/11
And our Flag
was still there – another Barbara Kingsolver article in the wake of 9/11
War on the weak
– a Barbara Kingsolver article against war on Afghanistan from October 2001
Wired for books
– an audio interview with
Barbara Kingsolver from 1990
Termites
are interesting but books sell better – Sarah Lyall reports on a lunch with
Barbara Kingsolver in 1993
Barbara Kingsolver
– David Gergen’s interview with her from 1995
Barbara
Kingsolver interview – Robin Epstein’s interview from 1996 for “The
Progressive”
Bookpage –
Ellen Kanner’s interview with Barbara Kingsolver from 1998
Art
& Soul – their interview with Barbara Kingsolver
Bill Moyers
interviews Barbara Kingsolver – an interview from 2002
Kingsolver
invites writers to identify themselves as political – some noteworthy
quotes from Barbara Kingsolver as she prepares to announce the first winner of
the Bellwether Prize
Missionary Position: Barbara Kingsolver’s “The
Poisonwood Bible” – Elaine R. Ognibene’s essay
Personal and National
Paternalism in Barbara Kingsolver’s novels – Maureen Craig’s essay
Barbara
Kingsolver’s Anti-Western: ‘Unravelling the Myths’ in “Animal Dreams” –
Naomi Jacobs’ essay
Barbara
Kingsolver and Keri Hulme: disability, family and culture – you have to pay
to read Stephen D. Fox’s essay
Wenz,
Peter S. "Leopold's Novel: The Land Ethic in Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal
Summer"
Ethics & the Environment - Volume 8, Number 2, Autumn 2003, pp. 106-125
Indiana University Press
