Nicole Krauss
Encyclopedia
Nicole Krauss is an American author best known for her novels Man Walks Into a Room
(2002), The History of Love
(2005) and, most recently, Great House
(2010). Her fiction has been published in The New Yorker
, Harper's
, Esquire, and Granta
's Best American Novelists Under 40, and has been collected in Best American Short Stories 2003 and Best American Short Stories 2008. Her novels have been translated into 35 languages. In 2010, she was selected as one of The New Yorker
's "20 Under 40" writers to watch.
, was born in Manhattan
, New York City
to an English mother and an American father who grew up partly in Israel.
Krauss's maternal grandparents were born in Germany and Ukraine and later emigrated to London. Her paternal grandparents were born in Hungary and Slonim
, Belarus, met in Israel, and later emigrated to New York.
Many of these places are central to Krauss's 2005 novel, The History of Love
, and the book is dedicated to her grandparents.
Krauss, who started writing when she was a teenager, wrote and published mainly poetry until she began her first novel in 2002.
Krauss enrolled in Stanford University
in 1992, and that fall
she met Joseph Brodsky
who worked closely with her on her poetry over the next three years. He also introduced her to the work of writers such as Italo Calvino
and Zbigniew Herbert
. In 1999, three years after Brodsky died, Krauss produced a documentary about his work for BBC Radio 3
.
She traveled to St. Petersburg
where she stood in the "room and a half" where he grew up, made famous by his essay of that title. Krauss majored in English and graduated with honors, winning several undergraduate prizes for her poetry as well as the Dean's Award for academic achievement. She also curated a reading series with Fiona Maazel
at the Russian Samovar, a restaurant in New York City co-founded by Roman Kaplan, Brodsky and Mikhail Baryshnikov
.
In 1996 Krauss was awarded a Marshall Scholarship
and enrolled in a masters program at Oxford University
where she wrote a thesis on the American artist Joseph Cornell
. During the second year of her scholarship she attended the Courtauld Institute
in London, where she received a masters in art history
, specializing in seventeenth-century Dutch art
and writing a thesis on Rembrandt.
. A meditation on memory and personal history, solitude and intimacy, the novel won praise from Susan Sontag
and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award. The movie rights to the novel were optioned by Richard Gere
.
Her second novel, The History of Love
, was first published as an excerpt in The New Yorker
in 2004. The novel, published in the United States by W.W. Norton, weaves together the stories of Leo Gursky, an 80-year-old Holocaust
survivor from Slonim
, the young Alma Singer who is coping with the death of her father, and the story of a lost manuscript also called The History of Love. The novel was an international bestseller and won numerous awards. The book was optioned by Warner Brothers and is set to be directed by Alfonso Cuarón
.
Her third novel, Great House
, connects the stories of four characters to a desk of many drawers that exerts a power over those who possess it or have given it away. It was named a finalist for the 2010 National Book Award for Fiction
and was short-listed for the Orange Prize
2011.
. They live in Park Slope
in Brooklyn, New York, and have two children.
Man Walks Into a Room
Man Walks Into a Room, published in the United States by Doubleday on May 1, 2002, is the first novel by American writer Nicole Krauss.A meditation on memory and personal history, solitude and intimacy, the novel was critically acclaimed, won praise from Susan Sontag and was a finalist for the Los...
(2002), The History of Love
The History of Love
The History of Love: A Novel is the second novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published in 2005. The book was a 2006 finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction.-Plot:...
(2005) and, most recently, Great House
Great House (novel)
Great House is the third novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published on October 12, 2010 by W. W. Norton & Company. Early versions of the first chapter were published in Harper's , Best American Short Stories 2008, and The New Yorker...
(2010). Her fiction has been published in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Harper's
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, Esquire, and Granta
Granta
Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
's Best American Novelists Under 40, and has been collected in Best American Short Stories 2003 and Best American Short Stories 2008. Her novels have been translated into 35 languages. In 2010, she was selected as one of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
's "20 Under 40" writers to watch.
Early life
Krauss, who grew up on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, was born in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to an English mother and an American father who grew up partly in Israel.
Krauss's maternal grandparents were born in Germany and Ukraine and later emigrated to London. Her paternal grandparents were born in Hungary and Slonim
Slonim
Slonim is a city in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus, capital of the Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa rivers, 143 km southeast of Hrodna. The population in 2008 was 50,800.-Etymology and historical names:...
, Belarus, met in Israel, and later emigrated to New York.
Many of these places are central to Krauss's 2005 novel, The History of Love
The History of Love
The History of Love: A Novel is the second novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published in 2005. The book was a 2006 finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction.-Plot:...
, and the book is dedicated to her grandparents.
Krauss, who started writing when she was a teenager, wrote and published mainly poetry until she began her first novel in 2002.
Krauss enrolled in Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1992, and that fall
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
she met Joseph Brodsky
Joseph Brodsky
Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky , was a Russian poet and essayist.In 1964, 23-year-old Brodsky was arrested and charged with the crime of "social parasitism" He was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1972 and settled in America with the help of W. H. Auden and other supporters...
who worked closely with her on her poetry over the next three years. He also introduced her to the work of writers such as Italo Calvino
Italo Calvino
Italo Calvino was an Italian journalist and writer of short stories and novels. His best known works include the Our Ancestors trilogy , the Cosmicomics collection of short stories , and the novels Invisible Cities and If on a winter's night a traveler .Lionised in Britain and the United States,...
and Zbigniew Herbert
Zbigniew Herbert
Zbigniew Herbert was an influential Polish poet, essayist, drama writer, author of plays, and moralist. A member of the Polish resistance movement – Home Army during World War II, he is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers...
. In 1999, three years after Brodsky died, Krauss produced a documentary about his work for BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
.
She traveled to St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
where she stood in the "room and a half" where he grew up, made famous by his essay of that title. Krauss majored in English and graduated with honors, winning several undergraduate prizes for her poetry as well as the Dean's Award for academic achievement. She also curated a reading series with Fiona Maazel
Fiona Maazel
Fiona Maazel is a writer and freelance editor. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times, Tin House, Bomb, Fence, The Mississippi Review, The Common, The Yale Review, Anthem, The Village Voice, N+1, and on salon.com.She is a 2008 National...
at the Russian Samovar, a restaurant in New York City co-founded by Roman Kaplan, Brodsky and Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
.
In 1996 Krauss was awarded a Marshall Scholarship
Marshall Scholarship
The Marshall Scholarship, a postgraduate scholarships available to Americans, was created by the Parliament of the United Kingdom when the Marshall Aid Commemoration Act was passed in 1953. The scholarships serve as a living gift to the United States of America in recognition of the post-World War...
and enrolled in a masters program at Oxford University
where she wrote a thesis on the American artist Joseph Cornell
Joseph Cornell
Joseph Cornell was an American artist and sculptor, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage...
. During the second year of her scholarship she attended the Courtauld Institute
Courtauld Institute of Art
The Courtauld Institute of Art is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art. The Courtauld is one of the premier centres for the teaching of art history in the world; it was the only History of Art department in the UK to be awarded a top...
in London, where she received a masters in art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
, specializing in seventeenth-century Dutch art
Dutch art
Dutch art describes the history of visual arts in the Netherlands, after the United Provinces separated from Flanders. Earlier painting in the area is covered in Early Netherlandish painting and Renaissance art.-Golden Age:...
and writing a thesis on Rembrandt.
Career
In 2002, Krauss published her acclaimed first novel, Man Walks Into a RoomMan Walks Into a Room
Man Walks Into a Room, published in the United States by Doubleday on May 1, 2002, is the first novel by American writer Nicole Krauss.A meditation on memory and personal history, solitude and intimacy, the novel was critically acclaimed, won praise from Susan Sontag and was a finalist for the Los...
. A meditation on memory and personal history, solitude and intimacy, the novel won praise from Susan Sontag
Susan Sontag
Susan Sontag was an American author, literary theorist, feminist and political activist whose works include On Photography and Against Interpretation.-Life:...
and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award. The movie rights to the novel were optioned by Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
.
Her second novel, The History of Love
The History of Love
The History of Love: A Novel is the second novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published in 2005. The book was a 2006 finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction.-Plot:...
, was first published as an excerpt in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
in 2004. The novel, published in the United States by W.W. Norton, weaves together the stories of Leo Gursky, an 80-year-old Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
survivor from Slonim
Slonim
Slonim is a city in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus, capital of the Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa rivers, 143 km southeast of Hrodna. The population in 2008 was 50,800.-Etymology and historical names:...
, the young Alma Singer who is coping with the death of her father, and the story of a lost manuscript also called The History of Love. The novel was an international bestseller and won numerous awards. The book was optioned by Warner Brothers and is set to be directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
.
Her third novel, Great House
Great House (novel)
Great House is the third novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published on October 12, 2010 by W. W. Norton & Company. Early versions of the first chapter were published in Harper's , Best American Short Stories 2008, and The New Yorker...
, connects the stories of four characters to a desk of many drawers that exerts a power over those who possess it or have given it away. It was named a finalist for the 2010 National Book Award for Fiction
National Book Award for Fiction
The National Book Award for Fiction has been given since 1950, as part of the National Book Awards, which are given annually by the National Book Foundation. Of all the awards given, the Fiction award is the only one that has been given consistently for the entire history of the Award...
and was short-listed for the Orange Prize
Orange Prize for Fiction
The Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year...
2011.
Personal life
In June 2004, Krauss married novelist Jonathan Safran FoerJonathan Safran Foer
Jonathan Safran Foer is an American author best known for his novels Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...
. They live in Park Slope
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
in Brooklyn, New York, and have two children.
Books
- Great HouseGreat House (novel)Great House is the third novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published on October 12, 2010 by W. W. Norton & Company. Early versions of the first chapter were published in Harper's , Best American Short Stories 2008, and The New Yorker...
(2010) - The History of LoveThe History of LoveThe History of Love: A Novel is the second novel by the American writer Nicole Krauss, published in 2005. The book was a 2006 finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction.-Plot:...
(2005) - Man Walks Into a RoomMan Walks Into a RoomMan Walks Into a Room, published in the United States by Doubleday on May 1, 2002, is the first novel by American writer Nicole Krauss.A meditation on memory and personal history, solitude and intimacy, the novel was critically acclaimed, won praise from Susan Sontag and was a finalist for the Los...
(2002)
Short stories
- "The Young Painters", The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, 2010 - "From the Desk of Daniel Varsky", Harper's, 2007 (included in Best American Short Stories 2008)
- "My Painter", GrantaGrantaGranta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
, 2007 - "The Last Words on Earth", The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, 2004 - "Future Emergencies", EsquireEsquire (magazine)Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, 2002 (included in Best American Short Stories 2003)
Essays
- Preface to Best European Nonfiction 2012, Dalkey Archive, 2011
- "Krauss reviews Antwerp by Roberto Bolano", The Guardian, 2011
- "Writers Block", The New RepublicThe New RepublicThe magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
, 2011 - "Philip Guston: The First Painter After The Last", Modern PaintersModern Painters (magazine)Modern Painters is a monthly art magazine published in New York City by Louise Blouin Media. The magazine is published 10 times per year; it includes profiles on two international artists per issue; columns by international contributors; interviews with and articles by contemporary artists and...
, 2003
Awards
- Anisfield-Wolf Book AwardsAnisfield-Wolf Book AwardsThe Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards are United States literary awards dedicated to honoring written works that make important contributions to the understanding of racism and the appreciation of the rich diversity of human culture...
winner, 2011 - Orange Prize Shortlist, 2011
- National Book AwardNational Book AwardThe National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
Finalist, 2010 - William Saroyan International Prize for WritingWilliam Saroyan International Prize for WritingThe William Saroyan International Prize for Writing was first awarded in 2003 for 'newly published works of fiction including novels, short stories, dramas or memoirs'...
, 2008 - GrantaGrantaGranta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
's Best American Novelists under 40, 2007 - Prix du Meilleur Livre EtrangerPrix du Meilleur Livre ÉtrangerThe Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger is a French literary prize created in 1948. It is awarded yearly in two categories: Novel and Essay for books translated in to French.- Prix du Meilleur livre étranger — Novel :* 2010: Gonçalo M...
(Best Foreign Book Prize) (France), 2006 - Medicis Prize shortlist (France), 2006
- Femina Prize shortlist (France), 2006
- Orange PrizeOrange Prize for FictionThe Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year...
shortlist (U.K.), 2006 - Los Angeles Times Book Prize Book of the Year (for Man Walks Into a Room), 2002
- Named "Best and Brightest" writer by EsquireEsquire (magazine)Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, 2002
Further reading
- Q&A With Nicole Krauss, Author of Great House and The History of Love. In: Huffington Post, September 15, 2011
- Alexandra Schwartz: Empty Rooms: On Nicole Krauss. In: The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, January 31, 2011 - Nicole Krauss on Fame, Loss, and Writing About Holocaust Survivors. In: The Atlantic, October 21, 2010
- Author Nicole Krauss discusses her latest book 'Great House: A Novel" – interview by Charlie RoseCharlie RoseCharles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
(December 7, 2010)