Sigrid de Lima
Encyclopedia
Sigrid de Lima was an American novel
ist. She was born in New York City on 4 December 1921. She was the only child of Agnes de Lima, a writer on education, and Andrew Lang. She grew up in New York City, Mexico, and Palo Alto, California. She received her B. A. from Barnard College
in 1942 and her M. S. in Journalism from Columbia University
in 1944. After college, she worked for the United Press and as a freelance journalist until she began writing fiction full time in 1948, studying in Hiram Hadyn's writer's workshop at the New School of Social Research.
Her first novel, The Captain's Beach, was published by Charles Scribner's Sons
in 1950, and told the story of the residents of a rooming house near New York City's waterfront. Although Nelson Algren
called it, "a very real achievement in tenderness, in understanding, and in earnestness," the New Yorker's reviewer considered the writing "painfully studied and even windy." Looking back at the novel nearly 50 years later, in her obituary in the Independent, Christopher Hawtree described it as "the work of somebody who, simultaneously, can write and yet can't."
Her second novel, The Swift Cloud (Scribners
, 1952), was about a man falsely accused of murdering his mentally retarded son. She was awarded the 1953 Prix de Rome
fellowship in literature and studied at the American Academy in Rome
, where she met and married Stephen Greene, an American artist. They returned to the U. S. in 1954.
Carnival by the Sea (Scribners
, 1954), was described in the New York Times as "the moving story of a lovely lost Eurydice, wandering in the gaudy hell of a modern amusement park." Doris Grumbach
, reviewing the book for Commonweal
, wrote that it "is strong enough to use what it must and impress the whole with an originality and force of its own."
Praise a Fine Day (Random House
, 1959) drew upon the experiences of de Lima and her husband in Rome. Told in the voice of a nameless American artist in his early thirties living in New York City, it recalls how he agreed to an arranged marriage with the stateless and pregnant Polish mistress of a wealthy Egyptian Jew to give American citizenship to their unborn child. Entering into the deception for purely financial reasons, he falls in love with the woman but ultimately finds himself abandoned and wondering whether anything he knew about the situation was true. The book received de Lima's best reviews. Edmund Fuller
proclaimed her "one of the most deft, accomplished stylists among our younger writers," and Granville Hicks
wrote that she had "a delicate style that matches her insights." In his Independent obituary, Christopher Hawtree called in a "small masterpiece": "the 150 pages take in all manner of manipulation, evil, passion and illicit congress: it could surely have been the basis for one of the era's great movies...."
Her fifth novel, Oriane (Harcourt, Brace & World
, 1968) received few reviews and those were less than enthusiastic. The reception so disappointed de Lima that she gave up writing completely. "It broke her heart," said Greene.
She died of a stroke in Nyack, New York, on 19 September 1999. Her daughter, Alison de Lima Greene, is a curator at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and has published a number of works on modern art.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist. She was born in New York City on 4 December 1921. She was the only child of Agnes de Lima, a writer on education, and Andrew Lang. She grew up in New York City, Mexico, and Palo Alto, California. She received her B. A. from Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
in 1942 and her M. S. in Journalism from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1944. After college, she worked for the United Press and as a freelance journalist until she began writing fiction full time in 1948, studying in Hiram Hadyn's writer's workshop at the New School of Social Research.
Her first novel, The Captain's Beach, was published by Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...
in 1950, and told the story of the residents of a rooming house near New York City's waterfront. Although Nelson Algren
Nelson Algren
Nelson Algren was an American writer.-Early life:Algren was born Nelson Ahlgren Abraham in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Goldie and Gerson Abraham. At the age of three he moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois where they lived in a working-class, immigrant neighborhood on the South Side...
called it, "a very real achievement in tenderness, in understanding, and in earnestness," the New Yorker's reviewer considered the writing "painfully studied and even windy." Looking back at the novel nearly 50 years later, in her obituary in the Independent, Christopher Hawtree described it as "the work of somebody who, simultaneously, can write and yet can't."
Her second novel, The Swift Cloud (Scribners
Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...
, 1952), was about a man falsely accused of murdering his mentally retarded son. She was awarded the 1953 Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
fellowship in literature and studied at the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
, where she met and married Stephen Greene, an American artist. They returned to the U. S. in 1954.
Carnival by the Sea (Scribners
Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...
, 1954), was described in the New York Times as "the moving story of a lovely lost Eurydice, wandering in the gaudy hell of a modern amusement park." Doris Grumbach
Doris Grumbach
Doris Grumbach is an American novelist, biographer, literary critic, and essayist. She taught at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, and was literary editor of the The New Republic for several years. Since 1985, she has had a bookstore, Wayward Books.-Life:Grumbach was born in New York...
, reviewing the book for Commonweal
Commonweal
Commonweal is a American journal of opinion edited and managed by lay Catholics. It is headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City.-History:...
, wrote that it "is strong enough to use what it must and impress the whole with an originality and force of its own."
Praise a Fine Day (Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, 1959) drew upon the experiences of de Lima and her husband in Rome. Told in the voice of a nameless American artist in his early thirties living in New York City, it recalls how he agreed to an arranged marriage with the stateless and pregnant Polish mistress of a wealthy Egyptian Jew to give American citizenship to their unborn child. Entering into the deception for purely financial reasons, he falls in love with the woman but ultimately finds himself abandoned and wondering whether anything he knew about the situation was true. The book received de Lima's best reviews. Edmund Fuller
Edmund Fuller
Edmund Fuller was a historian, literary critic, and master at Kent School. He was also involved in the some of the 1950s and 1960s science and religion scholarship, bringing him into contact with William G. Pollard...
proclaimed her "one of the most deft, accomplished stylists among our younger writers," and Granville Hicks
Granville Hicks
Granville Hicks was an American Marxist as well as an anti-Marxist novelist, literary critic, educator, and editor.-Life:...
wrote that she had "a delicate style that matches her insights." In his Independent obituary, Christopher Hawtree called in a "small masterpiece": "the 150 pages take in all manner of manipulation, evil, passion and illicit congress: it could surely have been the basis for one of the era's great movies...."
Her fifth novel, Oriane (Harcourt, Brace & World
Harcourt (publisher)
Harcourt was a United States publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. The company was based in San Diego, California, with an Editorial / Sales / Marketing / Rights offices in New York City and Orlando, Florida.In 2007, the U.S...
, 1968) received few reviews and those were less than enthusiastic. The reception so disappointed de Lima that she gave up writing completely. "It broke her heart," said Greene.
She died of a stroke in Nyack, New York, on 19 September 1999. Her daughter, Alison de Lima Greene, is a curator at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and has published a number of works on modern art.
External links
- Review of "Praise a Fine Day" at The Neglected Books Page, retrieved 2010-07-24