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Newfoundland Coastline. The Great Northern Peninsula. NEWFOUNDLAND FROM SPACE. Annie Proulx (rhymes with blue) Biography Born in 1935 in Connecticut Graduated from high school in Maine Highly educated –2 degrees in history—in the U.S. and in Canada (although did not
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The Great Northern Peninsula
Annie Proulx (rhymes with blue) • Biography • Born in 1935 in Connecticut • Graduated from high school in • Maine • Highly educated –2 degrees in • history—in the U.S. and in • Canada (although did not • complete her Ph.D)
Annie Proulx (bio continued) • Started out as a • journalist (as is evident • in the novel) • Published Shipping News • in 1993 • This novel won the • Pulitzer, an NEA award • and Nat’l Book award
Dramatic Personal Life--- • Married and divorced • three times • Raised three sons • alone
During part of her adult life, she lived in over 13 towns just in Vermont. • At various times, she learned fly fishing, partridge hunting and house-building. • Annie Proulx was over fifty years old when she became a novelist.
Her short story “Brokeback Mountain” was made into an Academy Award winning (yet highly controversial) movie.
Upon the receipt of much public attention from the novel’s success, she had this to say about her situation:
It's not good for one's view of human nature, that's for sure. You begin to see, when invitations are coming from festivals and colleges to come read (for an hour for a hefty sum of money), that the institutions are head-hunting for trophy writers. Most don't particularly care about your writing or what you're trying to say. You're there as a human object, one that has won a prize. It gives you a very odd, ginger kind of sensation.“
The Shipping News Background, Themes, Characters
Main Character: Quoyle • Considered by his own father to be a loser • Already in his 30’s • Lives in Brooklyn New York • Had a series of unimpressive jobs (in spite of college)
Physically large (especially his • chin) and overweight • Trapped in a very bad • marriage (he loves her; she • tolerates him) • Becomes a newspaperman
Petal Bear • Quoyle’s wife • A “Genghis Khan” • Cheated on Quoyle • Gave Quoyle two young • girls: Bunny and • Sunshine
Various tragic circumstances force Quoyle to leave New York with his two daughters and his aunt • They travel to Newfoundland, the location of his family roots, to begin a new life • Quoyleworks at a newspaper and is in charge of the shipping news