Louise Erdrich

Louise Erdrich
Erdrich at the 2015 National Book Festival.
Erdrich at the 2015 National Book Festival.
BornKaren Louise Erdrich
(1954-06-07) June 7, 1954 (age 70)
Little Falls, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation
NationalityTurtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota,[1] American
EducationDartmouth College (BA)
Johns Hopkins University (MA)
GenreNative American literature, children's books
Literary movementPostmodernism, Native American Renaissance
Notable works
Notable awards
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1981; div. 1996)​
Children7
RelativesHeid E. Erdrich (sister)
Website
birchbarkbooks.com/blogs/birchbark

Karen Louise Erdrich (/ˈɜːrdrɪk/ ER-drik;[2] born June 7, 1954)[3] is a Native American author of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American characters and settings. She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota, a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe people.[4][1]

Erdrich is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native American Renaissance. She has written 28 books in all, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children's books. In 2009, her novel The Plague of Doves was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and received an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.[5] In November 2012, she received the National Book Award for Fiction for her novel The Round House.[6] She is a 2013 recipient of the Alex Awards. She was awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction at the National Book Festival in September 2015.[7] In 2021, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Night Watchman.[8]

She was married to author Michael Dorris and the two collaborated on a number of works. The couple separated in 1995 and then divorced in 1996; Dorris would also take his own life in 1997 as allegations that he sexually abused at least three of the daughters whom he raised with Erdrich were under investigation.[9][10][11]

She is also the owner of Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore in Minneapolis that focuses on Native American literature and the Native community in the Twin Cities.[12]

  1. ^ a b Davies, Dave (March 4, 2020). "Louise Erdrich On Her Personal Connection To Native Peoples' 'Fight For Survival'". NPR. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  2. ^ "Louise Erdrich, author of LaRose, talks about her love of books". YouTube. April 27, 2016. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Stookey, Lorena Laura (1999). Louise Erdrich: A Critical Companion. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-03233-2. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  4. ^ "Louise Erdrich : Voices From the Gaps : University of Minnesota". Voices.cla.umn.edu. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  5. ^ "The Plague of Doves". Anisfield-Wolf Awards. 2009.
  6. ^ Kaufman, Leslie (November 14, 2012). "Novel About Racial Injustice Wins National Book Award". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference alter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "'The Night Watchman,' Malcolm X biography win arts Pulitzers". ABC News.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference dorris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference dorrisaccused was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference divorceandaccusations was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Birchbark Books & Native Arts | Welcome!". Birchbarkbooks.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.