Marilynne Robinson
Full Name and Common Aliases
Marilynne Summers Robinson, commonly known as Marilynne Robinson, is a celebrated American author and essayist. Her profound insights into human nature and spirituality have made her a significant figure in contemporary literature.
Birth and Death Dates
Marilynne Robinson was born on November 26, 1943. As of the latest available information, she is still living and continues to contribute to the literary world.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Marilynne Robinson is an American novelist, essayist, and academic. Her work primarily explores themes of religion, family, and the human condition, earning her a place among the most respected voices in modern literature.
Early Life and Background
Born in Sandpoint, Idaho, Marilynne Robinson grew up in a small-town environment that would later influence her writing. Her father worked in the lumber industry, and her mother was a homemaker. Robinson's upbringing in the rural American West instilled in her a deep appreciation for the natural world, a theme that frequently appears in her work. She attended Pembroke College, the former women's college at Brown University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966. She later pursued a Ph.D. in English at the University of Washington, where she began to hone her craft as a writer.
Major Accomplishments
Marilynne Robinson's literary career is marked by numerous accolades and awards. Her debut novel, "Housekeeping" (1980), was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for best first novel. However, it was her second novel, "Gilead" (2004), that brought her widespread acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005. This novel, along with its sequels "Home" (2008) and "Lila" (2014), forms a trilogy that has been praised for its exploration of faith, forgiveness, and the complexities of human relationships.
Notable Works or Actions
Robinson's body of work extends beyond her novels. She is also a prolific essayist, with collections such as "The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought" (1998) and "When I Was a Child I Read Books" (2012), where she delves into topics ranging from theology to politics. Her essays are known for their intellectual rigor and moral clarity, often challenging prevailing cultural and philosophical assumptions. In addition to her writing, Robinson has had a distinguished academic career, teaching at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she has influenced a generation of writers.
Impact and Legacy
Marilynne Robinson's impact on literature and thought is profound. Her novels are celebrated for their lyrical prose and deep philosophical insights, often drawing comparisons to the works of great American writers like Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her exploration of themes such as grace, redemption, and the sacredness of everyday life resonates with readers across the globe. Robinson's essays have also contributed significantly to public discourse, offering a thoughtful critique of contemporary society and a defense of the humanities.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Marilynne Robinson is widely quoted and remembered for her ability to articulate complex ideas with clarity and grace. Her reflections on faith, morality, and the human experience offer profound insights that resonate with a diverse audience. Robinson's work challenges readers to consider the deeper questions of existence and the nature of goodness, making her a source of inspiration and contemplation. Her eloquent prose and thoughtful analysis have earned her a lasting place in the canon of American literature, ensuring that her words will continue to be quoted and cherished for generations to come.
Quotes by Marilynne Robinson
Marilynne Robinson's insights on:
One of the things that is wonderful about hymns is that they are a sort of universally shared poetry, at least among certain populations.
That’s the strangest thing about this life, about being in the ministry. People change the subject when they see you coming. And then sometimes those very same people come into your study and tell you the most remarkable things. There’s a lot under the surface of life, everyone knows that. A lot of malice and dread and guilt, and so much loneliness, where you wouldn’t really expect to find it, either.
The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, according to the epistle of James. But we have lived for years with the raucous influence of self-declared Christians who are clearly convinced that their wrath and God’s righteousness are one and the same.
That old black coat he always wore to preach in was the one he put over her shoulders one evening when they were walking along the road together and he was throwing rocks at the fence posts the way a boy would do, still shy of her. But on a Sunday morning, with the sermon in front of him he’d spent the week on and knew so well he hardly need to look at it, he was a beautiful old man, and it pleased her more than almost anything that she knew the feel of that coat, the weight of it.
Material things are so vulnerable to the humiliations of decay. There are some I dearly wish might be spared.
I can’t believe that, when we have all been changed and put on incorruptibility, we will forget our fantastic condition of mortality and impermanence, the great bright dream of procreating and perishing that meant the whole world to us. In eternity this world will be Troy, I believe, and all that has passed here will be the epic of the universe, the ballad they sing in the streets. Because I don’t imagine any reality putting this one in the shade entirely, and I think piety forbids me to try.