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Tracy Chevalier

Born:19 October 1962 in Washington, DC. Youngest of 3 children. Father was a photographer for The Washington Post.Childhood:Nerdy. Spent a lot of time lying on my bed reading. Favorite authors back then: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madeleine L’Engle, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander. Book I would have taken to a desert island: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.Education:BA in English, Oberlin College, Ohio, 1984. No one was surprised that I went there; I was made for such a progressive, liberal place.MA in creative writing, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 1994. There’s a lot of debate about whether or not you can be taught to write. Why doesn’t anyone ask that of professional singers, painters, dancers? That year forced me to write all the time and take it seriously.Geography:Moved to London after graduating from Oberlin in 1984. I had studied for a semester in London and thought it was a great place, so came over for fun, expecting to go back to the US after 6 months to get serious. I’m still in London, and still not entirely serious. Even have dual citizenship — though I keep the American accent intact.Family:1 English husband + 1 English son + 1 tortoiseshell cat.Career:Before writing, was a reference book editor, working on encyclopedias about writers. (Yup, still nerdy.) Learned how to research and how to make sentences better. Eventually I wanted to fix my own sentences rather than others’, so I quit and did the MA.Writing:Talked a lot about becoming a writer as a kid, but actual pen to paper contact was minimal. Started writing short stories in my 20s, then began first novel, The Virgin Blue, during the MA year. With Girl With a Pearl Earring (written in 1998), I became a full-time writer, and have since juggled it with motherhood
years of life: 19 October 1962 present

Quotes

Habitante de librohas quoted6 months ago
I had often seen him look at her, touch her shoulder, speak to her in a low voice laced with honey.
Habitante de librohas quoted6 months ago
“She is facing us, but is looking out the window, down to her right. She is wearing a yellow and black fitted bodice of silk and velvet, a dark blue skirt, and a white cap that hangs down in two points below her chin.”
Habitante de librohas quoted6 months ago
A painting in a church is like a candle in a dark room—we use it to see better. It is the bridge between ourselves and God.

Impressions

Habitante de libroshared an impression5 months ago
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    Tracy Chevalier
    Girl with a Pearl Earring
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