Paula Fox (1923–2017)
Author of The Slave Dancer
About the Author
Paula Fox was born in Manhattan, New York on April 22, 1923. She briefly studied piano at the Juilliard School and spent 3 years at Columbia University but didn't graduate. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a salesgirl, a model, a worker in a rivet-sorting shop, a lathe operator at Bethlehem show more Steel, and a teacher of troubled children. She wrote books for children and adults. Her children's books included Maurice's Room, Traces, Blowfish Live in the Sea, One-Eyed Cat, and The Eagle Kite. She received the Newbery Medal for The Slave Dancer in 1974 and the Hans Christian Andersen Award for her body of children's work in 1978. Her books for adults include Poor George, The Widow's Children, A Servant's Tale, and The God of Nightmares. Desperate Characters was adapted into a film starring Shirley MacLaine and Kenneth Mars. She also wrote two memoirs entitled Borrowed Finery and The Coldest Winter: A Stringer in Liberated Europe. She died on March 1, 2017 at the age of 93. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Works by Paula Fox
The Newbery Award Library: Island of the Blue Dolphins/the Witch of Blackbird Pond/the Sign of the Beaver/One-Eyed… (1990) 6 copies
Dear Prosper 1 copy
Fox Paula 1 copy
Great cloister : a lost canterbury tale : a history of the Canterbury cloister, constructed 1408-14, with some account… (2020) 1 copy
Fox, Paula Archive 1 copy
Vent d'ouest 1 copy
Associated Works
Who's Writing This? Notations on the Authorial I, with Self-Portraits {not Antæus} (1995) — Contributor — 73 copies
How I Learned to Cook and Other Writings on Complex Mother-Daughter Relationships (2004) — Contributor — 58 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Fox, Paula
- Birthdate
- 1923-04-22
- Date of death
- 2017-03-01
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Manhattan, New York, USA
- Place of death
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
- Education
- Columbia University
Julliard School - Occupations
- novelist
children's book author
memoirist - Relationships
- Fox, Paul Hervey (father)
Carroll, Linda-2 (daughter)
Love, Courtney (granddaughter)
Greenberg, Martin (husband)
Greenberg, Clement (brother-in-law) - Organizations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (Literature, 2004)
- Awards and honors
- Hans Christian Andersen Award (Writing, 1978)
American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award (Literature ∙ 1972)
American Academy of Arts and Letters (Literature, 2004)
Newbery Medal (1974)
New York State Writers Hall of Fame (2011)
National Book Award (1983) (show all 7)
Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (2008)
Members
Discussions
YA, girl visits aunt (& uncle?) by ocean, makes sand city in Name that Book (March 2013)
Reviews
" Ned was at once reminded of the past. The time before his mother had become ill.... It was the time he'd been happy and hadn't known it. When he was happy now, he would remind himself he was. He would say, at this moment I'm happy."
" you must beware of people who wear their hearts on their sleeves; it's not the natural place to keep your heart--it turns rusty and thin, and it leaves you hollow inside."
Mrs. Scallop " was locked inside of her own opinions like a prisoner."
It's important to know that this takes place during the recovery from the Great Depression, on the Hudson river in rural New York. And that mother has rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disease.… (more)
" you must beware of people who wear their hearts on their sleeves; it's not the natural place to keep your heart--it turns rusty and thin, and it leaves you hollow inside."
Mrs. Scallop " was locked inside of her own opinions like a prisoner."
It's important to know that this takes place during the recovery from the Great Depression, on the Hudson river in rural New York. And that mother has rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disease.… (more)
Seems light and simply whimsical or sweet, but has resonances. I'm not sure any old kid would get it, but any child who feels, like Lewis, over-protected and smothered with guidance, will likely appreciate it deeply. Fourth read over the years for me of this copy (edition that came w/ textbook set, with discussion questions) that I found at a thrift store, and I'm only now deciding to give it to a certain young family.
Btw, also 'intergenerational friendship.'
Btw, also 'intergenerational friendship.'
Tried to read for Newbery club, but just can't. I imagine that the intended audience, on average, has a stronger stomach than I, and is better able to protect their feelings. Nev. 2021
Lists
Backlisted (1)
Newbery Adjacent (1)
Books About Boys (1)
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 45
- Also by
- 6
- Members
- 8,210
- Popularity
- #2,948
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 147
- ISBNs
- 428
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
- 8
Adele rated: Indifferent.