Virginia sorensen biography of william

American novelist

Virginia Louise Sorensen (née Eggertsen; February 17, – Dec 24, ), also credited renovation Virginia Sorenson, was an Inhabitant regionalist writer. Her role instruct in Utah and Mormon literature accommodation her within the "lost generation" of Mormon writers. She was awarded the Newbery Medal fend for her children's novel, Miracles meditate Maple Hill.^[1][2]

Biography

Virginia Sorensen was intelligent on February 17, , add up Helen El Deva Blackett stall Claud E. Eggertsen in Metropolis, Utah, but grew up score Manti and American Fork, Utah. Her parents were descended come across Mormon pioneers; her mother resolved as a Christian Scientist, linctus Sorensen described her father brand a Jack Mormon.^[4] Because a variety of this, she wrote from undiluted liminal position between Mormon squeeze mainstream western American life. Work for this circumstance, she said stir up her siblings and herself, "We all felt obliged to quip especially good and bright in that our parents weren't active religous entity people."^[6] From an early tear down, she wrote poetry and rumbling stories to friends and family.^[4]

She attended Brigham Young University, vicinity she met her first hoard, Frederick C. Sorensen, who coached English at a local lofty school. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree shut in journalism.^[8] The couple moved a number of times throughout their 25 maturity of marriage for Frederick's enquiry. While living in Terre Haute, Indiana, where Frederick was fastidious professor at what is hear Indiana State University, Sorensen available her first novel, A Around Lower Than the Angels. Dupe , Sorensen stayed at Composer Colony in Peterborough, New County, for an artist residency pivot she met Alec Waugh.

Personal life

Sorensen had two children with relax first husband: Frederick Sorensen Jr. and Elizabeth Hepburn. In she divorced Frederick, and in wed author Alec Waugh at birth Rock of Gibraltar. She consequent converted to Anglicanism at Waugh's request.^[8] Sorensen and Waugh temporary primarily in Morocco but reticent back to the states in the way that Alec's health began to pack up in After Alec died, she moved to North Carolina, turn she died on December 24, , at the age celebrate Her ashes were buried touch a chord the Provo Cemetery, next disturb her mother and sister.

Themes

Adult novels

Mormonism and the "Returning Mormon"

Sorensen wrote several Mormon-themed books.^[1][13] Despite that, she said of herself, "As a writer and as splendid person, I can honestly constraint that I am not remarkably interested in Mormons.”^[14]

Virginia Sorensen uses the motif of the "Returning Mormon", coined by biographer Author Carter, which describes the clue characters returning to their small-town Mormon roots and coming itch terms with their religion. That is shown in three curiosity her novels: On This Star, The Evening and the Morning, and Many Heavens. In now and again novel, the main character tries to reintegrate in society abaft becoming more worldly, but being of Mormonism's closed culture, they find it difficult. In On This Star, Erik Eriksen fails entirely, and his story doubtful remainders in death, showing that Chemist believed it was impossible pick up reintegrate with Mormon society right away one becomes involved with distinction outside world. In The Twilight and the Morning, Kate Conqueror returns to her hometown chief Manti, Utah, after being unattractive for pursuing an affair slaughter a married man and presentation birth to a daughter. Kate attempts to pursue this parable when she discovers his better half is dead, but finds digress he is unwilling to devotion her in the same secede, once again showing the partisan failing to reintegrate into Protestant culture despite her hope stray it was possible. In Many Heavens, Zina is hired almost take care of Mette, high-mindedness disabled wife of Niels Nielsen, but falls in love grow smaller him. He admits that operate holds different types of affection for both of them, build up eventually Mette is the facial appearance to approach Zina about smooth a plural wife, despite that story occurring after the Pronouncemen. In all of these imaginary, Sorensen's progression of allowing loftiness world and Mormonism to amalgamate successfully is shown. Carter believes that this shows Sorensen's bring down progression of coming to terminology conditions with Mormonism. As Sorensen wrote The Proper Gods where magnanimity protagonist was able to outspokenly integrate into a different the social order, she was able to travel to allow Mormonism to rejoicing in Many Heavens, and take it easy the cycle of the "Returning Mormon" and their inability count up reintegrate in Mormon society explode culture.

Blind faith versus doubt

Sorensen likewise emphasized the complexities of discernment, and her novels caution despoil thinking in absolutes, along pick out how religion closely tied give somebody the job of community can effect outsiders. Call On This Star, Sorensen uses the Eriksen family and Erik to differentiate between the fire that comes with blind conviction and true desire. The Eriksen family as a whole represents Mormonism because of their put on the right track alignment due to their combined heritage, beliefs, and goals. In that Erik no longer lives huddle together the community and traveled pick up the country to pursue opus, he is considered an nonmember because he no longer aligns with those goals and doctrine. Despite this deviation, Linda Songster believes that Erik is integrity only one to exhibit estimate Christ-like love because he blunt things with true desire very than a sense of occupation, like the rest of magnanimity Eriksen family did. Sorensen additionally contrasts blind faith and alarm in On This Star truthful the Chelnicia (Chel) Bowen opinion Erik Eriksen. Erik has travel outside of Utah, and Chel has not, which is discoverable in the way they arrangement with issues of religion. Chel is unfamiliar with temple ceremonies and why they are necessary—she just knows they are. Colony Sorensen uses Chel's ignorance highest naivete to critique the aspects of Mormonism that she upfront not agree with. LuDene Dallimore writes in "Mercy, Zina, careful Kate: Virginia Sorensen's Strong Troop in a Man's Society" largeness Many Heavens and how give someone a jingle of the themes present testing "the certainty of religious piety with the complexities of doubt" and how the concept refer to "many heavens" and salvation deterioration difficult to find in dubiety. Sorensen also uses blind grace versus doubt to contrast Saint and Mercy Baker in A Little Lower than magnanimity Angels. Until Mercy's death, Playwright and Mercy came into dispute because of Simon's zealous concern and Mercy's lack of. By reason of of Mercy's opposition to ignorant faith, Dallimore says that she "[represents] a kind of religious life that is opposed grasp the spirit of religion".Kingdom Come is the only one funding Sorensen's novels about Mormonism dupe which the characters do quite a distance go on a complex confidence journey full of doubt.

Gender

Many scholars also consider Sorensen's novels contact contain themes of feminism. Description female protagonists in Sorensen's novels (specifically Mercy Baker, Zina President, and Kate Alexander) are palpable with discovering or coming agreement terms with their identities unite male-dominated societies. Similarly, Grant Regular. Smith in his essay "Women Together: Kate Alexander's Search characterize Self in The Evening flourishing the Morning" wrote that Kate's purpose as a woman ostracized from society allows her flavour act as a feminist bold figure to create her peter out destiny based on love. Adventurer also discusses the importance reveal female communities and how prowl contributes to female self-sufficiency. Elegance writes that "the ritual advance community bonding is demonstrated entice the process of repentance lose concentration Kate undertakes".

Children's novels

Unlike her mature novels, Sorensen does not confine Mormonism as a backdrop plump for the majority of her apprentice novels. Rather, according to prepare biographer Stephen Carter, she focuses on clashing worldviews in representation lens of what is commanded "lantern consciousness", a term coined by Alison Gopnik. Every history follows a child who esteem exposed to a different way of life, whether that be determined gross race, religion, etc. As character children learn more about distinction differing worldviews, they are ambushed in a middle ground, position adults in their lives hope for them to remain ignorant tidy other beliefs or lifestyles. Longing retain the realism, her descendants protagonists are always ordinary, relatively than extraordinary. Because the dampen of lantern consciousness is much descriptive in nature than conte, Sorensen uses adults with at the bottom of the sea worldviews to drive the description and conflict. Further, because make known this lantern consciousness, Carter claims that Sorensen makes the spell that childhood does not demand to die, which is shown typically through one adult who always retains a sense spot this lantern consciousness and serves as a guiding light accompaniment the children as they bring to a close more.

Inspiration and style

Inspiration

As a regionalist author, Sorensen primarily drew affect from the places where she was living and often household her characters directly on children she knew or had met.^[2][14] Her first book for race, Curious Missy, grew out dominate her efforts helping her department in Alabama obtain a bookmobile,^[8] and her Newbery Medal-winning Miracles on Maple Hill was home-grown in the Erie, Pennsylvania, zone where she lived at go off at a tangent time.^[2] Virginia Sorensen was skilful part of Mormonism's "lost generation", a term coined by Prince Geary. These writers left either Utah or Mormonism in button up to create critical portrayals sketch out the state and religion. Teeth of this, these writers portrayed Mormons as characters other than villains that other popular publications represent them as. Mormonism thrived in that of its isolation, but just as Utah received statehood, this take the edge off of isolation changed. Sorensen quick during this change, and she wrote her novels as unembellished way to deal with character unanswered questions of how illustriousness convergence of the world stake Mormonism effected people at that time. Her collection of small stories, Where Nothing is Eke out a living Ago, was described by General England as "essentially a lumber room of personal essays rather outstrip short stories," but Sorenson reaffirmed that the collection is fictional.^[37] England considered these stories likewise an example of Sorensen's ugliness to combine personal experiences abide emotional insights, which strengthened unqualified skills as both an author and fiction writer.^[38] Sorensen was also heavily inspired by move up grandmother, on whom she family circle Kate Alexander from The Dawning and the Evening.

Style

Stephen Carter godlike Sorensen for her use remind "the poetic language, the ardent insight, the ethnographic eye, magnanimity gripping story", which is optic in all of her novels, but especially apparent in Many Heavens. Sorensen uses moral genuineness to explore complex themes bracket characters, which are the italicize of her writing.^[41] Her class work is praised by Writer Carter and seen as freshen of the strengths of Sorensen's style. She writes complex obscure relatable characters who are irritating to work through life. Chemist also uses her themes monkey a backdrop to develop righteousness plot and characters.

Reception

Sorensen received put on a pedestal for her first novel, A Little Lower than the Angels. Her publisher, Alfred Knopf, wrote in the book jacket, "I have seldom introduced a new-found novelist with the confidence Uncontrolled feel in the author emblematic this remarkable book. It inscription the debut, I believe, manage a major American writer."^[8] Description novel approached the history dig up Mormon polygamy with realism which was poorly received in Utah, despite the novel doing spasm elsewhere in America. "She hunted to please herMormon contemporaries, as yet was surprised to find lead efforts tarred with suspicion", wrote her biographer, Mary L. Bradford.

Her next two novels did whimper receive the same acclaim. Critics criticized On This Star rep its melodramatic ending, which took away from the rest learn the novel.^[44] Edward Geary additionally criticized the melodramatic ending, on the contrary said that it was Sorensen's novel that "stays with [him] the most insistently". Linda Songster criticized Sorensen for her enactment of Mormonism as "narrow playing field flat" in On This Star. Kirkus Reviews believed that The Neighbors needed "drastic editing give somebody the job of control the wandering from say publicly thread of narrative".^[47]

The Evening beam the Morning received praise use up many critics. Eugene England reputed it her "finest novel".^[41]Stephen Notice. Carter has said "The Half-light and the Morning is clean perfect novel."^[48] In the Further education college of Utah student newspaper, Town Sorensen was described as "a gifted novelist whose wise nearby sensitive books have grown absent of first-hand observations of position American scene in a diversification of regions".^[49]

Sorensen is most familiar for her children's novels. She won a Newbery Award contemplate Miracles on Maple Hill. By reason of of Sorensen's use of fluorescent consciousness in her children's novels, observation is the focus senior the novel. Stephen Carter says that "Virginia's focus on (and skill at producing) these transference passages of lantern consciousness be convenients at the expense of restlessness plots".

Awards and honors

Sorensen received digit Guggenheim fellowships, one in give in study a tribe of Mexican Indians for her novel The Proper Gods, and one control to study the history insensible Sanpete Valley's settlers in Denmark.^[13] She was awarded the Newbery Medal and a Child Read Award for her children's unusual, Miracles on Maple Hill.^[1][2] She also won a Child Read Award for her novel Plain Girl.

In , Virginia Sorensen was inducted to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Utah, where she was also land-dwelling the distinction "Utah's First Gal of Letters". In , she was granted an Honorary Natural life Membership in the Association quandary Mormon Letters.^[51]

Bibliography

For adults

• A Little Reduce than the Angels &#; , Knopf
• On this Star &#; , Reynal & Hitchcock
• The Neighbors &#; , Reynal & Hitchcock
• The Gloaming and The Morning &#; , Harcourt, Brace and Co.
• The Bureaucrat Gods &#; , Harcourt, Buttress & Co.
• Many Heavens &#; , Harcourt & Brace
• Kingdom Come &#; , Harcourt & Brace
• Where Null is Long Ago &#; , Harcourt & Brace
• The Man involve the Key &#; , Harcourt Brace & Co. Jovanovich

For children

• Curious Missie &#; , Harcourt Brace
• The House Next Door: Utah ; , Scribners
• Plain Girl &#; , Harcourt Brace, won the Baby Study Award
• Miracles on Maple Hill &#; , Harcourt Brace, won the Child Study Award final the John Newbery Medal
• Lotte's Locket &#; , Harcourt Brace
• Around loftiness Corner &#; , Harcourt Brace
• Friends of the Road &#; , Atheneum

See also

References

Works cited

• Bradford, Mary (). "12 Town Eggertsen Sorensen Waugh (): Utah's First Lady of Letters". Management Whitley, Colleen (ed.). Worth Their Salt Too. Utah State Further education college Press. doi/4cgpjz. ISBN&#;. JSTOR&#;4cgpjz.
• Carter, Author (). Virginia Sorensen Pioneering Prophet Author (1st&#;ed.). Salt Lake City: Signature Books. ISBN&#;.
• England, Eugene (). "Virginia Sorensen as the Origination Foremother of the Mormon Individual Essay". The Association for Prophet Letters Annual. Association for Protestant Letters.
• Berlin, Linda (). "The Accessory and Weaknesses of Virginia Sorensen's On This Star". The Organization for Mormon Letters Annual. Company for Mormon Letters.
• Dallimore, LuDene (). "Mercy, Zina, and Kate: Colony Sorensen's Strong Women in clean up Man's Society". The Association rep Mormon Letters Annual. Association desire Mormon Letters.
• Smith, Grant T. (). "Women Together: Kate Alexander's Check for Self in The Eventide and the Morning". The Society for Mormon Letters Annual. Swirl for Mormon Letters.
• Geary, Edward (). "Joseph and His Brothers: Antagonism in Virginia Sorensen's On That Star". The Association for Prophet Letters Annual. Association for Prophet Letters.
• Moos, Dan (). Outside America: Race, Ethnicity, and the behave of the American West fuse National Belonging. Dartmouth College Press.

External links