The Columbia History of the American Novel

Tyranny, and My Wife and I, espousing the idea of careers for women. In 1875 the sequel to the latter, We and Our Neighbors, appeared, and in 1878 an autobiographical novel, Poganuc People. She lived mainly in Florida after the Civil War, but died at Hartford, Connecticut, on July 1, 1896.

Ronald Sukenick (1932-)

A devout Brooklynite for much of his life, Sukenick received a Ph.D. in 1962 from Brandeis University and today works as the Director of -812- Creative Writing at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Frustrated by the restrictions of commercial publishing, Sukenick helped establish the Fiction Collective in 1970, a writers' co-op devoted to publishing experimental fiction. Sukenick's commitment to the avantgarde is reflected in his innovative novels, which include Out (1973), 98.6 (1975), and Long Talking Bad Conditions Blues (1979).

Tabitha Tenney (1762–1837)

Tabitha Tenney was a daughter of the prominent Gilman family of New Hampshire, and was married to Congressman Samuel Tenney. She wrote only one novel, the satirical Female Quixotism: Exhibited in the Romantic Opinions and Extravagant Adventures of Dorcasina Sheldon (1801), but this single work has secured her a place in the history of women's writing in America.

Albion Tourgée (1838–1905)

Tourgée was born in Williamsfield, Ohio, and attended the University of Rochester (1859-61). He served as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War, was twice wounded, and spent four months as a Confederate prisoner. During the Reconstruction he enjoyed a profitable career as a carpetbag politician. His novels, including A Fool's Errand (1879) and Hot Plowshares (1883), deal with the turbulent politics and race relations of the Civil War and the Reconstruction period. In 1897 he was appointed consul to Bordeaux, where he died.

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) (1835–1910)

Born in Missouri, and reared in the small town of Hannibal on the shores of the Mississippi River, Twain is often regarded as the quintessential American author. A complex figure, Twain combined social success and aspiration with a critical skepticism, and merged his humor with a sometimes bleak vision of the human condition. Twain's literature reflects his extensive and varied experience — he piloted a ship down the Mississippi, served briefly in a Confederate troop, and searched for gold in the Mother Lode district of California. Frustrated by his lack of financial remuneration in these fields, Twain turned to writing as a career. In 1870, following his marriage to the -813- wealthy and well-connected Olivia Langdon, Twain established his household in Hartford, Connecticut. He also became a frequenter of European capitals. His numerous works include The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), A Tramp Abroad (1880), The Prince and the Pauper (1882), Life on the Mississippi (1883), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889), The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and 'The Mysterious Stranger' (published posthumously).

John Updike (1932-)

The son of a writer (his mother) and a mathematics teacher (his father), Updike was born in Shillington, Pennsylvania. A highly motivated and successful student, Updike won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he was elected president of the humorous Harvard Lampoon. Upon his graduation in 1954, Updike went to England to study art at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Arts. In 1955 Updike began to contribute to The New Yorker, and since that time he has published more than thirty books. A winner of numerous awards, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, Updike has achieved a kind of celebrity status. Updike is a versatile author; he has written novels, short stories, poetry, plays, criticism, and children's books. His works include The Same Door (1959), The Poorhouse Fair (1959), Rabbit Run (1960), Pigeon Feathers (1962), The Magic Flute (1962), Telephone Poles (1963), The Centaur (1963), Couples (1968), Bech: A Book (1970), Rabbit Redux (1971), Marry Me (1976), The Coup (1978), Rabbit Is Rich (1980), Bech Is Back (1982), Hugging the Shore (1983), The Witches of Eastwick (1984), and Roger's Version (1986).

Luisa Valenzuela (1938-)

Valenzuela is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There she wrote for radio and worked as a reporter for the newspapers La Nación and El Mundo. She has lived in Mexico, Paris, and New York, where she settled in 1972. Her novels include El gato eficaz (Cat-o-NineDeaths, 1972); Comoen la guerra (1977; He Who Searches, 1987), and Cola de lagartija (1983; The Lizard's Tail, 1983). She has been -814- honored as a Fellow of the Institute for the Humanities (1981), was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1982, and was named Distinguished Writer in Residence, New York University (1985).

Mario Vargos Llosa (1936-)

Vargas Llosa was born in Arequipa, Peru. He graduated from the University of San Marcos in Lima in 1957 and attended the University of Madrid from 1957 to 1959. After a lengthy residence abroad, in Paris (where he helped to found the leftist journal Libre) and Barcelona, he returned to Peru in 1974. His first novel, La ciudad y los perros (1962; The Time of the Hero, 1966), created a sensation, and was followed in 1966 by his masterpiece, La casa verde (The Green House, 1968). He has been the recipient of many literary awards, and is recognized as a leading Latin American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and critic.

Gore Vidal (1925-)

Vidal was born in the military establishment at West Point, New York. Vidal's life might best be described as cosmopolitan — he has traveled and lived in Europe, North Africa, and the Aleutian Islands. In 1960, Vidal was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 29th Congressional District. His works include Williwaw (1946), A Search for the King (1950), Washington, D.C. (1967), Myra Breckinridge (1968), Burr (1973), and Duluth (1983).

José Antonio Villarreal (1924-)

A native of Los Angeles, Villarreal moved to Santa Clara when he was six. Here he was exposed to the economic plight of migrant workers and also learned Mexican folk tales. Villarreal's father, who reputedly lived for well over a hundred years, fought with Pancho Villa and greatly influenced his son's sense of history. After the United States entered World War II, Villareal enlisted in the Navy. Following the cessation of hostilities, Villarreal attended the University of California where he majored in English. Since then Villarreal has emerged as a leading force in Chicano literature. His works in-815- clude Poncho (1959), The Fifth Horseman (1974), and Clemente Chacon (1984).

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-)

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, the child of an architect, Vonnegut grew up in an atmosphere that encouraged his interest in technology and art. Vonnegut attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University). As a young man Vonnegut worked at a variety of vocations, including a stint as a teacher at MassachusettsHopefield School, work as a freelance writer, and employment as a police reporter for the Chicago City News Bureau. During World War II, Vonnegut served in the United States Army. He was captured and held as a POW, and received the Purple Heart in recognition of his valor. After his emergence as a novelist, Vonnegut received teaching appointments at a variety of prestigious institutions, including Harvard University and the University of Iowa's famed Writers' Workshop. Always interested in painting, Vonnegut exhibited his own art in 1980. Vonnegut's interests are multidisciplinary, embracing science, technology, art, and politics. His novels incorporate these themes and frequently blur the boundaries between fiction and science fiction. Vonnegut's numerous works include Player Piano (1952), The Sirens of Titan (1959),