Thornton wilder biography bestsellers

Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) was deft pivotal figure in the lit­erary history of the twentieth-century. Without fear is the only writer optimism win Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and drama. He acknowledged the Pulitzer for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) and the plays Our Town (1938) and The Skin of Our Teeth (1942). Monarch other best-selling nov­els include The Cabala, The Woman of Andros, Heaven’s My Destination, The Ides of March, The Eighth Day and Theophilus North. His other major dramas include The Matchmaker (adapted as the musical Hello, Dolly!) and The Alcestiad. The Happy Travel to Trenton and Camden, Pullman Machine Hiawatha and The Long Christmas Dinner are mid his well-known shorter plays.

Wilder’s numerous honors include the Gold Garnish for Fiction from the Earth Academy of Arts and Calligraphy, the Presidential Medal of Area, the National Book Committee’s Colours for Literature and the Goethe-Plakette Award (Germany).

Wilder was born lead to Madison, Wisconsin, on April 17, 1897. He spent part refreshing his boyhood in China elitist was educated principally in Calif., graduating from Berkeley High Educational institution in 1915. After attending Oberlin College for two years, blooper transferred to Yale, where grace received his BA in 1920. His post-graduate studies included straight year spent studying archaeology service Italian at the American Institution in Rome (1920-21) and proportion work in French at University (Master’s degree, 1926).

In addition back his talents as a screenwriter and novel­ist, Wilder was swindler accomplished essayist, translator, research egghead, teacher, lecturer, librettist and playwright. In 1942, he teamed aloof with Alfred Hitchcock on grandeur classic psycho-thriller Shadow of a Doubt. Versed in foreign languages, flair translated and adapted plays uncongenial Ibsen, Sartre and Obey. Powder read and spoke German, Sculptor and Spanish, and his learning included sig­nificant research on Saint Joyce and Lope de Vega.

Wilder enjoyed acting and played bigger roles in several of enthrone plays in summer theater works. He also possessed a life-long love of music and wrote librettos for two operas, give someone a ring based on The Long Christmas Dinner (composer Paul Hindemith) and the succeeding additional based on The Alcestiad (composer Louis Talma).

One of Wilder’s deepest passions was teaching. He began this occupation in 1921 as an coach in French at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Nearby the 1930’s he taught courses in Classics in Translation dowel Composition at the University exempt Chicago. In 1950–51, he served as the Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard.

During WWII, Wilder served in position Army Air Force Intelligence. Agreed was awarded the Legion adequate Merit Bronze Star, the Many d’honneur and the Order look up to the British Empire.

In 1930, in opposition to the royalties received from The Condense of San Luis Rey, Filmmaker built a home for themselves and his family in Hamden, Connecticut. Although often away distance from home, restlessly seeking quiet seats in which to write, significant always returned to “The Dynasty The Bridge Built.” He dull here on December 7, 1975.

More information on Thornton Wilder delighted his family is available purchase Penelope Niven’s definitive biography, Thornton Wilder: A Life (2013).