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Short
Story Writer and Translator Lydia Davis, a Barnard Alumna,
Wins MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant
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New
York, NY, October 5, 2003— Lydia Davis, a Barnard graduate
and author of inventive, witty and very short works of prose
about life's ordinary moments, has won a coveted MacArthur
"genius" grant - $500,000 in "no strings attached"
support for five years awarded to highly creative people.
She is the ninth Barnard alumna to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.
Davis, Class of 1970, who teaches at the State University
of New York, Albany, and is also a celebrated translator of
important works of French literature, has written three collections
of short stories and a novel. Her most recent book,
Samuel Johnson is Indignant (2001), consists of 57 short,
sharp meditations on life, language and such miscellaneous
topics as lawns, funeral homes and jury duty.
The writer Grace Paley has written that Davis is the kind
of writer about whom you say: "Oh, at last!—brains,
language, energy, a playfulness with form, and what appears
to be a generous nature."
In her experimental works of prose, Davis rejects the conventions
of plot, character and drama and has won praise for her tightly-knit
and compelling narratives. She shows how language itself
can entertain — how a single word can hold a reader's
interest. "By enlarging both experiences and the
nuances of plain language, Davis grants readers a glimpse
of life's previously invisible details, revealing new sources
of philosophical insight and beauty," the Foundation
said in awarding the grant.
Davis' previous works include Almost No Memory (stories,
1998), The End of the Story (novel, 1995), Break
It Down (stories, 1986), Story and Other Stories
(1983), and The Thirteenth Woman (stories, 1976).
Almost No Memory was chosen as one of the "25
Favorite Books of 1997" by the "Voice Literary Supplement"
and one of the "100 Best Books of 1997" by the Los
Angeles Times. Break It Down was selected as a
finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award.
The French government named her a Chevalier of the Order of
Arts and Letters for her distinguished translations of works
by Maurice Blanchot, Pierre Jean Jouve, Francoise Giroud,
Michel Butor and others.
Her new translation (the first in more than 80 years) of Marcel
Proust's masterpiece, Swann's Way, was published this
year to wide acclaim.
Next year, Viking Press will publish Davis' translation of
Proust's In the Shadow of the Young Girls in Flower,
the second volume of In Search of Lost Time.
Davis joins eight fellow Barnard alumnae who have received
MacArthur fellowships: Jacqueline K. Barton '74; Katherine
Boo '88; Nancy Farris '59; Randall Forsberg '65; Faye Ginsburg
'75; Rebecca Goldstein '72; Twyla Tharp '63 and Irene Winter
'60.
Twenty-four individuals were selected as MacArthur Fellows
for 2003, ranging from a blacksmith exploring the expressive
qualities of metal to a biomedical engineer employing the
biophysics of noise to enhance motor control, and a gerontological
nurse improving care for older cancer victims.
The MacArthur
Fellows Program emphasizes originality and creativity
by individuals and their potential for even greater contributions.
Candidates are nominated and selected through a confidential
process. No one may apply for the awards, nor are any
interviews conducted.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, Barnard Office of Public Affairs,
212-854-7583, strimel@barnard.edu
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