Olsen, Tillie

Olsen, Tillie
▪ 2008
Tillie Lerner 
      American author

born Jan. 14, 1913? , Omaha, Neb.

died Jan. 1, 2007 , Oakland, Calif.
was known for her powerful fiction about the inner lives of the working poor, women, and minorities. Olsen's early adult life was devoted to political activism and to rearing a family. Her first novel, begun at the age of 19, was set aside for 35 years. Though she never finished it, Olsen eventually published the reconstructed manuscript as Yonnondio: From the Thirties in 1974. It tells the story of the Holbrook family, who struggle to survive the Great Depression—working as coal miners, tenant farmers, and meat packers—and finally give in to despair. Olsen's best-known work, Tell Me a Riddle: A Collection (1961), was a volume of three short stories and a novella, each a masterpiece in its own right. Olsen used rhythmic, metaphoric language to give a voice to otherwise inarticulate characters; her stories captured the tragedy of their lives with poignant clarity. In her later works she addressed feminist themes and concerns, especially as related to women writers. Silences (1978) contained, among other things, a long essay about the author Rebecca Harding Davis, whose career as a writer failed after she married. In 1984 Olsen edited Mother to Daughter, Daughter to Mother: Mothers on Mothering.

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▪ American author
née  Tillie Lerner 
born Jan. 14, 1913?, Omaha, Neb., U.S.
died Jan. 1, 2007, Oakland, Calif.

      American author known for her powerful fiction about the inner lives of the working poor, women, and minorities.

      Olsen's early adult life was devoted to political activism and to rearing a family. Her first novel, begun at the age of 19, was set aside for 35 years. Though she never finished it, Olsen eventually published the reconstructed manuscript as Yonnondio: From the Thirties in 1974. It tells the story of the Holbrook family, who struggle to survive the Great Depression, working as coal miners, tenant farmers, and meat packers, and who finally give in to despair. Olsen's best-known work is Tell Me a Riddle: A Collection (1961), a volume of three short stories and a novella, each a masterpiece in its own right. “Tell Me a Riddle” is the story of a quarreling old Jewish couple who, while the wife is dying of cancer, remember their youth of political activism, their disappointments in marriage, and the various compromises they have been forced to make in their lives. The protagonist in “I Stand Here Ironing” is a mother who realizes that, because of the deadening effects of poverty, her 19-year-old daughter will never be able to develop fully as a human being. Olsen used rhythmic, metaphoric language to give a voice to otherwise inarticulate characters; her stories capture the tragedy of their lives with poignant clarity.

      In her later works she addressed feminist themes and concerns, especially as related to women writers. Silences (1978) contains, among other things, a long essay about the author Rebecca Harding Davis, whose career as a writer failed after she married. In 1984 Olsen edited Mother to Daughter, Daughter to Mother: Mothers on Mothering.

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  • OLSEN, TILLIE — (1913– ), U.S. author. Born Tillie Lerner in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Russian immigrants, her stature rose steadily over the years and she became regarded as one of America s leading writers. Self taught, with little formal education, she …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Olsen, Tillie — (b. 1913)    American writer. Born in Omaha, Nebraska to Russian immigrant parents, she was a political activist and union organizer during the Depression. Her works include Silences, a collection of short stories …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • Tillie Olsen — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Olsen. Tillie Olsen était une écrivain américaine née le 14 janvier 1912 et décédée le 1er janvier 2007. Sommaire 1 Biographie …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Tillie Olsen — (* 14. Januar 1912[1] in Omaha, Nebraska; † 1. Januar 2007 in Oakland, Kalifornien) war eine US amerikanische Schriftstellerin. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Verfilmungen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Olsen — ist ein Familienname. Herkunft und Bedeutung Olsen ist ein Name, der aus dem skandinavischen Raum, vor allem aus Dänemark, stammt. Er ist eine patronymische Bildung und bedeutet Oles Sohn. Namensträger Aaron Olsen (* 1978), US amerikanischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Olsen (surname) — Olsen Danish pronunciation: [ˈoːˀlsn̩] is a Danish Norwegian patronymic surname meaning son of Ole . The surname Olesen Danish pronunciation: [ˈoːləsn] has a similar origin. The Swedish parallel form is Olsson son of Ola . Danish and… …   Wikipedia

  • Olsen —   [ əʊlsən], Tillie, amerikanische Schriftstellerin, * Omaha (Nebraska) 14. 1. 1912; trat erst 1961 mit der Kurzgeschichtensammlung »Tell me a riddle, a collection« (1961; deutsch »Erzähl mir ein Rätsel«) an die Öffentlichkeit. Ihre Werke sind… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Tillie Olsen — Infobox Writer name = Nick V. birthdate = January 14, 1913 deathdate = January 1, 2007 (aged 94)Tillie Lerner Olsen (January 14, 1913 ndash;January 1, 2007) [cite news | title=Tillie Olsen, Feminist Writer, Dies at 94 |… …   Wikipedia

  • Olsen — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Olsen est un patronyme d origine danoise qui peut désigner : Aaron Olsen, (1978 ), cycliste membre de l équipe Health Net Ambrose Olsen (1985 2010),… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste der Biografien/Ol — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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