Harper Lee was an American novelist who wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel is cited as the best-selling sci-fi novel in history while the series is counted among the classics of the genre. After India became independent, she became the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the Dominion of India. Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, is widely considered as one of the greatest authors ever. The recipient of the 1997 Pulitzer Prize, he also received the inaugural Franz Kafka Prize. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988, and Toni Morrison, a luminary of African American literature, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. This put her on the map, but her most famous work, Beloved, was published in 1987. While his works have been adapted into films, he has been the subject of several other stories. He significantly pushed the boundaries of American literature. Isaac Asimov was an American writer. . Many years after his death, Tolkien continues to be one of the best-selling writers. If you want to read East of Eden, you should visit Amazon. Although a published amateur playwright and author, he was never a prolific student. HP Lovecraft was a writer of weird and horror fiction and is known for his creation of Cthulhu Mythos, which has inspired a large body of games and music. His mostly Jewish-themed work usually explores a fraught and conflicted relationship with Jewish tradition. Some of Updike's most renowned novels included his Rabbit Angstrom novels, "Of the Farm" (1965), and "Olinger Stories: A Selection" (1964). Sylvia Plath achieved popularity and critical acclaim despite suffering from clinical depression for the most part of her adult life. He is well-known as the co-creator of many famous superheroes, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. It has a very casual, relaxed feeling.. ThoughtCo, Aug. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/important-contemporary-authors-852801. Four years after The Woman Warriors publication, the writer released China Men, a similarly genre-defying collection inspired by her male family members. Twentieth-Century Modern Masters: The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection Lieberman, William S., ed., and Sabine Rewald, with contributions by Dawn Ades, John Ashbery, Jacques Dupin, John Golding, Lawrence Gowing, William S. Lieberman, Philippe de Montebello, Pierre Schneider, and Gary Tinterow (1989) [It] became an affirmation of what she contributed to literature, to the stage.. After finishing high school, he studied English literature at Stanford; however, he left without graduating. Even though he passed away of a heart attack in 1940, his books are still wildly popular even to this day. She adds, The Time cover makes Morrison look like a really friendly person you want to go and hang out with, and then the McCurdy portrait makes her look so formidable and very challenging.. Sarojini Naidu was an Indian poet and political activist. Her story inspired the 2003 film Sylvia in which she was portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow. Robert Frost was an American poet. Science-fiction author Kurt Vonnegut is best remembered for the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, which became a New York Times bestseller. This work . Free, timed-entry tickets are required for access to the museum. A man with a strong mind of his own, Orwell never backed down from stating his views on the socio-political climate he lived in, which he expressed profusely through his influential essays and novels. The process of the Hebrew language revival began on October 13th 1881, as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his friends agreed to exclusively speak . The period saw an abrupt break away from the old ways of interacting with the world. Get a FREE book of writing prompts and learn how to make more money from your writing. The searingly painful novel offers a very personal window into the horrors of the enslavement of people and its aftermath. Chilean-American author Isabel Allende wrote her debut novel, "House of Spirits," to great acclaim in 1982. Titled Her Story: A Century of Women Writers, the show spotlights such literary giants as Toni Morrison, Anne Sexton, Sandra Cisneros, Ayn Rand, Jhumpa Lahiri, Marianne Moore and Jean Kerr. This book was written based on Hemingways experiences serving in the First World War. 20. Meilan Solly Robert A. Heinlein was an American author, naval officer, and aeronautical engineer. In his later life, he sunk into bankruptcy and also recovered. All Votes Add Books To This List. He pioneered a naturalistic method to writing superhero comics and challenged the Comics Code Authority, which ultimately led to changes in its policies. In contrast to previous phenomena, the 20th century entailed an extreme disruption . The month after A Raisin in the Sun opened on Broadway, photographer David Attie visited its author, 29-year-old Lorraine Hansberry, at her Greenwich Village apartment. You can even pick up a complete copy of the Lord of the Rings for yourself from Amazon. Written in the 14th century, this collection of tales brought to life characters and stories that remain popular today. During his long career that spanned decades and reached into the 21st century, John Updike (19322009) was one of only three writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once. This gave birth to the modern fantasy genre that most people know and love. Other poets were F.S Flint, James Joyce etc. His enormous imprint on contemporary modernism, as with Sillitoe, lies as much in his writing as it does in the 20th century's great artistic achievement - film. Roth was one of the most awarded American writers of his generation. space, and belonging. these beautiful dreadlocks that have been pulled back from her face and this big smile on her face.. Dr. Seuss was an American children's author, illustrator, and political cartoonist. The king of dystopia and satire, George Orwell, the pen name adopted by Eric Arthur Blair, wasa well-known novelist and critic of the 20th century. A couple of months ago, we reached out to dozens of critics and authors well-established voices (Michiko Kakutani, Luc Sante), more radical thinkers (Eileen Myles), younger reviewers for. . As a result, many of her works became central to the feminist movement of the early 20th century. The phrase "contemporary philosophy" is a piece of technical terminology in philosophy that refers to a specific period in the history of Western philosophy (namely . A new show at the National Portrait Gallery spotlights 24 authors, including Lorraine Hansberry, Sandra Cisneros and Maxine Hong Kingston. From Margaret Wise Browns Goodnight Moon (1947) to Dorothy Parkers sarcastic poetry, Ruth Prawer Jhabvalas screenplays, Susan Sontags literary criticism, Joyce Carol Oates multi-genre fiction and Maya Angelous autobiographical novels, there is sure to be an author here [who] is on everyones list of favorites, Shaw concludes. He was widely considered one of the greatest writers of all time, and he published many books that are still read regularly. A photo of the author stands on the table next to a lamp and a stack of papers; a poster advertising the Sidney Poitier-led Broadway production is visible above a neighboring bookshelf. He was a columnist for The Chicago Defender and wrote the iconic poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers. These changes took distinct shape in the literature of the 20th century. Even if you read some of his works in high school, you may want to check them out again. Twentieth-Century and Contemporary American Literature in Context profiles authors and their works and provides overviews of literary movements and genres through which readers will understand the historical, cultural, and political contexts that have shaped American writing. Writers mixed images from the past with modern languages and themes, creating a collage of styles. (photo credit: Courtesy) Advertisement. Born a Jew, he became an atheist later on. Although he was prolific in many genres, he is best remembered for his work on sci-fi novels, for which he is often referred to as the father of science fiction. In 2003, Kingston was arrested after participating in an anti-war protest on International Womens Day. Wallace continues to serve as an inspiration to writers like Darin Strauss and George Saunders. If you want to explore these ideas for yourself, you may want to pick up a copy of A Room of Ones Own from Amazon. 2023/2024 9. The 20th century was like no time period before it. Look at a few of the top names below. During this time, he published his wildly popular book, The Great Gatsby. The book focuses on an event that took place in 1936 when she was just 10 years old. In this story, the main character lives in New York. In the 1981 film Reds, Eugene O'Neill is played by actor Jack Nicholson. Her young adult dystopian coming-of-age fantasy series the Divergent trilogy is her most famous work, and she wrote the first book on winter break while attending Northwestern University. Susan Hill is a giant of 20th-century horror, and her 1983 gothic ghost story The Woman in Black has become a classic. He was virtually unknown during his lifetime, but is now considered a significant 20th-century author of supernatural horror fiction. Find out more about the greatest 20th Century American Writers, including William Gibson, Quentin Tarantino, Sylvia Browne, Christopher Lloyd and Stephen King Vote for Your Favourite 20th Century American Writers 1 Stan Lee (Primary Creative Leader of Marvel Comics and Characters such as 'Spider-Man', 'X-Men' and 'Iron Man') 95 48 The recipient of many prestigious awards, such as Grammy Awards, Shel Silverstein was posthumously inducted into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. "City of Beasts" (2002) has been another large commercial success. Arthur Miller was an American essayist and playwright. He wrote a variety of fantastic books during his time, but one of the greatest was The Catcher in the Rye. Comparatively, Robert McCurdys 2006 painting of the Beloved author (on view in the museums 20th-Century Americans: 2000 to Present gallery) depicts an unsmiling woman with her hands tucked into the pockets of a gray sweater. Russian author Vladimir Nabokov, also known by his pen name, (American Writer Known Primarily for Her Works of Horror and Mystery), Shirley Jackson redefined the genres of horror and mystery through her works, which include over 200 short stories and six novels. We have sculptures, paintings, drawings, a caricature and photographs. Many of his novels are blatant criticisms of totalitarianism. Today, contemporary 21st-century writers like Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Colson Whitehead are integral figures in American literature and pop culture. Beverly Cleary was another of the most famous writers of the 20th century. Even though she has countless famous works, her most popular character is certainly Ramona Geraldine Quimby. You can also purchase a copy of A Farewell to Arms for yourself off of Amazon. One of the most captivating literary figures of 20th century Japan, Osamu Dazai is known as a prominent writer within the Japanese I-novel genre of autofiction. In May 1959, she told journalist Mike Wallace that black Americans had a great deal to be angry about, adding, I feel, as our African friends do, that we need to point toward the total liberation of the African peoples all over the world., Born in Chicago in 1930, Hansberry grew up on the citys segregated south side. Some of the most well-known writers from the 20th century who exerted extraordinary impact through their books include George Orwell, James Joyce, JRR Tolkien, F Scott Fitzgerald, CS Lewis, Virginia Woolf, Anne Frank, T.S. Dune won the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award and spearheaded the Dune franchise. He encounters many significant challenges along the way, but he also does a lot of growing up. His play Long Day's Journey into Night is frequently named among the 20th century's finest American plays. His novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were drawn from his childhood experiences in Missouri. George R. R. Martin wrote the epic fantasy series of novels, (Writer Best Known for His Hard Science Fiction Novels and Professor of Biochemistry), (Author Best Known for His Novel 'Go Tell It on the Mountain'), (Playwright Best Known for His Plays All My Sons, Death of a Salesman and The Crucible), (Writer Known For His Satirical and Darkly Humorous Novels), (American Poet Who was Known for His Realistic Depictions of Rural Life), (American Author Best Known for Her Novel To Kill a Mockingbird), (American Author Best Known for His Novel The Hunt for Red October), Tom Clancy is best remembered for his espionage- and war-themed novels, many of which, such as, (Known for His Novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and Non-Fiction Novel In Cold Blood), Truman Capote is best known for his novella, (Best Known as a Leader of the Modernist Movement in Poetry), American-born British poet T. S. Eliot is best remembered for his poems, (American Author Best Known for His Novel 'The Catcher in the Rye'), J. D. Salinger is best remembered for his controversial novel, (One of the Earliest Innovators of the Literary Art Form Called Jazz Poetry), Author, editor, and Princeton professor Toni Morrison is best remembered for her, Criminal lawyer-turned-author John Grisham is known for his bestselling legal thrillers, (One of the Finest American Playwrights of the 20th-Century Best Known for His Work The Glass Menagerie ), (Poet and Author Known for His Work Mockingbird Wish Me Luck, and Love Is a Dog from Hell), (Regarded as One of the Most Significant American Writers of All Time), (Novelist and Poet Best Known for His Novels: On the Road', The Dharma Bums and Big Sur), Jack Kerouac is remembered as a prominent figure of the, (One of the Most Celebrated 20th-Century American Writers Known for His Novel 'Fahrenheit 451'), Ray Bradbury is best remembered for his writings in the science-fiction, mystery, and horror genres, the most notable being the short story anthology, (American Writer Known for His Novels: The City and the Pillar, Julian, Myra Breckinridge and Burr), (Best Known For His Novels 'Lolita' and 'Pale Fire'). He published seven novels and six short-story collections and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. The exhibition features a portrait of Cisneros sitting on the front porch of her San Antonio home with her pet dog. Over the years, Ayn Rand has been a major influence among American conservatives and libertarians. Best known for his science fiction works, Asimov was regarded as one of the Big Three writers along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein. 100 Best American Authors. He was virtually unknown during his lifetime, but is now considered a significant 20th-century author of supernatural horror fiction. Collectively, the museum notes in a statement, the women represented have won every major writing prize of the 20th century. He wrote poems on love, political and social themes, and cultural and psychological themes. This is a partial list of 20th-century writers. An important figure in the Indian Independence Movement, shewas a proponent of anti-imperialistic ideas, women's rights, and civil rights. Her works often deal with race and the immigrant's postcolonial experience. In 2005, his novel Ubik was included in Time magazine's list of 100 greatest novels published in English since 1923. He has said that"his early booksoriginated in an individual darkness, while his later works tap into the darkness found in society and history." White Teeth plays out its bounding, vibrant course in a . Hansberrys play succeeded against all odds, winning her the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, earning four Tony Award nominations and spawning a Golden Globe-nominated 1961 film of the same name. Twentieth-Century Authors Joseph Conrad Thomas Hardy Rupert Brooke Wilfred Owen Edward Thomas T.S. Sylvia Plath was an American short-story writer, novelist, and poet. She started her career as an English teacher but eventually left the teaching profession to become the first female African-American editor at publishing giantRandom House. Her story inspired the 2003 film Sylvia in which she was portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow. An influential poet, Frost was honored with four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry, the only poet to receive four such awards. Off of Amazon wrote her debut novel, `` 20th century contemporary writers of Spirits, '' to great acclaim in.. You read some of his novels the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Hulk to hold office. `` City of Beasts '' ( 2002 ) has been another large commercial success many books that still! Ubik was included in time magazine 's list of 100 greatest novels published in English 1923. From his childhood experiences in Missouri 1881, as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his friends agreed exclusively. Of Beasts '' ( 2002 ) has been another large commercial success independent! 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