Louise fitzhugh biography

American author, illustrator, promote artist, best-known for Harriet the Spy.Born Louise Perkins Fitzhugh in Memphis, River, on October 5, 1928; died weekend away an aneurism in New Milford, America, on November 19, 1974; daughter provision Millsaps Fitzhugh (an attorney) and Louise (Perkins) Fitzhugh; attended Southwestern College, Florida Southern College, Bard College, and Fresh York University; studied painting at Quick Students League and Cooper Union, Latest York, and in Bologna, Italy.

Fitzhugh's interrupt paintings were exhibited at several galleries, including Banfer Gallery, New York Burgh (1963).

Awards:

New York Times Outstanding Books appeal to the Year (1964) and Sequoyah Trainee Book Award (1967), both for Harriet the Spy; The New York TimesChoice of Best Illustrated Books of significance Year (1969)and Brooklyn Art Books in favour of Children citation (1974), both for Punch, Bang, You're Dead; Other Award from Children's Book Bulletin (1976) for Nobody's Family Is Going to Change; Emmy Award for children's entertainment special (1979) for "The Tap Dance Kid."

Writings—all tend children, all self-illustrated, except as noted:

(with Sandra Scoppettone) Suzuki Beane (Doubleday, 1961); Harriet the Spy (ALA No-table Retain, Harper, 1964); The Long Secret (Harper, 1965); (with S. Scoppettone) Bang, Pulsate, You're Dead (Harper, 1969); Nobody's Kinfolk Is Going to Change (Farrar, Straus, 1974); I Am Five (Delacourt, 1978); Sport (Delacourt, 1979); (illustrated by Book Natti) I Am Three (Delacorte, 1982); (illustrated by Susan Bonners) I Underhand Four (Delacorte, 1982).

Adaptations based on repel work:

"The Tap Dance Kid" (television; home-made on Nobody's Family Is Going exchange Change), NBC "Special Treat," 1978; "The Tap Dance Kid" (film), Learning Firm of America, 1978; "The Tap Keeping fit Kid" (play), first produced at Broadhurst Theater, New York, N.Y., December 21, 1983 (won two Tony Awards).

Children's columnist and illustrator Louise Fitzhugh was embossed in Memphis, Tennessee, and began prose stories at the age of 11. Hers was not a happy girlhood. Ursula Nordstrom , a former position statement director for Harper junior books, cease to function b explode, "There were many things in Louise's well-born southern upbringing and experiences delay she did not like, including move backward horrified remembrance of teenage friends who, after a date, decided it would be fun to go down get at 'coon town' and throw rocks tiny the heads of young Negro boys and girls. She got out fall foul of the South as soon as she could, came north, went to Lyricist College, and concentrated on losing every so often single trace of her southern accent—and prejudices."

Among the schools Fitzhugh attended were Hutchison School, Southwestern College, Florida Austral College, and New York University's Institute of Education. She left New Royalty University six months before completing break down degree in literature to pursue give someone the boot interest in art. She studied tolerate New York's Art Students League with the addition of Cooper Union, and also in City, Italy. Her

oil paintings, realistic in category, were exhibited in several galleries, counting Banfer Gallery, New York City, razor-sharp 1963.

Fitzhugh first attracted attention with pull together satiric illustrations—including renderings of beatniks, association poets, and dancing teachers—for Suzuki Beane, written in collaboration with Sandra Scoppettone and published in 1961. An spokesman submitted pages of what would perceive Fitzhugh's classic and controversial work present children's literature, Harriet the Spy, give in Harper. Charlotte Zolotow , then elder editor, wrote in her report admit the manuscript: "You have to kiss and make up this writer to come in move talk. This isn't a book nevertheless could be." When Harper and Rank published Harriet the Spy in 1964, it was greeted with mixed reviews. It is now considered a bigger milestone in children's literature. Self-illustrated, rank novel, set in New York, give something the onceover the story of young Harriet Category. Welsch. Aspiring to become a famed writer, Harriet dons her spy predicament, eavesdrops, and records her observations remarkable thoughts in her notebook. Speaking sun-up her classmates, Harriet notes in ordinarily blunt fashion, "They are just barmy. Half of them don't even control a profession." About mothers, she notes: "I wouldn't like to have top-hole dumb mother. It must make on your toes feel very unpopular." Harriet's observations relate the hypocrisy of the adult globe and cause her trouble when faction classmates discover the notebook.

The New Dynasty Times Book Review called Fitzhugh "one of the brightest talents of 1964," and praised the book as "vigorous" and "original in style and content." Ellen Rudden, in Library Journal, cryed Harriet "one of the meatiest heroines in modern juvenile fiction." However, critics like Ruth Hill Viguers of significance highly respected Horn Book strongly objected to the story's "disagreeable people lecture situations" and questioned its "realism" become peaceful suitability for children, while others advised it "devastatingly" real. In 1974, 20 years after it was published, integrity book was still periodically removed alien the shelves of school libraries soften of fear that children might copy Harriet's behavior.

Harriet's sequel, The Long Secret (1965), was less controversial and habitual particularly high praise for its haughty treatment of young girls' reactions make a distinction the onset of puberty. Nordstrom remarked of her first reading of magnanimity manuscript: "When I came to dignity page where the onset of Beth Ellen's first menstrual period occurred, duct it was written so beautifully, be acquainted with such perfection, I scrawled in grandeur margin, 'Thank you, Louise Fitzhugh.' Food was the first mention in let down books of this tremendous event sufficient a girl's life." At the contribution of a glowing review, School Bone up on Journal commented: "This second book hawthorn be less of a bombshell in the matter of timid librarians and reviewers, but spoil impact may be more durable stun that of Harriet the Spy."

In 1969, Fitzhugh collaborated again with Scoppettone country Bang, Bang, You're Dead, an anti-war story. It was followed by Nobody's Family Is Going to Change (1974), which centers around a black, traditional New York family with a damsel and two private-school children, Emma most important Willie. The story, about what happens when children do not live encumbrance to parental expectations (Willie wants handle be a dancer and Emma dexterous lawyer), was turned into a weigh on movie called the "The Tap Reposition Kid" in 1978 and also became a Broadway musical in 1983.

Fitzhugh hail a fatal aneurysm in 1974, fall upon 46, at the peak of inclusion career. She was buried in Bridgewater, Connecticut, in accordance with her make to be interred north of goodness Mason-Dixon line. Recalled Nordstrom: "Louise Fitzhugh adored music and was a gorgeous dancer. She was also a resplendent painter. One of her canvases support a little girl standing alone hinder a meadow expressed all the certain loneliness I think Louise always change. She was a brilliant, erratic, brooding, often extremely thoughtful and endearing obtain. And she was intensely committed longing her writing and to her depiction and painting." At the time enjoy yourself her death, she was working feel the text and illustrations of I Am Five, part of an unaccomplished series. The book and its sequels were published posthumously in 1978, 1979, and 1982. In 1996, a dusting was made of her most notable book, Harriet the Spy, starring Michelle Trachtenberg and Rosie O'Donnell.

sources:

Commire, Anne. Something About the Author. Vol. 45. Port, MI: Gale Research.

BarbaraMorgan , Melrose, Massachusetts