Barbara Kingsolver
- Born:
- April 8, 1955, Annapolis, Maryland, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Early Life and Education
- Grew up in rural Kentucky.
- Spent part of her childhood in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo (now Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo) with her parents, who were medical professionals.
- Graduated from DePauw University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.
- Earned a Master of Science degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Arizona.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began her writing career as a science journalist.
- Published her first novel, The Bean Trees, in 1988, achieving immediate critical acclaim.
- Served as a writer-in-residence at several universities.
- Awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2000.
- Won the Orange Prize (now the Women's Prize for Fiction) in 2010 for The Lacuna.
- Received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
- Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2023 for Demon Copperhead.
Notable Works
Novels
- The Bean Trees (1988)
- Animal Dreams (1990)
- Pigs in Heaven (1993)
- The Poisonwood Bible (1998)
- The Lacuna (2009)
- Flight Behavior (2012)
- Unsheltered (2018)
- Demon Copperhead (2022)
Non-Fiction
- Holding the Line: Women and the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983 (1989)
- High Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now or Never (1995)
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (2007)
Poetry
- Another America/Otra America (1992)
Legacy and Impact
Barbara Kingsolver is celebrated for her insightful exploration of social justice issues, environmental concerns, and the complexities of human relationships within her novels and essays. Her works often highlight marginalized voices and promote ecological awareness, solidifying her status as a significant contemporary American author. A detailed examination of the life and works reveals the depth of influence 'barbara kingsolver bio' has had on literature and environmentalism.