William Maxwell
- Born:
- August 16, 1908, Lincoln, Illinois, USA
- Died:
- July 11, 2000, New York City, New York, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Short Story Writer, Editor
Early Life and Education
- Maxwell suffered the loss of his mother in the 1918 influenza pandemic, a defining event in his childhood that often surfaced in his fiction.
- He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning a B.A. in English in 1930.
- Continued his education at Harvard University, receiving an M.A. in English in 1931.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began working at The New Yorker in 1936, initially as a manuscript reader.
- Became a fiction editor at The New Yorker in 1945 and remained in that role until his retirement in 1975.
- Mentored and championed many prominent writers during his time at The New Yorker.
- Won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1981 for his novel So Long, See You Tomorrow.
- Received the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction in 1995.
Notable Works
- Bright Center of Heaven (1934)
- They Came Like Swallows (1937)
- The Folded Leaf (1945)
- Time Will Darken It (1948)
- The Chateau (1961)
- So Long, See You Tomorrow (1980)
- All the Days and Nights: The Collected Stories (1995)
Legacy and Impact
William Maxwell, whose complete name is the subject of this william maxwell biography, is remembered for his subtle and emotionally resonant prose, exploring themes of loss, memory, and the complexities of human relationships. His work continues to be admired for its quiet power and profound understanding of the human condition. His influence on American literature, particularly through his editorial role, is significant.