Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
New Zealand author Janet Frame (1924-2004) during her lifetime published 11 novels, three collections of short stories, a volume of poetry and a children's book. Her posthumous publications include a novel, a novella, several short stories, a book of poetry, a number of nonfiction pieces and several volumes of letters. Yet she may be best known for An Angel at My Table (1990), a film based on her three-volume autobiography. The details of her life--her tragic early years, her confinement in a psychiatric hospital and her miraculous reprieve when her debut publication won a literary award just days before a scheduled lobotomy--overshadow her work and she remains largely neglected by scholars. These essays focus on Frame's autobiography, short stories and novels. Contributors from around the world explore a range of topics, including her mother's Christadelphian faith, her relationships with two 20th century icons (artist William Theophilus Brown and scientist John Money), and a view of Frame in the context of trauma studies. Two of the essays were presented at the 2014 Northeast Modern Language Association convention.
Synopsis
New Zealand author Janet Frame (1924-2004) during her lifetime published 11 novels, three collections of short stories, a volume of poetry and a children's book. The details of her life--her tragic early years, her confinement in a psychiatric hospital and her miraculous reprieve--overshadow her work and she remains largely neglected by scholars. These essays focus on Frame's autobiography, short stories and novels. Contributors from around the world explore a range of topics, including her mother's Christadelphian faith, her relationships with two 20th century icons (William Theophilus Brown and John Money), and a view of Frame in the context of trauma studies. Two of the essays were presented at the 2014 Northeast Modern Language Association convention.