Author Study of Anita Shreve Presented by Melissa Nicholson-Clark, Melissa Milstead, and Darlene Shreve Author Study of Anita Shreve Presented by Melissa Nicholson-Clark, Melissa Milstead, and Darlene Shreve

A brief biography -Born in Dedham, MA in Attended Tufts University -She began her career as a high school teacher. -She quit teaching to write. -Her first successes at writing were short fiction stories published in literary journals (her first piece was published in 1975). -She then turned to journalism. -She worked as a journalist in Nairobi, Kenya for 3 years. -When she came back to the states she married and wrote freelance. -She has two children and three stepchildren.

Anita Shreve’s Work -Her first novel, Eden Close, was published in Since then she has written 15 novels and several nonfiction books. -Her novel, The Pilot’s Wife was chosen for Oprah’s book club. -The Weight of Water was made into a movie in 2002.

Anita Shreve’s Voice Testimony  Shreve’s works are “…like a mosaic; not until the end do you see the whole picture.”  Development of Plot  Characters Mike Bordwin Headmaster of Avery Academy. He drives a maroon Volvo and has been married to Meg for five years. They met while graduate students at Dartmouth. As the Headmaster, he and Meg live in a reproduction of a brick Georgian house complete with maid and dining room chefs. A good fundraiser, his first few years at Avery were financial successes. He always wears a tie and smells of lime and sometimes of sweat.

Anita Shreve’s Website Anita Shreve’s website is very thorough and provides helpful information for her readers.  Biography  List of Books -synopsis, characters, excerpts, praise  Reading Groups  News & Appearances  Book Themes  Photo Gallery

Readers’ Thoughts  “I spent two days last weekend with a log fire, a country cottage, and Testimony. I love Ms. Shreve's work and have read all of it, but this was the strongest, the most intense, with the most haunting 'aftertaste' and lots of difficult questions left in the reader's mind. Brilliantly complex structure, totally controlled. Thank you.”  “I did get the book but could not get into it. I have read several of Ms. Shreve's books but this one was boring to me.”  "Shreve arrows in on many targets as she flawlessly weaves a tale that is mesmerizing, hypnotic, and compulsive. No one walks away unscathed, and that includes the reader." Library Journal  "[Shreve is] the queen of domestic drama." Good Housekeeping

What we can learn about writing from Anita Shreve  “The best analogy I can give to describe writing for me is daydreaming… a certain amount of craft is brought to bear, but the experience feels very dreamlike.” Anita Shreve on Writing Anita Shreve on Writing

What we can learn about writing from Anita Shreve  Use of themes –Home and Family –Water –Loss and Grief  “Starting off point” (similar to prompt writing)  Why do these with children?