Amy Hempel

Amy Hempel ( born December 14, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is an American writer, journalist and lecturer at Bennington College. After her literary breakthrough she has published, among others, in several magazines, including GQ, ELLE or Playboy. Her first book, "Reasons to Live" she published in 1985 with the help of the author Gordon Lish, who discovered it in one of his creative writing workshops. There followed in 1990 then the more successful "At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom ", from which the famous short story "The Harvest" ( translation: The harvest ) comes.

Hempel is considered stylistically Minimalist similar to Raymond Carver or Chuck Palahniuk. The latter praised her work in the following way:

"Every sentence is not just crafted, it's tortured over. Every quote and joke, what Hempel tosses out comedian -style, is something funny or profound enough you'll remember it for years. The same way, I sense, Hempel Has remembered it, held on to it, saved it for a place where It Could really shine. Scary jewelry metaphor, but her stories are studded and set with thesis compelling bits. Chocolate chip cookies with no bland " cookie " matrix, just nothing but chips and chopped walnuts. "

" All sets are not only sophisticated, they are polished to a high gloss. All quotes and jokes that Hempel tosses like a comedian, are so funny or profound, that you can not forget for years. Just as Hempel has probably keep in mind, has held it, she has been saving for a place where they can shine in its full glory. A creepy jewelry metaphor, but their stories are filled with these irresistible highlights. Like chocolate chip cookies, but without these superfluous Keksmatrix, nothing but chocolate and walnut pieces. "

Bibliography

• Reasons to Live ( 1985)
• At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom (1990 ) German: The Harvest. Narratives. Luxbooks Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2013, ISBN 978-3-939557-72-2