James A. Michener

James Albert Michener ( born February 3, 1907 in New York City; † October 16, 1997 in Austin, Texas) was an American writer.

Life

Michener's parents are unknown. According to his papers, he was born on February 3, 1907 in New York, but are actually neither his birth nor his place of birth unknown.

As an orphan Michener grew up with his foster mother, Mabel Michener in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He first worked as a teacher and as a lecturer. During World War II, during his mission in the South Pacific, was built on the Vanuatu island of Espiritu Santo, his first book The South Seas, a collection of loosely connected short stories. For this book, he received the 1948 Pulitzer Prize. It later became the Broadway musical South Pacific.

Michener wrote numerous other novels, mostly historical novels, many of which deal with living in a particular country or U.S. state from its beginnings to the present. These novels are based on historically correct information, while most of the main characters are fictional. During the research for his works, he traveled a lot and studied the countries he described exactly.

Many of his works, such as Hawaii and Colorado saga were filmed with stars such as Marlon Brando, Grace Kelly, James Garner, Charlton Heston, Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Richard Chamberlain, Lynn Redgrave, Timothy Dalton, Glenn Close, and many others, in most cases Michener himself wrote the screenplay. Michener also wrote the screenplays for a number of television series.

In 1989, he suggested in his Canadian publisher McClelland and Stewart and the Writers' Trust of Canada to incorporate the proceeds of his novel Journey ( Klondike ) into an annual price that characterizes the best short story of a young author. The Journey Prize is one of the major Canadian literary prizes today.

Michener died of uremia, after a week in advance independently completed its already two years of dialysis treatment. His three marriages were childless and he donated over $ 100 million to charities, universities, museums and libraries.

Works (selection)

  • The South Seas - Stories ( eng: Tales of the South Pacific ) ( 1946)
  • Return to paradise - tales ( engl: Return to Paradise ) ( 1947)
  • Spring Fire ( engl: The Fires of Spring) (1949 )
  • The Bridges at Toko -Ri ( engl: Bridges at Toko -Ri ) ( 1953)
  • Filmed Sayonara (1954) 1957 by Joshua Logan titled Sayonara with Marlon Brando
  • The Bridge of Andau ( engl: The Bridge at Andau ) (1957 ); in paperback: Knaur paperback, ISBN 3-426-01265-0 Munich 1985
  • Damn in paradise - tales ( engl: Rascals in Paradise ) ( 1957)
  • Hawaii ( 1959)
  • Caravans of the night (engl: Caravans ) ( 1963)
  • The source (engl: The source) (1965 )
  • Iberia (1968 )
  • The children of Torremolinos ( engl: The Drifters ) ( 1971)
  • Kent State (1971 )
  • The Colorado Saga ( engl: Centennial ) ( 1974)
  • The Bay ( engl: Chesapeake ) ( 1978)
  • Promised Earth ( engl: The Covenant ) ( 1980)
  • Star Hunter ( engl: Space) (1982 )
  • Mazurka (engl: Poland ) ( 1983)
  • Texas ( 1985)
  • Patriots ( engl: Legacy ') ( 1987)
  • Alaska ( 1988)
  • Klondike ( engl: Journey ) ( 1989)
  • Caribbean ( 1989)
  • Havana with John Kings ( engl: Six Days in Havana ) ( 1989)
  • The Eagle and the Raven ( 1990)
  • Dresden, Pennsylvania ( engl: The Novel ) ( 1991)
  • Mexico (1992 )
  • Terminus Florida ( engl: Recessional ) ( 1994)

In 1992, the world is my home, an autobiographical work. He also published his last wife Mari Sabusawa Michener, a native Japanese, some works about Japanese engravings and held various political offices held.

Is the Michener Art Collection, a museum of contemporary art at the University of Texas.

426649
de