Donna Tartt
Pulitzer Prize Award-Winning Author of "The Secret History," "The Little Friend" & "The Goldfinch"
Donna Tartt is a writer and author of the novels “The Secret History.
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Donna Tartt is a writer and author of the novels “The Secret History,” “The Little Friend” and “The Goldfinch.” Tartt won the WH Smith Literary Award for “The Little Friend” in 2003 and in 2014 her novel “The Goldfinch” was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta, and raised in the nearby town of Grenada.
At the University of Mississippi, her writing caught the attention of Willie Morris while she was a freshman. Following a recommendation from Morris, Barry Hannah, then an Ole Miss Writer-in-Residence, admitted 18-year-old Tartt into his graduate short story course. “She was deeply literary,” says Hannah. “Just a rare genius, really. A literary star.”
Following the suggestion of Morris and others, she transferred to Bennington College in 1982, where she was friends with fellow students Bret Easton Ellis, Jill Eisenstadt, and Jonathan Lethem. At Bennington, she studied classics with Claude Fredericks.
Tartt began writing her first novel, originally titled “The God of Illusions,” later published as “The Secret History,” during her second year at Bennington. After Ellis recommended her work to literary agent Amanda Urban, “The Secret History” was published in 1992, and sold out its original print-run of 75,000 copies, becoming a bestseller. It has been translated into over 20 languages.
“The Little Friend,” Tartt’s second novel, was published in October 2002. It is a mystery centered on a young girl living in the American South in the late 20th century. Her implicit anxieties about the long-unexplained death of her brother and the dynamics of her extended family are a strong focus, as are the contrasting lifestyles and customs of small-town Southerners.
Tartt’s long-awaited third novel, “The Goldfinch,” was published on October 22, 2013, and went on to become a #1 New York Times Best Seller and won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
A number of major recurring literary themes occur in Tartt’s novels. These include the themes of social class and social stratification, as well as guilt and aesthetic beauty. These themes are both present as important aspects of “The Secret History” and “The Goldfinch.”
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LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
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MEDTRONIC
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UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
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BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!
SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!
SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!
CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!
PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!
WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!
FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
An Evening With Donna Tartt
Videos
Donna Tartt interview (1992)
Donna Tartt interview (2014)
Books
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