Alice Hoffman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hoffman in 2019 | |
| Born | (1952-03-16)March 16, 1952 (age 73) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | |
| Education | Valley Stream North High School Adelphi University (BA) Stanford University (MA) |
| Period | 1977–present |
| Genre | Magic realism,fantasy,historical fiction |
| Website | |
| alicehoffman | |
Alice Hoffman (born March 16, 1952) is an Americannovelist andyoung-adult andchildren's writer, best known for her 1995 novelPractical Magic, which was adapted for a 1998film of the same name. Many of her works fall into thegenre ofmagic realism and contain elements ofmagic,irony, and non-standardromances and relationships.
Alice Hoffman was born inNew York City and raised onLong Island,New York. Her grandmother was aRussian-Jewish immigrant.[1][2] She graduated fromValley Stream North High School[3] in 1969, and then fromAdelphi University with aBachelor of Arts. She was a MirrieleesFellow at theStanford University Creative Writing Center in 1973 and 1974, where she earned aMaster of Arts inCreative Writing.[4]
When Hoffman was twenty-one and studying at Stanford, her first short story, "At the Drive-In", was published in Volume 3 of the literary magazineFiction.[5] EditorTed Solotaroff contacted her, and asked whether she had a novel. At that point, she began writing her first novel,Property Of. It was published in 1977, byFarrar, Straus and Giroux, now a division ofMacmillan Publishers. A section ofProperty Of was published in Solotaroff's literary magazine,American Review.
Hoffman's first job was atDoubleday, which later published two of her novels.
She was the recipient of a New Jersey Notable Book Award forIce Queen.[6] She won aHammett Prize forTurtle Moon.[7]She wrote the screenplay for the 1983 filmIndependence Day, starringKathleen Quinlan andDianne Wiest.
In September 2019 Hoffman releasedThe World That We Knew based on a true story told to her by a fan at a book signing. The woman confided to Hoffman that during World War 2, her Jewish parents had her live with non-Jewish people to escape the Nazis. These were known as "hidden children" and Hoffman thought about this woman and her unusual upbringing for years before deciding to travel to Europe and learn more.[8]
The third novel in her "Practical Magic" series,Magic Lessons, was released in October 2020. This prequel takes place in the 17th century and explores the life of Maria Owens, the family matriarch.[9][10]
For Scholastic Press, Hoffman has also written the young adult novelsIndigo,Green Angel, and its sequel,Green Witch. With her son Wolfe Martin, she wrote the picture bookMoondog.[11]
In 2015, Hoffman donated her archives to her alma mater,Adelphi University.[12]
Hoffman resides inBoston. After being treated forbreast cancer at Mount Auburn Hospital inCambridge, she helped establish the hospital's Hoffman Breast Center.[13][14]
