Suzette Haden Elgin | |
|---|---|
 Haden atNorwescon in 2005 | |
| Born | Patricia Anne Suzette Wilkins (1936-11-18)November 18, 1936 Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 27, 2015(2015-01-27) (aged 78) |
| Occupation |
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| Alma mater | |
| Period | Contemporary |
| Genres | |
| Subject | Sociology of language |
| Literary movement | Feminist science fiction |
| Years active | 1960s–2010s |
| Spouse | Peter Haden (married 1955; he predeceased her) George Elgin (married 1964) |
| Children | 4[1] |
| Relatives | Josepha Haden (granddaughter) |
| Signature | |
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| Website | |
| sfwa | |
Suzette Haden Elgin (bornPatricia Anne Suzette Wilkins; November 18, 1936 – January 27, 2015) was an American researcher in experimental linguistics, construction and evolution of languages and poetry and science fiction writer. She founded theScience Fiction Poetry Association and is considered an important figure in the field of science fictionconstructed languages. Her best-known non-fiction includes herVerbal Self-Defense series.[2]
Patricia Anne Suzette Wilkins was born in 1936 inJefferson City, Missouri.[2]
She attended theUniversity of California, San Diego (UCSD) in the 1960s, and began writing science fiction in order to pay tuition. She gained a PhD inlinguistics, and was the first UCSD student ever to write two dissertations (on English andNavajo).
She created theengineered languageLáadan for herNative Tongue science fiction series.[3] A grammar and dictionary was published in 1985. She supportedfeminist science fiction, saying "women need to realize that SF is the onlygenre of literature in which it's possible for a writer to explore the question of what this world would be like if you could get rid of [Y], where [Y] is filled in with any of the multitude of real world facts that constrain and oppress women. Women need to treasure and support science fiction."[4]
In addition, she published works of shorter fiction. Overlying themes in her work includefeminism,linguistics and the impact of properlanguage, and peaceful coexistence with nature. Many of her works also draw from herOzark background and heritage.[5][6]
Elgin became a professor atSan Diego State University (SDSU). She retired in 1980 and lived inArkansas with her second husband, George Elgin. She died at age 78 in 2015 from undisclosed causes. She was survived by her husband until his own death in 2020. Her son Michael pre-deceased her.[7][8][9]
