Vance Bourjaily | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1922 |
| Died | August 31, 2010(2010-08-31) (aged 87) |
| Occupation | |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bowdoin College |
| Genre | Fiction |
Vance Nye Bourjaily (September 17, 1922 – August 31, 2010) was an American novelist, playwright, journalist, creative writing teacher, and essayist.[1][2]
Bourjaily was born inCleveland, Ohio to Monte Ferris Bourjaily, aLebanese immigrant who was a journalist and later became editor of theUnited Features Syndicate, and Barbara Webb, an American-born features author and novelist.[1] Bourjaily moved several times during his youth. His childhood was spent inConnecticut,Virginia, andNew York. Bourjaily graduated from Handley High School inWinchester, Virginia in 1939. After graduating, Bourjaily enrolled inBowdoin College. With the coming ofWorld War II, Bourjaily became a volunteer ambulance driver from 1942 to 1944. He then served two years in the army from 1944 to 1946. Bourjaily's time in the army was a central theme to many of his later writings. HisArab American themes are explored by literary criticEvelyn Shakir[3]
Bourjaily graduated fromBowdoin College with aB.A. in 1947. While at Bowdoin, he became a brother of theDelta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Theta chapter). After graduating, he lived for a few years inSan Francisco, writing feature stories for theSan Francisco Chronicle before moving to New York City in 1950.[1][4]
Bourjaily married Bettina Yensen in 1946. The couple had three children. His daughter Anna, along with the daughter's fifth-grade classmate, were killed in a 1964 car accident, in which Bourjaily was driving. Yensen and Bourjaily later divorced.
Bourjaily remarried in 1985, to Yasmin Mogul (a former student) and had a son, Omar,[5] by her. According to his wife, Bourjaily died inGreenbrae, California on August 31, 2010[1] after slipping into a coma just a few days after suffering from a fall.
Bourjaily's son Phil is a columnist forField & Stream magazine.
Raymond Carver named his only son, Vance, after Bourjaily. Carver was a student at theIowa Writer's Workshop where he became friends with Bourjaily.
Bourjaily's first novel, entitledThe End of My Life, was heavily influenced by Bourjaily's wartime experiences.[citation needed] Critics said that the novel borrowed heavily from the style and tone ofErnest Hemingway.[citation needed] However, the novel was met with praise and was hailed by criticJohn W. Aldridge as a war novel on the level of Hemingway'sFarewell to Arms.[6] Bourjaily's second novel,The Hound of Earth, paints a picture ofCold War America through the eyes of a scientist who helped develop theatomic bomb. His third novel,The Violated, dealt with the themes of violence and alienation. This book was also met with critical praise.[citation needed]
Bourjaily spent much of his career in academia. From 1957 to 1980, he worked as a creative writing instructor and a professor at theIowa Writer's Workshop.[7] Bourjaily also worked at several other academic institutions such asOregon State University, theUniversity of Arizona, andLouisiana State University. At the latter institution, he was the first director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing.[8][9] In 1978, Bourjaily served as a judge on for theNational Book Award's committee to choose the award for fiction.[10]
