Kathryn Stockett

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Kathryn Stockett
Kathryn Stockett speaks at the University of Alabama in 2014
Kathryn Stockett speaks at the University of Alabama in 2014
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Alabama
GenreAdult fiction
Notable worksThe Help
SpouseKeith Rogers (? ~ 2011)
Children1

Kathryn Stockett is an American novelist. She is known for her 2009 debut novel, The Help, which is about African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s.

Career[edit]

Stockett worked in magazine publishing while living in New York City before publishing her first novel,[1] which she began writing after the September 11 attacks.[2] The Help took her five years to complete, and the book was rejected by 60 literary agents before agent Susan Ramer agreed to represent Stockett.[1][3] The Help has since been published in 42 languages.[4] As of August 2012, it has sold ten million copies and spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.[5][6] The Help climbed best seller charts a few months after it was released.[7][8]

Personal life[edit]

Stockett grew up in Jackson, Mississippi.[9] After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she moved to New York City. She lived there for 16 years and worked in magazine publishing and marketing. She is divorced and has a daughter.[8][10]

Reflective of her first novel, Stockett was very close to an African American domestic worker.[11]

A lawsuit was filed in a Mississippi court by Ablene Cooper, a housekeeper who used to work for Stockett's brother. It claimed that Stockett used her likeness in the book.[12] A Hinds County, Mississippi judge threw the case out of court, citing the statute of limitations.[13] Stockett denies her claim of stealing her likeness and says she only met her briefly.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Calkin, Jessamy (July 16, 2009). "The maid's tale: Kathryn Stockett examines slavery and racism in America's Deep South". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  2. ^ Suddath, Claire (11 November 2009). "Kathryn Stockett, Author of The Help". Time. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' Turned Down 60 Times Before Becoming a Best Seller". More Magazine.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Kehe, Marjorie (May 14, 2010). "With book sales still strong, 'The Help' began filming in 2010". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  5. ^ Williams, Wyatt. "Kathryn Stockett: Life in the belle jar". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  6. ^ D'Souza, Karen (2 August 2011). "'The Help' is poised to become chick flick of the summer". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  7. ^ Memmott, Carol (July 31, 2009). "Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' is the hot book this summer". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  8. ^ a b Williams, Wyatt (4 August 2011). "Kathryn Stockett: Life in the belle jar". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  9. ^ "Kathyrn Stockett from Jackson, Mississippi, Author of the Help". www.mswritersandmusicians.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  10. ^ Calkin, Jessamy (July 16, 2009). "The maid's tale: Kathryn Stockett examines slavery and racism in America's Deep South". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  11. ^ Maslin, Janet (February 18, 2009). "Racial Insults and Quiet Bravery in 1960s Mississippi". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  12. ^ James, Susan (February 22, 2011), Black Maid Sues, Says 'The Help' Is Humiliating, ABC News, retrieved July 26, 2015
  13. ^ a b Mitchell, Jerry. "'The Help' lawsuit tossed out". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
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