Pulitzer Prize Winning Author takes Experience from Life and Academia to Teach and Write

Notable University of Washington graduate alumna and professor at the University of Iowa, Marilynne Robinson, Ph.D. received the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for her work in fiction, Gilead (2004).  This was her second novel, which won universal acclaim from critics, one of which stated, "[This novel] is so serenely beautiful, and written in a prose so gravely measured and thoughtful, that one feels touched with grace just to read it." Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2004.   

Considered one of America's best contemporary writer's, Robinson's first novel Housekeeping (1980) was an instant classic, which won a PEN/Hemingway Award for best first novel and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. She has also written articles and book reviews for Harper's, the Paris Review, and The New York Times Book Review, as well as two works of non-fiction.  She is currently writing a work of non-fiction.

Robinson draws much of her literary inspiration from her family connections, academic experiences, and ties to her religious beliefs.  She grew up in a small Northwestern community of Idaho and after graduating from Coeur d'Alene High School, went on to Brown's University. There she studied religion and creative writing and received a B.A. in 1966. She then taught abroad for a year at the Université d'Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France. Robinson continued her pursuit of higher education by enrolling in the English graduate program at The University of Washington. She earned her doctorate in 1977.

Looking back, Robinson remembers the University of Washington fondly.  She recalls that, "The University of Washington remains to this day the most beautiful campus I have ever seen, and the city is wonderful, too.  They were both a great enhancement of my years there." 

She enjoyed her graduate experience at the University of Washington, writing a dissertation on Shakespeare's early history plays, from which she learned that she held a keen interest in history.  She also learned that she could write at book length, which removed an important psychological barrier for her.

Currently, Robinson teaches in the Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, allowing her to teach a seminar each semester on a subject of her own choosing. She continues to teach whatever is on her mind at that moment, stating, "My academic background has been very helpful in preparing these classes, as well as in writing non-fiction essays." 

In addition to writing and teaching, she has a deep love of religion, which has strongly influenced her writing, including Gilead.   As a Congregationalist, Robinson often serves as deacon in her church. When the pastor has to be away, she has enjoyed the challenge of exploring the sermon as a form of expression.  She says, "It is a deeply instructive experience, a very interesting way to think. And the situation is interesting -- to stand in a pulpit does focus the mind, or it should."

Robinson's advice to aspiring writers: "Write for yourself -- stay close to what you feel is your compulsion for writing. Don't try to calculate -- if you do, your writing will be false and tired. Getting published is a long shot, but it's easier if you speak with your own authentic voice."