Kathryn Stockett

Kathryn Stockett
Born 1969
Jackson, Mississippi, USA
Occupation Author
Nationality American
Alma mater University of Alabama
Genre Adult fiction
Notable works The Help
Spouse Keith Rogers (?-2011)
Children 1
Website
kathrynstockett.com

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

Stockett worked in magazine publishing while living in New York City before publishing her first novel.[1] 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][2] The Help has since been published in 42 languages.[3] As of August 2012, it has sold ten million copies and spent more than 100 weeks on the The New York Times Best Seller list.[4][5] The Help climbed best seller charts a few months after it was released[6][7]

Personal life

Stockett grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she moved to New York City. There she lived for 16 years and worked in magazine publishing and marketing. She is divorced and has a daughter.[7][8]

Reflective of her first novel, Stockett was very close to an African-American domestic worker.[9][10]

A lawsuit was filed in a Mississippi court by Abilene Cooper, a maid who used to work for Stockett's brother. It claimed that Stockett used her likeness in the book.[11] A Hinds County, Mississippi judge threw the case out of court, citing the statute of limitations.[12] Stockett denies her claim of stealing her likeness and says she only met her briefly.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 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. ↑ "Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' Turned Down 60 Times Before Becoming a Best Seller". More Magazine.
  3. ↑ Kehe, Marjorie (May 14, 2010). "With book sales still strong, 'The Help' began filming in 2010.". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  4. ↑ Williams, Wyatt. "Kathryn Stockett: Life in the belle jar". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  5. ↑ D'Souza, Karen. "'The Help' is poised to become chick flick of the summer". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  6. ↑ Memmott, Carol (July 31, 2009). "Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' is the hot book this summer". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Williams, Wyatt (4 August 2011). "Kathryn Stockett: Life in the belle jar". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ Maslin, Janet (February 18, 2009). "Racial Insults and Quiet Bravery in 1960s Mississippi". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  10. ↑ Stockett, Kathryn (18 July 2009). "This Life: Kathryn Stockett on her childhood in the Deep South". Daily Mail (London). Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  11. ↑ Churcher, Sharon (4 September 2011). "Her family hired me as a maid for 12 years but then she stole my life and made it a Disney movie". The Daily Mail (London). Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mitchell, Jerry. "'The Help' lawsuit tossed out". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 12 September 2011.

External links