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 (1969-2011)
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 Ablene Cooper, a maid who used to work for Stockett's brother. It claimed that Stockett used her likeness in the book.[11][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

  1. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. James, Susan (February 22, 2011), Black Maid Sues, Says 'The Help' Is Humiliating, ABC News, retrieved July 26, 2015
  12. 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.
  13. 1 2 Mitchell, Jerry. "'The Help' lawsuit tossed out". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 12 September 2011.

External links


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