Janet Frame
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Janet Paterson Frame (28 August 1924 – 29 January 2004) was a New Zealand author. She was internationally renowned for her work, which included novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous awards including being appointed to the Order of New Zealand,The Order of New Zealand
Honours List
New Zealand's highest civil honour. Frame's celebrity derived from her dramatic personal history as well as her literary career. Following years of psychiatric hospitalisation, Frame was scheduled for a
lobotomy A lobotomy, or leucotomy, is a form of neurosurgical treatment for psychiatric disorder or neurological disorder (e.g. epilepsy) that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. The surgery causes most of the connections t ...
that was cancelled when, just days before the procedure, her debut publication of short stories was unexpectedly awarded a national literary prize. Many of her novels and short stories explore her childhood and psychiatric hospitalisation from a fictional perspective, and her award-winning three-volume autobiography was adapted into the film ''
An Angel at My Table ''An Angel at My Table'' is a 1990 biographical drama film directed by Jane Campion. The film is based on Janet Frame's three autobiographies, ''To the Is-Land'' (1982), ''An Angel at My Table'' (1984), and ''The Envoy from Mirror City'' (1984 ...
'' (1990), directed by
Jane Campion Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and '' The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for which she has received a tot ...
.


Biography


Early years: 1924–1956

Janet Frame was born Janet Paterson Frame at
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
in the south-east of New Zealand's
South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
, the third of five children to parents of Scottish descent. She grew up in a working-class family. Her father, George Frame, worked for the
New Zealand Government Railways The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway ...
, and her mother Lottie (née Godfrey), served as a housemaid to the family of writer
Katherine Mansfield Kathleen Mansfield Murry (née Beauchamp; 14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923) was a New Zealand writer, essayist and journalist, widely considered one of the most influential and important authors of the modernist movement. Her works are celebra ...
. New Zealand's first female medical graduate, Dr Emily Hancock Siedeberg, delivered Frame at St. Helens Hospital in 1924. Frame spent her early childhood years in various small towns in New Zealand's South Island provinces of
Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
and
Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...
, including Outram and Wyndham, before the family eventually settled in the coastal town of
Oamaru Oamaru (; mi, Te Oha-a-Maru) is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is south of Timaru and north of Dunedin on the Pacific coast; State Highway 1 and the railway ...
(recognisable as the "Waimaru" of her début novel and subsequent fiction). As recounted in the first volume of her autobiographies, Frame's childhood was marred by the deaths of two of her adolescent sisters, Myrtle and Isabel, who drowned in separate incidents, and the
epileptic seizures An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with los ...
suffered by her brother George (referred to as "Geordie" and "Bruddie").Frame, Janet. ''An Autobiography'' Century Hutchinson (NZ), 1989. In 1943, Frame began training as a teacher at the
Dunedin College of Education The Dunedin College of Education (''Te Kura Akau Taitoka'', also known as ''Dunedin Teachers' College'') was a former teacher training college in Dunedin, New Zealand. Founded in 1876, the college was the oldest teacher training college in New Zeal ...
, auditing courses in English, French and psychology at the adjacent
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
. After completing two years of theoretical studies with mixed results, King 2000, pp. 61–2. Frame started a year of practical placement at the Arthur Street School in Dunedin, which, according to her biographer, initially went quite well. Things started to unravel later that year when she attempted suicide by ingesting a packet of
aspirin Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and/or inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions which aspirin is used to treat inc ...
. As a result, Frame began regular therapy sessions with junior lecturer
John Money John William Money (8 July 1921 – 7 July 2006) was a New Zealand psychologist, sexologist and author known for his research into sexual identity and Sex determination and differentiation (human), biology of gender. He was one of the first ...
, to whom she developed a strong attraction, and whose later work as a
sexologist Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists app ...
specialising in
gender reassignment Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...
controversial. In September 1945, Frame abandoned her teacher-training classroom at Dunedin's Arthur Street School during a visit from an inspector. She was then briefly admitted to the psychiatric ward of the local Dunedin hospital for observation. King 2000, pp. 69–70. Frame was unwilling to return home to her family, where tensions between her father and brother frequently manifested in outbursts of anger and violence. As a result, Frame was transferred from the local hospital's psychiatric ward to
Seacliff Lunatic Asylum Seacliff Lunatic Asylum (often Seacliff Asylum, later Seacliff Mental Hospital) was a psychiatric hospital in Seacliff, New Zealand. When built in the late 19th century, it was the largest building in the country, noted for its scale and extrava ...
, a fabled and feared mental institution located 20 miles north of Dunedin. During the next eight years, Frame was repeatedly readmitted, usually voluntarily, to
psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...
s in New Zealand. In addition to Seacliff, these included Avondale Lunatic Asylum, in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, and Sunnyside Hospital in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
. During this period, Frame was first diagnosed as suffering from
schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
, which was treated with
electroconvulsive therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive th ...
and
insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...
. In 1951, while Frame was still a patient at Seacliff, New Zealand's Caxton Press published her first book, a critically acclaimed collection of short stories titled '' The Lagoon and Other Stories''. The volume was awarded the Hubert Church Memorial Award, at that time one of New Zealand's most prestigious literary prizes. This resulted in the cancellation of Frame's scheduled
lobotomy A lobotomy, or leucotomy, is a form of neurosurgical treatment for psychiatric disorder or neurological disorder (e.g. epilepsy) that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. The surgery causes most of the connections t ...
. Four years later, after her final discharge from Seacliff Frame met writer
Frank Sargeson Frank Sargeson () (born Norris Frank Davey; 23 March 1903 – 1 March 1982) was a New Zealand short story writer and novelist. Born in Hamilton, Sargeson had a middle-class and puritanical upbringing, and initially worked as a lawyer. After ...
. She lived and worked at his home in
Takapuna Takapuna is a suburb located on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is situated at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitematā Harbour. While very small in terms of population, it ...
, an
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
suburb, from April 1955 to July 1956, producing her first full-length novel, ''
Owls Do Cry ''Owls Do Cry'' is a modernist novel by New Zealand author Janet Frame. Published in 1957, the book covers the story of the Withers siblings, who lives in a seaside town in South Island, New Zealand through a period of 20 years. The book exten ...
'' (Pegasus, 1957).


Literary career


1957–1989

Frame left New Zealand in late 1956, and the next seven years were most prolific in terms of publication. She lived and worked in Europe, primarily based in London, with brief sojourns to
Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
and
Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
. In May 1958 she legally changed her name to Nene Janet Paterson Clutha, in part to make herself more difficult to locate and in part to recognise Māori leader Tamati Waka Nene, whom she admired, and the
Clutha River The Clutha River (, officially gazetted as Clutha River / ) is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wānaka in the Southern Alps to the P ...
, which was a source of creative inspiration. Frame still struggled with anxiety and depression, and in September 1958 admitted herself to the Maudsley in London. American-trained psychiatrist Alan Miller, who studied under
John Money John William Money (8 July 1921 – 7 July 2006) was a New Zealand psychologist, sexologist and author known for his research into sexual identity and Sex determination and differentiation (human), biology of gender. He was one of the first ...
at
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
, proposed that she had never suffered from schizophrenia. In an effort to alleviate the ill effects of her years spent in and out of psychiatric hospitals, Frame then began regular therapy sessions with psychiatrist Robert Hugh Cawley, who encouraged her to pursue her writing. Frame dedicated seven of her novels to Cawley. Frame returned to New Zealand in 1963, though not before spending a short period of time living in rural north Suffolk (near the town of Eye) which gave her the inspiration for her 1965 novel The Adaptable Man. She accepted the Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago in 1965. She later lived in several parts of New Zealand's North Island, including Auckland,
Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...
,
Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...
, the
Horowhenua Horowhenua District is a territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kapiti, it stretches from slightly north of the town of ...
,
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
,
Waiheke Waiheke Island (; Māori: ) is the second-largest island (after Great Barrier Island) in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. Its ferry terminal in Matiatia Bay at the western end is from the central-city terminal in Auckland. It is the most po ...
, Stratford, Browns Bay and Levin. During this period Frame traveled extensively, occasionally to Europe, but principally to the United States, where she accepted residencies at the MacDowell and
Yaddo Yaddo is an artists' community located on a estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment.". On March  ...
artists' colonies. Partly as a result of these extended stays in the U.S., Frame developed close relationships with several Americans. These included the painter
Theophilus Brown William Theophilus Brown (April 7, 1919 – February 8, 2012) was an American artist. He became prominent as a member of the Bay Area Figurative Movement. Background and career A descendant of early-American intellectuals, Brown was born i ...
(whom she later referred to as "the chief experience of my life") and his long-time partner Paul John Wonner, the poet
May Sarton May Sarton was the pen name of Eleanore Marie Sarton (May 3, 1912 – July 16, 1995), a Belgian-American poet, novelist and memoirist. Although her best work is strongly personalised with erotic female imagery, she resisted the label of ‘lesbi ...
, John Phillips Marquand and Alan Lelchuck. Frame's one-time university tutor/counsellor and longtime friend John Money worked in North America from 1947 onwards, and Frame frequently based herself at his home in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. In the 1980s Frame authored three volumes of autobiography (''To the Is-land'', ''An Angel at my Table'' and ''The Envoy from Mirror City'') which collectively traced the course of her life to her return to New Zealand in 1963. The Australian novelist
Patrick White Patrick Victor Martindale White (28 May 1912 – 30 September 1990) was a British-born Australian writer who published 12 novels, three short-story collections, and eight plays, from 1935 to 1987. White's fiction employs humour, florid prose, ...
described the first two volumes as "amongst the wonders of the world". Director Jane Campion and screenwriter Laura Jones adapted the trilogy for television broadcast. It was eventually released as an award-winning feature film, ''
An Angel at My Table ''An Angel at My Table'' is a 1990 biographical drama film directed by Jane Campion. The film is based on Janet Frame's three autobiographies, ''To the Is-Land'' (1982), ''An Angel at My Table'' (1984), and ''The Envoy from Mirror City'' (1984 ...
''. Actresses
Kerry Fox Kerry Lauren Fox (born 30 July 1966) is a New Zealand actress. She came to prominence playing author Janet Frame in the movie '' An Angel at My Table'' directed by Jane Campion, which gained her a Best Actress Award from the New Zealand Film and ...
, Alexia Keogh and Karen Fergusson portrayed the author at various ages. Frame's autobiographies sold better than any of her previous publications, and Campion's successful film adaptation of the texts introduced a new generation of readers to her work. These successes increasingly pushed Frame into the public eye. In the 1983 Queen's Birthday Honours, Frame was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, for services to literature. That year, ''To the Is-land'' also received the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book of the Year Award, the top literary prize in New Zealand. Frame intended the autobiographies to "set the record straight" regarding her past and in particular her mental status. King 2000, p. 433. However, critical and public speculation has continued to focus on her mental health. In 2007, after Frame's death,
The New Zealand Medical Journal ''The New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ)'' is a peer review, peer-reviewed medical journal. It is the official journal of the New Zealand Medical Association. Description The ''NZMJ'' was established in September 1887 by the New Zealand Branch of ...
published an article by a medical specialist who proposed that Frame may have been on the
autism spectrum The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
, a suggestion that was disputed by the author's literary executor.Sharp, Iain. "Frame of Mind" ''Sunday Star Times'' Z 21 October 2007: C8. During her lifetime, Frame's work was principally published by American firm
George Braziller George Braziller (February 12, 1916 – March 16, 2017) was an American book publisher and the founder of George Braziller, Inc., a firm known for its literary and artistic books and its publication of foreign authors. Life and career Braziller ...
, garnering numerous literary prizes in her native New Zealand, and the
Commonwealth Writers' Prize Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...
in 1989 for her final novel, '' The Carpathians''.


1990–2000

On 6 February 1990, Frame was the sixteenth appointee to the Order of New Zealand, the nation's highest civil honour. Frame also held foreign membership of the
American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
and, in her native New Zealand, received two honorary doctorates as well as the status of cultural icon. Rumours occasionally circulated portraying Frame as a contender for the
Nobel Prize in literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
, most notably in 1998, after a journalist spotted her name at the top of a list later revealed to have been in alphabetical order, and again five years later, in 2003, when
Åsa Beckman Åsa Beckman (born 1961) is a Swedish literary critic. She writes for the Swedish newspaper ''Dagens Nyheter'' and was editor of the literary magazine ''Bonniers Litterära Magasin'' from 1987 to 1990. Works * ''Jag själv ett hus av ljus'', Al ...
, the influential chief literary critic at the Swedish daily ''
Dagens Nyheter ''Dagens Nyheter'' (, ), abbreviated ''DN'', is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It is published in Stockholm and aspires to full national and international coverage, and is widely considered Sweden's newspaper of record. History and profile ''Da ...
'', wrongly predicted that Frame would win the prestigious prize. Frame's writing became the focus of academic criticism from the late 1970s, with approaches ranging from
Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
and
social realist Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structure ...
, to
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
and
poststructuralist Post-structuralism is a term for philosophical and literary forms of theory that both build upon and reject ideas established by structuralism, the intellectual project that preceded it. Though post-structuralists all present different critique ...
. In later years, book-length monographs on Frame were published. These included Patrick Evans’s bio-critical contribution for the "Twayne's World Authors Series," ''Janet Frame'' (1977), Gina Mercer's feminist reading of the novels and autobiographies, ''Janet Frame: Subversive Fictions'' (1994), and Judith Dell Panny's allegorical approach to the works, ''I have what I gave: The fiction of Janet Frame'' (1992). A collection of essays edited by Jeanne Delbaere was first published in 1978, with a revised edition released under the title ''The Ring of Fire: Essays on Janet Frame'' in 1992. That same year, Dunedin's University of Otago hosted a conference dedicated to a discussion of Frame's work. Many of the papers were published in a special issue of ''The Journal of New Zealand Literature''. In 2000, New Zealand historian Michael King published his authorised biography of Frame, ''Wrestling with the Angel''. The book was simultaneously released in New Zealand and North America, with British and Australian editions appearing in later years. King's award-winning and exhaustive work attracted both praise and criticism. Some questioned the extent to which Frame guided the hand of her biographer, while others argued that he had failed to come to terms with the complexity and subtlety of his subject. Adding to the controversy, King openly admitted that he withheld information "that would have been a source of embarrassment and distress to her," and that he adopted publisher Christine Cole Catley's notion of "compassionate truth." This advocates "a presentation of evidence and conclusions that fulfil the major objectives of biography, but without the revelation of information that would involve the living subject in unwarranted embarrassment, loss of face, emotional or physical pain, or a nervous or psychiatric collapse." King defended his project and maintained that future biographies on Frame would eventually fill in the gaps left by his own work.


Death and posthumous publications

Frame died in Dunedin in January 2004, aged 79, from acute myeloid leukaemia, shortly after becoming one of the first recipients of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Awards, established to celebrate and acknowledge New Zealand artists who have achieved the highest standards of artistic expression. A number of posthumous works have been published, including a volume of poetry titled ''The Goose Bath'', which was awarded New Zealand's top poetry prize in 2007. This generated a minor controversy among critics who felt the posthumous prize "set an awkward precedent". A novella, ''Towards Another Summer,'' was also published posthumously, a work inspired by a weekend Frame spent with British journalist
Geoffrey Moorhouse Geoffrey Moorhouse, FRGS, FRSL, D.Litt. (29 November 1931 – 26 November 2009) was an English journalist and author. He was born Geoffrey Heald in Bolton and took his stepfather's surname. He attended Bury Grammar School. He began writing as a ...
and his family. In 2008, two previously unpublished short stories set in mental hospitals appeared in ''The New Yorker.'' Another previously unpublished short story was carried in ''The New Yorker'' in 2010. In March 2011, the New Zealand branch of
Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Commonwealth Writers' Prize Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...
. The story is a fictionalised account of the relationship between Janet Frame and Frank Sargeson during her time living as a guest on his
Takapuna Takapuna is a suburb located on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is situated at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitematā Harbour. While very small in terms of population, it ...
property in 1955–56 – an era recounted in a number of works by Frame and her contemporaries and dramatised in Campion's film, ''An Angel at My Table'' (1990). In 2013, Evans' novel was adapted for the stage, premiering at the Christchurch Arts Festival on 22 August 2013, followed by extended tour of New Zealand's north and south islands. While garnering positive critical reviews, the promotion and staging of the production drew fierce criticism from Frame's literary executor and niece, Pamela Gordon, who maintained it "was designed to demean Frame." Gordon, who has also criticised Campion's film for inaccuracies in its portrayal of Frame, asserted that Evans' theatrical adaptation presented an unfaithful view of her famous relative. Festival organiser Philip Tremewan, defended the play, while director Conrad Newport maintained that Gordon was "overprotective of rame'slegacy." Evans generally avoided the controversy, stating, "I have publicised her work and popularised it for two to three generations of students. In ''Gifted'', the play and novel, you only have to look at the title to see what my attitude is. I really don't think I have anything to apologise for."


Bibliography


Novels

* 1957 * 1961 ''Faces in the Water''. Christchurch: Pegasus Press; New York: Braziller. * 1962 ''The Edge of the Alphabet''. Christchurch: Pegasus Press. * 1963 ''Scented Gardens for the Blind''. London: WH Allen. * 1965 ''The Adaptable Man''. London: WH Allen. * 1966 ''A State of Siege''. New York: Braziller. * 1968 ''The Rainbirds''. London: WH Allen. (Published in the US with Frame's preferred original title, ''Yellow Flowers in the Antipodean Room''. New York: Braziller, 1969) * 1970 ''Intensive Care''. New York: Braziller. * 1972 ''Daughter Buffalo''. New York: Braziller. * 1979 ''Living in the Maniototo''. New York: Braziller. * 1989 '' The Carpathians''. New York: Braziller. * 2007 ''Towards Another Summer''. Auckland: Vintage (Posthumously published). * 2013 ''In the Memorial Room''. Melbourne: Text Publishing. (written in 1974, published posthumously by her request).


Short fiction

;Collections * 1951 '' The Lagoon and Other Stories''. Christchurch: Caxton Press. (Mistakenly dated on first edition as 1952) * 1963. ''The Reservoir: Stories and Sketches''/''Snowman Snowman: Fables and Fantasies''. New York: Braziller (Edited selection published in the Commonwealth edition ''The Reservoir and Other Stories'' London: W.H. Allen, 1966). * 1983. ''You Are Now Entering the Human Heart''. Wellington: Victoria University Press. ;Stories


Children's fiction

* 1969. ''Mona Minim and the Smell of the Sun''. (With illustrations by
Robin Jacques Robin Jacques (27 March 1920 – 18 March 1995) was a British illustrator whose work was published in more than 100 novels and children's books. He is notable for his long collaboration with Ruth Manning-Sanders, illustrating many of her coll ...
.) New York: Braziller (Reissued posthumously in 2005 by Random House, New Zealand, with illustrations by David Elliot).


Poetry

;Collections * 1967. ''The Pocket Mirror''. New York: Braziller. * 2006. ''The Goose Bath''. Auckland: Random House/Vintage (Posthumously published); (Released in the UK as a collected edition along with selections from ''The Pocket Mirror'' under the title ''Storms Will Tell: Selected Poems''. Bloodaxe Books, 2008) * 2017. ''Parleranno le tempeste''. Mendrisio: Gabriele Capelli Editore (Posthumously published); (Released in Italy and Switzerland as a collected edition along with selections from ''The Pocket Mirror'' and ''The Goose Bath''). Italian. Translated by Eleonora Bello and Francesca Benocci. Preface by Pamela Gordon (Janet Frame Literary Trust)


Autobiography

* 1982. ''To the Is-Land'' (Autobiography 1). New York: Braziller. * 1984. ''An Angel at My Table'' (Autobiography 2). New York: Braziller. * 1984. ''The Envoy From Mirror City'' (Autobiography 3). Auckland: Century Hutchinson. * 1989. ''An Autobiography'' (Collected edition). Auckland: Century Hutchinson (Posthumously reprinted under the title ''An Angel at My Table'', London: Virago, 2008).


Separately published stories and poems

* 1946. "University Entrance" in ''
New Zealand Listener The ''New Zealand Listener'' is a weekly New Zealand magazine that covers the political, cultural and literary life of New Zealand by featuring a variety of topics, including current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, f ...
'', 22 March 1946. * 1947. "Alison Hendry" in ''Landfall'' 2, June 1947. (Published under the penname "Jan Godfrey"; reprinted in ''The Lagoon and Other Stories'' under the title "Jan Godfrey".) * 1954. "The Waitress" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 9 July 1954 * 1954. "The Liftman" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 13 August 1954 * 1954. "On Paying the Third Installment" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 10 September 1954 * 1954. "Lolly Legs" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 15 October 1954 * 1954. "Trio Concert" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 29 October 1954. * 1954. "Timothy" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 26 November 1954 * 1955. "The Transformation" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 28 January 1955 * 1956. "The Ferry" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 13 July 1956. * 1956. "Waiting for Daylight" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 10 * 1956. "I Got Shoes" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 2 November 1956. * 1957. "Face Downwards in the Grass" in ''Mate'' (NZ) 1 * 1957. "The Dead" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 11 * 1957. "The Wind Brother" in ''School Journal'' (NZ) 51.1 * 1958. "The Friday Night World" in ''School Journal'' (NZ) 52.1 * 1962. "Prizes" in ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' 10 March 1962 * 1962. "The Red-Currant Bush, the Black-Currant Bush, the Gooseberry Bush, the African Thorn Hedge, and the Garden Gate Who Was Once the Head of an Iron Bed" in '' Mademoiselle'' April 1962 * 1963. "The Reservoir" in ''The New Yorker'' 12 January 1963 (reprinted in ''The Reservoir: Stories and Sketches'') * 1963. "The Chosen Image" in ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', July 1963 * 1964. "The Joiner" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 18 * 1957. "The Road to Takapuna" in ''Mate'' (NZ) 12 * 1964. "Scott's Horse" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 18 * 1964. "The Senator Had Plans" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 18 * 1965. "The Bath" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 19 (Reprinted in ''You Are Now Entering the Human Heart'') * 1966. "A Boy's Will" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 20 * 1966. "White Turnips: A Timely Monologue" in '' New Zealand Monthly Review'' May 1966 * 1966. "In Alco Hall" in ''Harper's Bazaar'', November 1966 * 1968. "In Mexico City" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 20 December 1968 * 1969. "You Are Now Entering the Human Heart" in ''The New Yorker'' 29 March 1969 (Reprinted in ''You Are Now Entering the Human Heart'') * 1969. "The Birds of the Air" in ''Harper's Bazaar'', June 1969 * 1969. "Jet Flight" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 8 August 1969 * 1969. "The Words" in ''Mademoiselle'' October 1969 * 1970. "Winter Garden" in ''The New Yorker'' 31 January 1970 * 1974. "They Never Looked Back" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 23 March 1974 * 1975. "The Painter" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 6 September 1975 * 1976. "Rain on the Roof" in ''The Journal'' (NZ), April 1976 (Previously published in ''The Pocket Mirror'') * 1979. "Insulation" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 17 March 1979 * 1979. "Two Widowers" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 9 June 1979 * 2004. "Three Poems by Janet Frame" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 28 August – 3 September 2004 (Posthumously published
view online
* 2008. "A Night at the Opera" in ''The New Yorker'', 2 June 2008 (Posthumously published
view online
* 2008. "Gorse Is Not People" in ''The New Yorker'', 1 September 2008 (Posthumously published
view online


Articles, reviews, essays and letters

* 1953. "A Letter to Frank Sargeson" in ''Landfall'' 25, March 1953 * 1954. "Review of Terence Journet's ''Take My Tip''" in ''Landfall'' 32, December 1954 * 1955. "Review of ''A Fable'' by William Faulkner" in ''Parson's Packet'', no. 36, October–December 1955 * 1964. "Memory and a Pocketful of Words" in ''Times Literary Supplement'', 4 June 1964 * 1964. "This Desirable Property" in ''New Zealand Listener'', 3 July 1964 * 1965. "Beginnings" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 73, March 1965 * 1968. "The Burns Fellowship" in ''Landfall'' (NZ) 87, September 1968 * 1973. "Charles Brasch 1909–1973: Tributes and Memories from His Friends" in ''Islands'' (NZ) 5, Spring 1973 * 1975. "Janet Frame on ''Tales from Grimm''" in ''Education'' (NZ) 24.9, 1975 * 1982. "Departures and Returns" in G. Amirthanayagan (ed.) ''Writers in East-West Encounter'', London: Macmillan, 1982 (Originally delivered as a paper at the International Colloquium on the Cross-Cultural Encounter in Literature, East-West Center,
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, October 1977). * 1984. "A last Letter to Frank Sargeson" in ''Islands'' (NZ) 33, July


Awards and honours

* 1951: Hubert Church Prose Award (''The Lagoon and other Stories'') * 1956: New Zealand Literary Fund Grant * 1958: New Zealand Literary Fund Award for Achievement (''Owls Do Cry'') * 1964: Hubert Church Prose Award (''Scented Gardens for the Blind''); New Zealand Literary Fund Scholarship in Letters. * 1965: Robert Burns Fellowship, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ * 1967: "Buckland Literary Award." (''The Reservoir and Other Stories''/''A State of Siege'') * 1969: New Zealand Literary Fund Award (''The Pocket Mirror: Poems'') * 1971: Buckland Literary Award (Intensive Care); Hubert Church Prose Award. (''Intensive Care'') * 1972: President of Honour: P.E.N. International New Zealand Centre, Wellington, NZ * 1973: James Wattie Book of the Year Award (''Daughter Buffalo'') * 1974: Hubert Church Prose Award (''Daughter Buffalo''); Winn-Manson Menton Fellowship. * 1978: Honorary Doctor of Literature (D.Litt. Honoris Causa) University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ * 1979: Buckland Literary Award (''Living in the Maniototo'') * 1980: New Zealand Book Award for Fiction (''Living in the Maniototo'') * 1983: Buckland Literary Award; Sir James Wattie Book of the Year Award (''To the Is-Land''); C.B.E. (Commander, Order of the British Empire) * 1984: Frank Sargeson Fellowship, University of Auckland, NZ * 1984: New Zealand Book Award for Non-Fiction (An Angel at My Table); Sir James Wattie Book of the Year Award (''An Angel at My Table''); Turnovsky Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts * 1985: Sir James Wattie Book of the Year Award (''The Envoy from Mirror City'') * 1986: New Zealand Book Award for Non-Fiction (''The Envoy from Mirror City''); Honorary Foreign Member: The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters * 1989: Ansett New Zealand Book Award for Fiction; Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (''The Carpathians'') * 1990: O.N.Z. (Member, Order of New Zealand) * 1992: Honorary Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.), University of Waikato, Hamilton, NZ * 1994: Massey University Medal, Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ * 2003: Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award; New Zealand Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement * 2007: Montana Book Award for Poetry (''The Goose Bath'')


See also

*
New Zealand literature New Zealand literature is literature, both oral and written, produced by the people of New Zealand. It often deals with New Zealand themes, people or places, is written predominantly in New Zealand English, and features Māori culture and the u ...


References


Sources

* Cronin, Jan. ''The Frame Function: An Inside-Out Guide to the Novels of Janet Frame.'' Auckland University Press (Auckland), 2011. *Dean, Andrew. ''Metafiction and the Postwar Novel: Foes, Ghosts and Faces in the Water''. Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2021. *Delbaere, Jeanne, ed. ''The Ring of Fire. Essays on Janet Frame.'' Dangaroo Press (Aarhus),1992. * Evans, Patrick
"Dr. Clutha’s Book of the World: Janet Paterson Frame, 1924–2004."
''Journal of New Zealand Literature'' 22: 15–3. * Finlayson, Claire. "A Bolder Spirit." ''University of Otago Magazine''. (NZ) February 2005: 13–14. * Frame, Janet. ''An Autobiography.'' (collected edition). Auckland: Century Hutchinson, 1989; New York: George Braziller, 1991. * King, Michael. "The Compassionate Truth." ''Meanjin Quarterly'' 61.1 (2002): 24–34. * King, Michael. ''An Inward Sun: The World of Janet Frame.'' Penguin (NZ), 2002. * King, Michael. ''Tread Softly for you Tread on My Life.'' Cape Catley (NZ), 2001 *
"Legendary NZ writer Janet Frame dies".
''New Zealand Herald.'' 29 January 2004. * St. Pierre, Matthew Paul 2011. ''Janet Frame: Semiotics and Biosemiotics in Her Early Fiction''. Lanham: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.


External links


The University of Auckland Library's Frame bibliography

Janet Frame Literary Trust

Profile at Read NZ Te Pou Muramura
* from the ''
Dictionary of New Zealand Biography The ''Dictionary of New Zealand Biography'' (DNZB) is an encyclopedia or biographical dictionary containing biographies of over 3,000 deceased New Zealanders. It was first published as a series of print volumes from 1990 to 2000, went online i ...
''
Tara Hawes's essay "Janet Frame: The Self as Other/Othering the Self"


* ttp://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,,2243202,00.html Director Jane Campion's introduction to the 2008 UK reprint of Frame's autobiographies* Petri Liukkonen
Janet Frame
Authors Calendar {{DEFAULTSORT:Frame, Janet 1924 births 2004 deaths 20th-century New Zealand novelists 20th-century New Zealand poets 20th-century New Zealand short story writers 20th-century New Zealand women writers 21st-century New Zealand novelists 21st-century New Zealand short story writers 21st-century New Zealand women writers Culture in Dunedin Deaths from cancer in New Zealand Deaths from acute myeloid leukemia Magic realism writers Members of the Order of New Zealand The New Yorker people New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand people of Scottish descent New Zealand women novelists New Zealand women poets New Zealand women short story writers People educated at Waitaki Girls' High School Writers from Dunedin People from Oamaru University of Otago alumni