Judith Guest (born March 29, 1936) is an American
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...
and
screenwriter. She was born in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
and is the great-niece of
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...
Edgar Guest
Edgar Albert Guest (20 August 1881 – 5 August 1959) was a British-born American poet who became known as the People's Poet. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life.
Early life
Guest was born in Birmingham ...
(1881–1959).
[Biography of Judith Guest (self-written)](_blank)
She is a recipient of the
Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize
The Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize is a literary award presented annually for the "best book-length work of prose fiction" by an American woman. The award has been given by the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women's Studies and the Depar ...
.
Early life
Guest attended Detroit's
Mumford High School
Samuel C. Mumford High School is a public high school located on the near-northwest side of Detroit, Michigan. It was operated by the Detroit Public Schools, and had been operated by the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan (EAA). DPS r ...
in 1951.
When her family moved to
Royal Oak
The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which the future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. C ...
, she transferred to
Royal Oak High School
Royal Oak High School (ROHS) is a secondary educational facility located in Royal Oak, Michigan in Greater Detroit. The current principal is Sharida Lewis. It is a part of Royal Oak Neighborhood Schools.
History
ROHS is a 2006 consolidation o ...
;
she graduated in 1954. Guest then studied English and
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
.
She was also a member of
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa (, also known as SK or Sig Kap) is a sorority founded on November 9, 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
In 1874, Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pie ...
sorority. Guest graduated with a
BA in education.
Career
Guest taught at a public school for several years before deciding to work full-time completing a novel.
Guest's first book, ''
Ordinary People
''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an upp ...
'', published in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 ...
, was the basis of the
1980 film ''
Ordinary People
''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an upp ...
'' that won the
Academy Award for Best Picture.
This novel and two others, ''
Second Heaven'' (1982) and ''Errands'' (1997), are about
adolescents
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majo ...
forced to deal with crises in their families. Guest also wrote the screenplay for the 1987 film ''
Rachel River
''Rachel River'' is a 1987 comedy-drama film about a young journalist who returns to her Minnesota hometown to reexamine her life. The film was directed by Sandy Smolan, and stars Pamela Reed, Viveca Lindfors, Željko Ivanek, James Olson, and ...
''.
Guest co-authored the mystery ''
Killing Time in St. Cloud'' (1988) with novelist Rebecca Hill. Guest's most recent book, ''
The Tarnished Eye'' (2004), is loosely based on a real unsolved crime in her native Michigan.
Personal life
Guest was married for nearly 50 years to her college sweetheart, businessman Larry LaVercombe (1936-2009). Guest, her three sons, and their families, reside in
Edina, Minnesota
Edina ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous city in Minnesota.
Edina began as a small farming and mil ...
.
Bibliography
*''
Ordinary People
''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an upp ...
'' (1976)
*''
Second Heaven'' (1982)
*''
Killing Time in St. Cloud'' (with Rebecca Hill) (1988)
*''The Mythic Family'' (essay) (1988)
*''Errands'' (1997)
*''
The Tarnished Eye'' (2004)
References
External links
Official website2004 Judith Guest interviewsecretsofthecity.com
*
Judith Guest is interviewed by Sharon Charles of Hennepin County Library Northern Lights Minnesota Author Interview TV Series #32 (1988)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guest, Judith
1936 births
Writers from Detroit
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American women novelists
Living people
Novelists from Michigan
Novelists from Minnesota
University of Michigan School of Education alumni
American women screenwriters
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women writers
Screenwriters from Michigan
Screenwriters from Minnesota
Mumford High School alumni