Kaye Gibbons (born May 5, 1960) 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 aspire to ...

. Her first novel, ''

Ellen Foster ''Ellen Foster'' is a 1987 novel by American novelist Kaye Gibbons. It was a selection of Oprah's Book Club in October 1997. Plot introduction The novel follows the story of Ellen, the first person narrator, a young white American girl living un ...

'' (1987), received the

Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction The Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction is awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The $5,000 prize is given for the best published first novel or collection of short stories in the preceding year. It was established in 1979 in memory ...

from the

American Academy and Institute 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 headq ...

, a Special Citation from the

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

Foundation and the Louis D. Rubin, Jr. Prize in Creative Writing from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. Gibbons is a member of the

Fellowship of Southern Writers The Fellowship of Southern Writers is an American literary organization that celebrates the creative vitality of Southern writing as the mirror of a distinctive and cherished regional culture. Its fellowships and awards draw attention to outstandi ...

and two of her books, ''Ellen Foster'' and '' A Virtuous Woman'', were selected for

Oprah's Book Club Oprah's Book Club was a book discussion club segment of the United States, American talk show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', highlighting books chosen by host Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey started the book club in 1996, selecting a new book, usually a nov ...

in 1998. Gibbons was born in

Nash County, North Carolina Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,970. Its county seat is Nashville. Nash County is now a part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, instead of the ...

, and went to Rocky Mount Senior High School. She attended

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying American and English literature. She has three daughters. Gibbons has

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

and notes that she is extremely creative during her manic phases, in which she believes that everything is instrumented by a "real magic". ''Ellen Foster'' was written during one such phase. On November 2, 2008, Gibbons was arrested on prescription drug fraud charges. According to authorities, she was taken into custody while trying to pick up a fraudulent prescription for the painkiller

hydrocodone Hydrocodone, also known as dihydrocodeinone, is an opioid used to treat pain and as a cough suppressant. It is taken by mouth. Typically it is dispensed as the combination acetaminophen/hydrocodone or ibuprofen/hydrocodone for pain severe en ...

. She was sentenced to a 90-day suspended sentence, 2 years probation, and a $300 fine.

Works

*''

'' (1987) *''A Virtuous Woman'' (1989) *''A Cure for Dreams'' (1991) *''Charms for the Easy Life'' (1993) *''Sights Unseen'' (1995) *''On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon'' (1998) *''Divining Women'' (2004) *''The Life All Around Me'' (2005)

References

External links

Kaye Gibbons papers
at the University of South Carolina Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.

1960 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American women novelists Writers from Raleigh, North Carolina People from Rocky Mount, North Carolina Writers from Syracuse, New York People with bipolar disorder University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers Criminals from North Carolina American people convicted of fraud Novelists from New York (state) Novelists from North Carolina {{US-novelist-1960s-stub