Fran Ross
Fran Ross | |
---|---|
Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | June 25, 1935
Died | September 17, 1985 New York City, U.S. | (aged 50)
Occupation |
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Alma mater | Temple University |
Genre | African-American literature, satire |
Notable works | Oreo |
Fran Ross (June 25, 1935 – September 17, 1985) was an American writer best known for her 1974 novel Oreo.[1] She briefly wrote comedy for Richard Pryor.[2]
Early childhood
Born on June 25, 1935, in Philadelphia, she was the eldest daughter of Gerald Ross, a welder, and Bernetta Bass Ross, a store clerk. Recognized for her scholastic, artistic and athletic talents, she earned a scholarship to Temple University after graduating from Overbrook High School at the age of 15.
Career
Ross graduated from
Ross began her novel Oreo hoping for a career in writing, and it was published in 1974 at the height of the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s.[3] Ross's title comes from a white and black cookie, used as an ethnic slur in slang, mastery of whose American varieties is a feature of the novel, and employs the myth of Theseus to narrate the story of a black-Jewish girl searching for, and eventually exacting vengeance on, her father.[4]
Ross also wrote articles for magazines such as Essence, Titters and Playboy, and then got work on The Richard Pryor Show. She was unable to complete a second novel, due to difficulties supporting herself on this work. She worked in media and publishing until she died of cancer on September 17, 1985, in New York City.
Oreo was rediscovered and republished in 2000 by
References
- ^ ISBN 1-55553-464-3.
- ^ Senna, Danzy (May 7, 2015). "An Overlooked Classic About the Comedy of Race". The New Yorker.
- ^ a b Johnson, Mat (9 March 2011). 'Oreo': A Satire Of Racial Identity, Inside And Out, You Must Read This, NPR. Retrieved March 10, 2011/
- ^ Danzy Senna, "An Overlooked Classic About the Comedy of Race", The New Yorker, May 7, 2015.
- ISBN 978-0-226-78996-5. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
- ^ 22 March 2006. "Traveling identities: mixed race quests and Fran Ross's Oreo.", African American Review
- ^ Deavens, Danielle (August 3, 2015). "Your Must-Read Book of the Week: 'Oreo' by Fran Ross". Essence. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ James, Marlon (July 7, 2018). "Oreo: Marlon James on a crazy, sexy, forgotten gem of black literature". The Guardian. Retrieved January 1, 2021.