Rebecca Godfrey
Rebecca Godfrey | |
---|---|
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
Died | 3 October 2022 , New York, U.S. | (aged 54)
Occupation | Writer |
Rebecca Margot Godfrey (December 2, 1967 – October 3, 2022) was a Canadian novelist and nonfiction writer.
Life and career
Godfrey was born in
Godfrey's first book, The Torn Skirt (2001), a novel, was shortlisted for the 2002 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.[2] Described as an antidote to the sad boy lit of David Foster Wallace,[3][4] it received a favorable review in the New York Times.[5]
Godfrey's second book, Under the Bridge (2005), an investigation into the beating death of
Godfrey subsequently continued to write portraits of unconventional, influential women, most recently interviewing Robyn Doolittle on her 2014 expose of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's tumultuous political career[11] and interviewing German actress Barbara Sukowa on the legacy of Hannah Arendt.[12]
In August 2016 Godfrey curated an acclaimed gallery show at the Instar Lodge in Germantown, New York, titled Girls in Trees.[13] The show featured works by over 33 artists and writers, including the photographer Brigitte Lacombe, the poet Sharon Olds, the novelists Mary Gaitskill and Samantha Hunt, poet Nick Flynn, painter Lisa Sanditz, and sculptors Julianne Swartz and Diann Bauer. The accompanying publication includes photographs, text, and other artistic materials offering a variety of perspectives on the theme of girlhood and nature.[14]
In 2016, Godfrey was awarded a Fellowship from the
Godfrey was an adjunct assistant professor of creative writing at Columbia University, where she taught fiction workshops and a seminar on Anti-Heroines in literature.[17] Former students who have published works influenced by the themes of the seminar include Mandy Berman, Naima Coster, and Maddox Pennington.
Godfrey died from lung cancer in New York City on October 3, 2022, at the age of 54.[8]
At her death, Godfrey had nearly completed The Dilettante. The novel, which will be completed using her notes, is scheduled to be published posthumously by Knopf in the summer of 2023.[8]
A week before her death,
In popular media
- The Torn Skirt established a cult following with fans including Thurston Moore[18] and Mary Gaitskill[19] and made an appearance on Season 3 of Gossip Girl.[20]
- Under the Bridge received a mention in a 2006 interview with Peter Dinklage.[21]
- In an interview with Laura Lippman, the novelist Megan Abbott, show runner and writer of the Netflix series Dare Me, cites Under the Bridge as inspiration and part of a movement of contemporary "dark female fiction."[22]
Bibliography
- — (2001). The Torn Skirt. Toronto: OCLC 46991039.
- — (2005). Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk. Toronto: OCLC 58830378.
References
- ^ Adams, James (July 3, 2015). "Late writer Dave Godfrey created three publishing houses". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "2002 Winners & Finalists". Archived from the original on 2019-04-08.
- ^ Coyle, Dierdre (April 17, 2017). "Men Recommend David Foster Wallace to Me". Electric Literature.
- ^ "Men Recommend David Foster Wallace to Me". 17 April 2017.
- ^ Krouse, Erika (Nov 3, 2002). "Rude Awakenings". The New York Times.
- ^ "BC Achievement Foundation". Archived from the original on 2017-07-09.
- ^ Zeitchik, Steven (May 3, 2007). "Witherspoon developing 'Bridge'".
- ^ a b c d Green, Penelope (November 4, 2022). "Rebecca Godfrey, 54, Dies; Author Found Humanity in Teenage Violence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Evans, Greg (2022-11-04). "Rebecca Godfrey Dies: True-Crime Author Whose 'Under The Bridge' Is In Development At Hulu Was 54". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ Carroll, Tobias (April 8, 2019). "11 True Crime Books For Music Lovers". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Godfrey, Rebecca (Feb 4, 2014). "Crack Reporter: The Scoop on Rob Ford From Robyn Doolittle". Flare. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019.
- ^ Godfrey, Rebecca (June 15, 2013). "The New Yorkers Barbara Sukowa On the Legacy of Fellow Empire State German, Hannah Arendt".
- ^ "Girls In Trees (In Art, In Literature) Writers and Photographers Explore the Collision of Nature and Girlhood". December 21, 2016.
- ^ "An Interview with Rebecca Godfrey on her Multidisciplinary Show Girls in Trees". Columbia University School of the Arts. November 17, 2016. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019.
- ^ "Lauren Groff Among Latest MacDowell Fellows". Publishers Weekly. Oct 26, 2016.
- ^ "Rebecca Godfrey - MacDowell Fellow in Literature". MacDowell. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ "Columbia School of the Arts Fall 2018 Course Book" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-21.
- ^ "BULL TONGUE by Byron Coley & Thurston Moore from Arthur No. 21 (Mar. 2006)". Arthur. March 2006.
- ^ "Review: The Torn Skirt by Rebecca Godfrey". The Bailer. March 15, 2004. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019.
- ^ Calhoun, Chrissy (October 5, 2009). "Spotted: Dan de Fleurette". The Calhoun Tribune. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019.
- ^ Dinklage, Peter (March 16, 2006). "Pushy Questions For ... Peter Dinklage, actor, whose latest film, "Find Me Guilty," opens today in L.A." Variety.
- ^ "Daughters of Daughters of Eve: An Interview with Megan Abbott". Mulholland Books. 30 July 2012.
External links
- HarperCollins Canada site Archived 2006-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
- http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/114/prmID/521 Archived 2007-08-07 at the Wayback Machine
- https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/03/books/rude-awakenings.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
- http://arts.columbia.edu/writing/faculty/adjunct/rebecca-godfrey Archived 2014-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
- https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/login.php/dealmakers/detail.cgi%3Fid%3D2398