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Elaine Kraf

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Elaine Joan Kraf
Born(1936-02-21)February 21, 1936
New York City
DiedJune 26, 2013(2013-06-26) (aged 77)
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Period1988–2013
GenreLiterary fiction, Avant-garde fiction
Notable awardsNational Endowment for the Arts
ChildrenMilena Kraf Altman-London

Elaine Joan Kraf (February 21, 1936 – June 26, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and painter from New York City.[1][2] She wrote I Am Clarence,[3] The Princess of 72nd Street,[4] and the experimental novel, Find Him!, a "brilliant spatial meditation of the abstract machine of femininity."[5] She was the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts awards,[6] a 1971 fellowship at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference,[7] and a 1977 residency at Yaddo.[8] Her artwork was exhibited in, among other places, the Ward-Nasse Gallery in SoHo, Manhattan.[9][10][11]

Kraf was born on February 21, 1936, in New York City. She was the daughter of Harry Kraf and the cousin of Marvin Sylvor. Kraf and her husband, Martin Altman, had one daughter, Milena.

Critical response

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Kraf's novels were praised by critics for their originality, intelligence and strong voice, and she got especially positive reviews for her first novel in 1969, with one reviewer calling it "beautifully written and Miss Kraf's success in creating an intense experience for her readers demands admiration,"[12] and another stating "Elaine Kraf has a remarkable tour de force in her first novel. Brilliant and moving, its story is both sad and disturbing."[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Although Find Him! is now considered a cult classic, the novel mystified some contemporary reviewers. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Robert Boyd, in "Novels That Are Novel," said the book "had me confused at times as to the significance of its collage-like bits and pieces, but left no doubt as to her gifts as a stylist."[20]

References

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  1. ^ I AM CLARENCE by Elaine Kraf | Kirkus Reviews.
  2. ^ Williams, Hannah (July 28, 2022). "Elaine Kraf Wrote a Cult Classic. Then She Was Forgotten". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  3. ^ "I Am Clarence; By Elaine Kraf. 191 pp. New York: Doubleday & Co. $4.95". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  4. ^ "The Millions: The Princess of 72nd Street (American Literature Series) by Elaine Kraf". Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  5. ^ Gwin, Minrose. (2002). The woman in the red dress : gender, space, and reading. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252027329. OCLC 47767096.
  6. ^ "The Princess of 72nd Street : Elaine Kraf : 9781564782359". www.bookdepository.com. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  7. ^ "8 Writers Win Fellowships To Bread Loaf". Burlington Free Press. August 18, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved July 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Egelhof, Joseph (August 22, 1977). "Yaddo fosters creativity: Where artists work for free". Chicago Tribune. pp. Tempo-1, 5. Retrieved July 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Box Art". New York Daily News. October 5, 1975. p. Leisure-4. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Arts and Leisure Guide". The New York Times. January 8, 1978. p. D33. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via nytimes.com.
  11. ^ "Weekend Guide: Art Exhibitions". New York Newsday. April 26, 1991. p. II:87. Retrieved July 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Brown, Catherine (September 21, 1969). "Mother's Shame". Austin American-Statesman. p. T27. Retrieved July 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Cheney, Charlotte (August 17, 1969). "Dropout Novel Tunes In". Pittsburgh Press. p. 8:5. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Brown, Catherine (October 19, 1969). "Two Opposite New Yorks In Two New First Novels". Louisville Courier-Journal. p. F5. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Love Prevails: 'Clarence' And Mother". The Anniston Star (Anniston, Alabama). September 14, 1969. p. 2D. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Boyer, Gay (September 21, 1969). "An Intricate Puzzle: I Am Clarence". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4B. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Stevens, Shane (November 2, 1969). "I Am Clarence". The New York Times. p. BR-46. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via nytimes.com.
  18. ^ Lepper, Gary (March 28, 1971). "Brilliant Pictures: Mother and Her Malformed Child". Los Angeles Times. p. Calendar-49. Retrieved July 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Elaine Kraf Novel". Minneapolis Star. June 1, 1971. p. 6B. Retrieved July 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Boyd, Robert (December 18, 1977). "Novels That Are Novel". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4C. Retrieved July 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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