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Madeline Miller

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Madeline Miller
Miller in 2013
Miller in 2013
Born (1978-07-24) July 24, 1978 (age 46)[1]
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationBrown University (BA, MA)
University of Chicago
Yale University
Notable worksThe Song of Achilles
Circe
Notable awardsOrange Prize for Fiction (2012)
Website
Official website

Madeline Miller (born July 24, 1978) is an American novelist, author of The Song of Achilles (2011) and Circe (2018). Miller spent ten years writing The Song of Achilles while she worked as a teacher of Latin and Greek. The novel tells the story of the love between the mythological figures Achilles and Patroclus; it won the Orange Prize for Fiction, making Miller the fourth debut novelist to win the prize. She is a 2019 recipient of the Alex Awards.

Early Life and Family

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Miller was born on July 24, 1978, in Boston and grew up in New York City and Philadelphia.[2][3] Miller attended Brown University, completing both a bachelor's and master's degree in Classics (2000 and 2001, respectively). She started writing her first novel, The Song of Achilles, during the final year of her bachelor's after codirecting a production of Troilus and Cressida. She has said that the scene in the play that shows Patroclus' death sparked her interest in telling his story and pushed her to start writing.[4] Prior to this moment, she already had a deep interest in Greek mythology and classics. Her mother, a librarian, started reading her The Iliad at five years old and she started learning Latin at 11.[4]

As a little girl she had a keen fascination for Greek Mythology. Growing up on the Upper East Side, she spent a lot of her time at the Met fascinating over warriors, heroes and deities. [5] One of her favorite warriors at the Met is a marble statue of a wounded Amazon warrior which has blood drops on the side of her breast.[5]

After completing her degrees, Miller then went on to teach Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare to high school students.[2][3][6] While working as a teacher, Miller continued work on her novel.[4]

She later studied for a year at the University of Chicago's Committee on Social Thought working towards a PhD and from 2009 to 2010 at the Yale School of Drama for an MFA in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism.[7]

She has discussed how Long COVID has affected her life since a February 2020 COVID-19 infection. In an op-ed in The Washington Post in August 2023, she said that having had the disease for three years, she had regained the ability to write but her fatigue had worsened.[8]

Novels

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The Song of Achilles

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Main article: The Song of Achilles

The Song of Achilles, Miller's debut novel, was released in September 2011.[3][9] The book took her ten years to write.[2][3] Set during the Greek Heroic Age, the novel tells the story from Patroclus' point of view and the bond that grew between him and Achilles.[6]

Here is a list of awards and honors the novel won.

Circe

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Main article: Circe (novel)

Circe, Miller's second novel, was released on April 10, 2018.[10] The book is a modern reimagining told from the perspective of Circe, an enchantress in Greek mythology who is featured in Homer's Odyssey. Circe was ranked the second-greatest book of the 2010s by Paste.[11] Tutor House ranked Circe in its top books for Classics students in 2021. An 8-part miniseries adaptation of the book has been green-lit for HBO Max.[12] Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver are set to write and produce the adaptation.[13]

Miller realized early on that the story of Circe was not being told accurately. The in-depth analysis of Circe highlights how Miller briefly mentions Odysseus in the book.[14] In contrast, in The Odyssey, Circe is merely mentioned. Miller in an interview said that Odysseus' story has been told for 3,000 years and it was time for Circe to be heard. [15] Miller in Circe is channeling many feminist themes: rejection of patriarchal norms, empowerment, and self-reliance. Miller said that Circe is about a woman realizing her true potential and power.[16] Circe was always intended to be a feminist re-telling, and therefore, was given the ultimate re-birth story.

Here is a list of awards and honors the novel won. [17]

Galatea

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A short story originally released as an e-book in 2013.[18] It was later released in hardback in March 2022.[19] The novel is a retelling of the Greek myth Pygmalion from the perspective of the sculptor's statue.[18]

Heracles' Bow

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A short story contained within The Song of Achilles and published in a Waterstones Special edition of The Song of Achilles[20] on August 7, 2012, Heracles' Bow takes from the perspective of Philoctetes, how he suffered his snake bite, and his abandonment by his companions. Much of the story takes place as a dialogue between Philoctetes and an imaginary Heracles, though other characters from The Song of Achilles also appear in it.

Persephone

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In December 2021, Miller announced via an Instagram post that she was working on her new novel, about the goddess Persephone.[21]

Inspiration

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Miller is known for writing mythological realism.[22] Miller's novels re-imagine stories from Greek mythology, while focusing on themes that she considers timeless, like dysfunctional families and homesickness.[23][24] She has said that she finds relevance to retelling The Odyssey because it related to "universal human experiences."[24] In an interview, Miller said that she sees genre as "permeable and changeable"[25] but said that her books could be characterized as "either literary adaptation or mythological realism. Or just plain old fiction!".[25] Miller has said though that her approach to the original material was quite different for her two novels. In The Song of Achilles, she took an existing story "hidden in the material already", and for Circe, she challenged the classic texts by taking out Odysseus's voice and replacing it with Circe's,[26] a more "subversive retelling".[27]

Homer has always been a guide for Miller. In reading the Iliad she wondered constantly about who the man in the shadows was. She noted in an interview with Women's Prize titled, "Archives: Q&A with Madeline Miller" that she took great inspiration to write The Song of Achilles after finishing directing her production of Troilus and Cressida. [28] Her main concern for The Song of Achilles was Patroclus. The character of Patroclus came from Homer, but she used Homer as a guide to elaborate more on Patroclus and Achilles' characters.[28] Patroclus' character was created by hints given from Homer: his gentleness and kindness.

Song plays a big role in The Song of Achilles. In the interview with Women's Prize, Miller notes how her knowledge of Achilles being a talented singer is what let her to include songs being significant in the novels.[28] In addition to this, she goes on to note how the word Illiad literally means "The Song of Troy," hence giving her the idea for the book's title. Just how she grew up honoring the deities, warriors, and heroes of Ancient Greek mythology, she felt that she needed to honor the name Illiad in her novel.[28]

Miller told a reporter from The Guardian that her inspirations include David Mitchell, Lorrie Moore, Anne Carson, and Virgil.[29] Miller expressed "hate" and "visceral disgust" towards Ayn Rand's book The Fountainhead. As she herself indicated, she hates the "ideas behind it". Instead, she prefers books by James Herriot and Chinua Achebe.[30]

Awards

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Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
2012 The Song of Achilles Orange Prize for Fiction — Won [31]
2013 ALA Rainbow Book List Young Adult/Crossover Fiction Top Ten
Chautauqua Prize — Shortlisted [4][32]
Gaylactic Spectrum Award Novel Won [33]
Independent Booksellers' Book Prize — Shortlisted
Massachusetts Book Award Must-Read Longlisted
RUSA CODES Reading List Historical Fiction Shortlisted [34]
Stonewall Book Award Literature Honor [35][36]
2018 Circe Athenaeum Literary Award — Won [37]
Goodreads Choice Awards Fantasy Won [38]
Kitschies Red Tentacle (Novel) Won [39]
Waterstones Book of the Year — Shortlisted [35][40][41]
2019 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence Fiction Longlisted [42]
Australian Book Industry Awards International Book Shortlisted [43]
Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards Fiction Won [44]
Beautiful Book Shortlisted
Indies Choice Book Awards Adult Fiction Won [45][46]
Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize — Longlisted [47]
Mythopoeic Awards — Shortlisted [48]
RUSA CODES Reading List Historical Fiction Shortlisted [34]
Women's Prize for Fiction — Shortlisted [49]
2020 International Dublin Literary Award — Longlisted [50][51]

Bibliography

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Novels

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  • —— (2011). The Song of Achilles. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781408816035.
  • —— (2018). Circe: A Novel. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316556347.[52][53][54]

Other Works[55]

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  • From Circe to Clinton
  • The Wily Wife
  • Review of The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson
  • Buddy Holly
  • Writing at Six Miles an Hour
  • Five Great Books Inspired by the Classics
  • Wisteria and Sunshine
  • Traveling to Troy
  • Review of The Sweet Girl, by Annabel Lyon
  • Learning to Love Adaptation
  • Homer, My Hero
  • In Praise of Literary Adaptations

References

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  1. ^ Leonard, Sue (September 24, 2011). "Beginner's Pluck". Irish Examiner. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Alter, Alexandra (February 24, 2012). "Rewriting the Story of Achilles". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Brown, Mark (May 30, 2012). "Orange prize for fiction 2012 goes to Madeline Miller". The Guardian. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d Cochrane, Kira (June 1, 2012). "The Saturday interview: Madeline Miller, Orange prize winner". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Alter, Alexandra (April 6, 2018). "Circe, a Vilified Witch from Classical Mythology, Gets Her Own Epic".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b Marsden, Sam (May 30, 2012). "Orange Prize for Fiction goes to Madeline Miller's story of a love affair overshadowed by the Trojan War". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  7. ^ "About Madeline". madelinemiller.com. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  8. ^ Miller, Madeline (August 9, 2023). "Opinion | Long covid has derailed my life. Make no mistake: It could yours, too". Washington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  9. ^ Ana (December 21, 2011). "Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller". The Book Smugglers. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  10. ^ "News - Madeline Miller". madelinemiller.com. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  11. ^ "The 40 Best Novels of the 2010s". pastemagazine.com. October 14, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 30, 2019). "'Circe' Fantasy Drama From Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver Based On Novel Gets HBO Max Series Order". Deadline Hollywood.
  13. ^ Otterson, Joe (July 30, 2019). "HBO Max Orders Greek Mythology Drama 'Circe' From Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa". Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  14. ^ Green, Fiona (December 21, 2021). "Feminism and Witchcraft: A Review of Circe by Madeline Miller". BERKELEY FICTION REVIEW. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  15. ^ White, Desmond (May 14, 2020). "Madeline Miller — Writing Things". Desmond, Write. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  16. ^ White, Desmond (May 14, 2020). "Madeline Miller — Writing Things". Desmond, Write. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  17. ^ "Madeline Miller - Circe". Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Chai, Barbara (August 14, 2013). "Read an Excerpt of Madeline Miller's 'Galatea'". Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  19. ^ Brown, Francesca (March 1, 2022). "March 2022's best new books, including memoirs, thrillers, essays, poetry and more". Stylist. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  20. ^ "Madeline Miller - Other Writing". Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  21. ^ Madeline Miller (December 20, 2021). "Madeline Miller on Instagram: "Some news about my current novel-in-progress. I know I said I was working on the Tempest. Turns out the Tempest is going to have to wait. She grabbed me with both hands. #persephone"". Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  22. ^ VanRy, Nikki (April 19, 2018). "Writing Of Gods And Mortals: A Madeline Miller Interview". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  23. ^ "One Read 2019 - An Interview with Madeline Miller". thelibrary.org. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Klein, Ezra (April 24, 2020). "Madeline Miller on myth, nostalgia, and how power corrupts". Vox. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Ping, Trisha (March 16, 2018). "Interview with Madeline Miller about 'Circe'". BookPage. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  26. ^ Wiener, James Blake. "Interview: Circe by Madeline Miller". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  27. ^ Alter, Alexandra (April 6, 2018). "Circe, a Vilified Witch From Classical Mythology, Gets Her Own Epic". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  28. ^ a b c d Passmore, Lynsey (January 10, 2021). "Archives: Q&A with Madeline Miller". Women's Prize. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  29. ^ "Paperback Q&A: Madeline Miller on The Song of Achilles". The Guardian. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  30. ^ Miller, Madeline (March 11, 2022). "Reading Ayn Rand was like being dipped in slime". The Guardian. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  31. ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (May 30, 2012). "First-time author Madeline Miller wins last-ever Orange Prize". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  32. ^ Ron Charles (May 15, 2013). "Timothy Egan wins Chautauqua Prize for "Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher"". Washington Post. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  33. ^ "sfadb: Gaylactic Spectrum Awards 2013". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "The Reading List". RUSA Update. March 19, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  35. ^ a b Cain, Sian (November 29, 2018). "Sally Rooney's Normal People named Waterstones book of the year". the Guardian. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  36. ^ "Stonewall Book Awards List – 2013". American Library Association. September 9, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  37. ^ "Literary Award". The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  38. ^ Jarema, Kerri (December 4, 2018). "The 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards Winners Are Here & 'The Hate U Give' Won In A BIG Way". Bustle. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  39. ^ Chandler, Mark (April 16, 2019). "Miller's Circe picks up Red Tentacle at Kitschies | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  40. ^ "Awards: Waterstones, Blackwell's Books of the Year Finalists". Shelf Awareness. November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  41. ^ "Love story Normal People is Waterstones' book of the year". BBC News. November 29, 2018. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  42. ^ "2019 Winners | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence". www.ala.org. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  43. ^ Haines, Gillian (April 10, 2019). "2019 ABIA Shortlist Announce". ABIA. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  44. ^ "Obama, Porter and Thunberg shortlisted for BAMB reader awards". The Bookseller. October 3, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  45. ^ "2019 Indies Choice Book Award Winners Announced!". Authors Unbound. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  46. ^ "Buzzy Books Like Circe and Educated Just Received This Award". Oprah Daily. May 1, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  47. ^ "2019 Simpson Longlist Released". New Literary Project. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  48. ^ Emerson, David (June 5, 2019). "The Mythopoeic Society: 2019 Mythopoeic Awards finalists announced". www.mythsoc.org. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  49. ^ Jean-Philippe, McKenzie (April 29, 2019). "An Oprah's Book Club Pick Just Made the Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist". Oprah Daily. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  50. ^ "2020 – International DUBLIN Literary Award". web.archive.org. May 11, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  51. ^ locusmag (January 15, 2020). "2020 Dublin Literary Award Longlist". Locus Online. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  52. ^ Charles, Ron (April 9, 2018). "Review | The original nasty woman is a goddess for our times". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  53. ^ Alter, Alexandra (April 6, 2018). "Circe, a Vilified Witch From Classical Mythology, Gets Her Own Epic". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  54. ^ Preston, Alex (April 8, 2018). "Circe by Madeline Miller review – Greek classic thrums with contemporary relevance". The Guardian. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  55. ^ "Madeline Miller - Other Writing". Retrieved October 28, 2024.
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