Eleanor Coerr

Eleanor Coerr
Born Eleanor Page
(1922-05-29)May 29, 1922
Kamsack, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died November 22, 2010(2010-11-22) (aged 88)
New York City, New York, USA
Occupation Writer
Period 1945–2010
Genre Children's literature, picture books
Subject Japan
Spouse Wymberley De Renne Coerr
(m. 1965–1996)

Eleanor Coerr (née Page) (May 29, 1922 – November 22, 2010) was a Canadian-born American writer of children's books, including Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (historical fiction)[1] and many picture books.

She was born in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, Canada, and raised in Saskatoon. As a child, she liked to think up and read new stories. Through her best friend in high school, who was born to Japanese immigrants, Coerr developed an interest in calligraphy, Japanese food, and origami. She was exposed to Japanese scenery and told her friend that she wished to visit Japan one day, a request which Coerr fulfilled during the writing of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.[2]

She attended the University of Saskatchewan, later transferring to the Kadel Airbrush School. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from American University, and a master's degree in library science from the University of Maryland. After graduation, Coerr worked as a newspaper reporter and editor of a children's column. She taught children's literature at Monterey Peninsula College and creative writing at Chapman College in California.[3]

She was married to Wymberly De Renne Coerr (1913–1996) from 1965 until his death from Parkinson's Disease in 1996. He was a career diplomat, and she traveled with him to a number of countries, including foreign posts in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, and Brazil.[4] Coerr both wrote and illustrated her first book in 1945, although she did not begin to publish her work until the 1970s. Her later work included children's books, philanthropy, and giving lectures at American universities and overseas.[3] After Wymberly's death, she became more reclusive and stayed at private residences in Pebble Beach, California and Henderson, Nevada.[5]

Coerr died on November 22, 2010 at the age of 88. Both she and Wymberly were cremated.[6][7]

Books

References

  1. 1 2 Coerr, Eleanor (2004) [1977]. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. illustrated by Ronald Himler. Puffin Books. p. 80. ISBN 0-14-240113-7.
  2. "Eleanor Coerr - Penguin Group USA". Penguin Group Books. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Eleanor Coerr Papers". de Grummond Children's Literature Collection. University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  4. "Wymberly deR. Coerr, 83, Ex-U.S. Envoy to Uruguay and Ecuador". New York Times. October 23, 1996. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  5. "Eleanor Coerr | Author Biography". Sleeping Bear Press. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  6. "Eleanor Coerr, Author of 'Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,' Dies at 88". School Library Journal. November 30, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  7. "Eleanor Coerr, author of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, died this week at the age of 88". Barnes and Noble. November 30, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2010.

External links

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