Kate Braverman
Kate Braverman was an American writer born on February 5, 1950, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, she began her literary career with poetry, publishing her first collection, "Milk Run," in 1977. Over time, she transitioned into fiction and nonfiction, producing notable works such as her first novel, "Lithium for Medea" (1979), and various collections of short stories like "Squandering the Blue" (1990) and "A Good Day for Seppuku" (2018). Braverman’s writing is characterized by its rich, imagistic prose, often exploring themes of substance abuse, divorce, and the complex emotional landscape of Los Angeles life. Her contributions to literature earned her several accolades, including the O. Henry Prize and the Raymond Carver Editor's Choice award, although she famously declined the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize due to issues with censorship. After a life marked by personal and professional challenges, she passed away on October 12, 2019, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, leaving behind her daughter, Gabrielle Goldstein. Braverman's work remains influential for its vivid portrayal of contemporary California and its deep emotional resonance.
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Subject Terms
Kate Braverman
- Born: February 5, 1950
- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Died: October 12, 2019
- Place of death: Sante Fe, New Mexico
Biography
Kate Braverman was born on February 5, 1950, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1971. Her first works were Milk Run (1977), a collection of poems, and two anthologies of poetry she edited in 1978. While she produced poetry throughout her career, she increasingly turned to fiction and, later, nonfiction.Lithium for Medea (1979) was her first novel, followed by Palm Latitudes (1988), Tall Tales from the Mekong Delta (1990), Wonders of the West (1993), and The Incantation of Frida K (2002). She also produced collections of short stories, including Squandering the Blue (1990), Small Craft Warnings (1998), and A Good Day for Seppuku (2018).
She won the first Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize for Frantic Transmissions to and from Los Angeles: An Accidental Memoir (2006), but refused the award, alleging that the publisher had censored the ending. Two of her short stories were included in Best American Short Stories, and she also received an O. Henry Prize in 1992. In 2004 she received two honors: the Raymond Carver Editor's Choice award and the Christopher Isherwood Foundation Fellowship. Her fiction was noteworthy for its rich and imagistic prose, which often read like poetry. Both her fiction and her poetry reflected the physical and emotional environment of Los Angeles, and she often wrote of characters who experienced the extremes of contemporary California life—substance abuse, divorce, violence, desperation.
Braverman was twice married and twice divorced. She died on October 12, 2019, at her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was seventy years old. Her daughter, Gabrielle Goldstein, survived her.
Bibliography
Braverman, Kate. "Kate Braverman - Author Interview." By M. E. Wood. BellaOnline: The Voice of Women, 2019, www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40060.asp. Accessed 5 Oct. 2020.
Sandomir, Richard. "Kate Braverman, Who Wrote of Women on the Margins, Dies at 70." The New York Times, 18 Oct. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/books/kate-braverman-dead.html
Waldman, Katy. "The Alien Richness of Kate Braverman's Short Stories." The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2018, www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/alien-richness-kate-braverman-short-stories. Accessed 5 Oct. 2020.