Sue Grafton - 1940
|
San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California
I. Biography
Sue Grafton was born on April 24, 1940, in Louisville, Kentucky. Her father Chip Grafton was an attorney and writer and her mother was Vivian (Harnsberger ) Grafton. Grafton attended the University of Louisville. Grafton married Steven Humphrey a writer on October 1, 1978. She has been married to Steven for more than twenty years. She has three children, Lee Flood Carnes , Jay Schmidt and Jamie Schmidt. Grafton has two grandkids. She lives in Montecito, California and also owns a house in Louisville.
II. Awards and Literary Works
Grafton has received awards from the Christophers, 1979, for Walking through the Fire. This screenplay was also broadcasted by Columbia Broadcasting Corporation, which was adopted from the novel by Laurel Lee in April 1979. In 1982 of September, she and her husband piloted for the CBS television series, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."
Grafton has published in 28 countries and 26 languages. She has best sellers all around the world, which is quite an accomplishment. She is a mystery writer and her main character in all of her books is Kinsey Millhone. Grafton says that Kinsey is herself only younger, smarter, and thinner.
III. Influences
As a mystery writer Grafton says that her mystery novels offer a world in which justice is served. Maybe not in a court of law, but people do get their just desserts (Sue Grafton's website). Similarly like Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, Robert Parker, and John D. Mcdonald other mystery writers, she has earned respect for them in that sense. Grafton was inspired by writings of John D. Mcdonald, especially the way he links titles. Harry Kemehnan, another inspiration of Grafton's, joined his titles by the days of the week.
One day Grafton was reading The Gashlycrumb Tinies , a book written by Edward Gorey. This book contained pen and ink drawings of Victorian children. . For example the book said, "A is for Anna who climbed up the tree." Grafton was then inspired to do a series of novels based on the alphabet. So she then sat down and made an alphabetical list of any related crime words that she could brainstorm.
IV. Grafton's Kinsey and Hollywood
Grafton has not sold any of the film rights to her books to Hollywood because she doesn't want to lose control of Kinsey's character or her books. She is afraid that since her readers have a very clear idea of her personality, they will disagree with the way the movie industry will portray her. Grafton believes that Kinsey is where she belongs, in people's imaginations.
Grafton has worked for Hollywood before (15 years); she says she dislikes Hollywood. While in Hollywood she worked on, "Love on the Run" with Alec Baldwin, an adaptation of Caribbean Mystery adopted by Agatha Christie. What she dislikes about Hollywood is that there are six to eight non-writers who sit in the same room with a writer and help the writer work. She says you are treated like a clerk and are rarely respected. Despite the philosophical differences, Grafton, while working in Hollywood, learned how to structure a story, how to write a dialogue, and how to set up an action sequence. However, she is happier writing by herself and making all the important decisions.
V. Literary Works
A is for Alibi
B is for Burglar
C is for Corpse
D is for Deadbeat
E is for Evidence
F is for Fugitive
G is for Gumshoe
H is for Homicide
I is for Innocent
J is for Judgement
K is for Killer
L is for Lawless
M is for Malice
N is for Noose
VI. Grafton on the Web
Sue lives in Montecito, California. You can contact her through her website or visit the Earthling bookstore, which is located in Santa Barbara, California. Sue often frequents this bookstore. Or you can send any correspondence to
suegrafton@fsb.superlink.net.VII. Bibliography
Contemporary Authors . New York, New York. pages 186-187, 1983.
Sue Grafton. Home page. March 31, 1999
This essay was submitted by a student of Kathy Honda Stein, a teacher at San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California.