Biography of Raymond Carver
August 2, 1988
Writer, poet and essayist, Raymond Clevie Carver, Jr., was born on 25 May 1938 in Clatskanie, Oregon, into a family of humble origins: the father is sharpen in a lumber mill and her mother is a maid. Raised in Yakima (where Carver had moved in 1941 following the economic problems that the outbreak of war had caused), undertakes as a boy in many odd jobs, and meanwhile developed a strong passion for writing and for reading. In the summer of 1955 knows Maryann Burk, girl who has not yet fifteen years and with which he gets engaged. Meanwhile concluded his studies at Yakima High School and moved to California, in Chester, to join his father went to live there. The two began to work together in the sawmill, but soon Raymond realizes not be for that job, and returned to Yakima, where he was employed in a pharmacy as a Messenger. In June of 1957 Raymond Carver bride Maryann, who a few months later makes father of Christine Rae. Persuaded by his wife to continue his studies, preparatory to the University enrolls two years Carver of Walla Walla and following a correspondence writing school, the Palmer Institute of Writing.
The first publications
In 1958 he becomes father of Vance Lindsay and began attending courses in creative writing and literature of Chico State College, where he teaches John Gardner. That year was also its first publication: a letter entitled "Where is intellect" published in "Wildcat", the magazine of the college. He moved with his family to Chico to continue his studies, in 1960 the University literary magazine, "becomes curator of the Selection", on which he released his short story "furious Seasons".Gli anni ' 60
In 1961 Raymond leaves Chico, despite the good results obtained in literary context, because of the economic difficulties faced: back to work in a sawmill, in Los Angeles, before moving to Arcata, where he continues to study and meanwhile is employed in a firm of timber processing. In 1963, after the performance at the theater of "Carnation", his first play, and the publication of the poem "the brass ring" in "Target", graduated from Humboldt State University and publishes about "Toyon", the literary magazine of the Institute, the short story "the father". Forced to relocate again, this time at Berkeley, for business reasons, he won a scholarship for a master to the Iowa Writers ' Workshop, a workshop of creative writing. Raymond Carver abandons even Iowa City to go and live in Sacramento, where he works as a janitor in a hospital: a job that allows him to keep writing. Then gets a job at the Science Research Associates, Publisher of Palo Alto, which is responsible for the preparation of scientific books. In the late 1960s, see published "Near Klamath," his first collection of poems, and follows his wife Maryann in Israel, in Tel Aviv; soon, however, back in the United States. 1969 winner of the Discovery Award for poetry, he moved with his family (part-Meanwhile in the Usa) in California; Meanwhile, his short story "twenty-four acres" enters in the anthology "The best little magazine fiction," while the publishing house Kajal Press publishes "Winter insomnia", her second collection of poems.Gli anni ' 70
In 1971 Carver receives an order to teach at the University of California, Santa Cruz for a creative writing class: shortly after his short story "Fat" appears on "Harper's Bazar". Appointed visiting lecturer for fiction from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973 on "Voices in American Poetry" some of his poems, and the following year he was editor of "Spectrum", Journal of the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he teaches. Despite its success in the literary field, Carver's economic conditions are not optimal, complicated also by its dedication to alcohol, which leads him to resign from the University. He does not give up, however, writing: in 1976 by McGraw-Hill publishes "Will you please be quiet, please?" (Shut up, please?), and the following year gives the prints "Furious seasons and other stories".Gli anni ' 80
The 1981 dates from "What we talk about when we talk about love", while the 1983 "Cathedral" and "Fires: Essays, poems, stories" (trad.it. You don't know what love is). In September 1987 Raymond Carver is operated of urgency to Syracuse because of a lung hemorrhage. The following year, while his story "Errand" wins the Prize Stories, see diagnose brain metastases, which require him to undergo a course of radiotherapy in Seattle. That year he joined the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters; the last days of his life will be devoted to "A new path to the waterfall" (the new trail to the waterfall), his last book of poetry. Admitted to the Virginia Mason Hospital, Carver died on 2 August 1988 at his home in Port Angeles: his body is buried at Ocean View Cemetery, on the same day that the Collins Harvill in London publishes "Elephant and other stories".Article contributed by the team of collaborators.