Arliss Ryan (born July 24, 1950) is an American

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

writer and

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ist. Her seven novels include historical fiction, contemporary fiction and satire. Her short stories and essays have appeared in literary and commercial magazines. Ryan graduated

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from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

with a B.A. in English in 1971. For a time, Ryan worked at the

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as an administrative assistant, before pursuing writing full-time. Ryan's first novel, ''The Kingsley House'', weaves stories around her ancestral home and was published by

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan in New York City. It is headquartered in the Equitable Building (New York City), Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishe ...

in 2000. It was featured in a 2000 volume of Reader's Digest Select Editions. The original Kingsley House still stands in Greenmead Historical Park in

Livonia, Michigan Livonia ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Livonia is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 95,535. Originally organized as ...

. Ryan's second novel, the satirical ''How (Not) to Have a Perfect Wedding'', was published by

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in 2007 and was inspired by Ryan's experiences working on the event staff at the Astor's Beechwood Mansion. Ryan's third novel, ''The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare'', is a work of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

that takes romantic and creative liberties with the Shakespeare authorship question. In it, Ryan postulates

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's wife

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...

is the true author of many of Shakespeare's plays. It was published by

New American Library The New American Library (also known as NAL) is an American publisher based in New York, founded in 1948. Its initial focus was affordable paperback reprints of classics and scholarly works as well as popular and pulp fiction, but it now publi ...

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

in 2010. ''Sanctuary,'' her fourth novel, is a tale of secrets, redemption, and the healing power of art and nature, as the lives of three women converge at a rundown New England estate. In 2017, Ryan and her husband, naval architect Eric Sponberg, left the United States to sail around the world in their 35-foot sailboat Corroboree. Her website blog, “The Old Woman and the Sea,” chronicles their ongoing voyage.

References

External links

Official website of Arliss Ryan

Works by Arliss Ryan in libraries

Arliss Ryan
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Arliss 1950 births 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American historical novelists Writers from Detroit Living people 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni American women historical novelists Novelists from Michigan