Debra Lynn Dean (born 1957) is an American writer, best known for her 2006 novel, '' The Madonnas of Leningrad''.

Life

Dean was born and brought up in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

and studied English and Drama at

Whitman College Whitman College is a private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. The school offers 53 majors and 33 minors in the liberal arts and sciences, and it has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. Founded as a seminary by a territorial l ...

, graduating in 1980. She then trained as an actress in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where she married another actor, and worked mostly in theatre until returning to the Pacific Northwest to study for a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

. She now teaches

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes beyond the boundaries of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on craft and technique, such as narrative structure, character ...

at the

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

, where she is an associate professor of English.

Works

*'' The Madonnas of Leningrad'' (New York: William Morrow, 2006, , ) *''

Confessions of a Falling Woman ''Confessions of a Falling Woman and Other Stories'' is a 2008 short story collection by Debra Dean. It is a 2009 Paterson Fiction Prize winner, and was on the longlist of the 2008 Florida Book Awards. Reception A ''Guardian'' review of ''Confe ...

'' (New York: HarperCollins, 2008, , ) *'' The Mirrored World'' (New York: Harper Perennial, 2013, , ) *'' Hidden Tapestry: Jan Yoors, His Two Wives, and the War That Made Them One'' (Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 2018, , )

References

External links

*http://therumpus.net/2014/07/the-rumpus-interview-with-debra-dean/ *http://www.nupress.northwestern.edu/content/hidden-tapestry *http://theweek.com/articles/443353/susan-vreelands-6-favorite-books-that-blend-fiction-art-history {{DEFAULTSORT:Dean, Debra Living people 1957 births American women novelists American historical novelists Writers from Seattle Whitman College alumni Writers from Miami 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers Novelists from Washington (state) Novelists from Florida University of Oregon alumni Florida International University faculty American women academics