Jodi Lynn Picoult (; born 1966) is an American writer. Picoult has published 28 novels and short stories, and has also written several issues of ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

''. Approximately 40 million copies of her books are in print worldwide and have been translated into 34 languages. In 2003, she was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for fiction. Picoult writes popular fiction which can be characterized as

family saga The family saga is a genre of literature which chronicles the lives and doings of a family or a number of related or interconnected families over a period of time. In novels (or sometimes sequences of novels) with a serious intent, this is often ...

, frequently centering story lines on moral dilemmas or procedural dramas which pit family members against one another. Over her writing career, Picoult has covered a wide range of controversial or moral issues, including

abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

assisted suicide Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...

race relations Race relations is a sociological concept that emerged in Chicago in connection with the work of sociologist Robert E. Park and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Race relations designates a paradigm or field in sociology and a legal concept in th ...

eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...

, fertility issues, religion, the

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

, and school shootings. She has been described by

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...

as "a solid, lively storyteller, even if she occasionally bogs down in lyrical turns of phrase."

Early life

Picoult was born in Nesconset, New York, on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

in 1966. She has one younger brother. She graduated from Smithtown High School East in June 1983. She has described her family as "non-practicing Jewish". Picoult wrote her first story at age five, titled "The Lobster Which Misunderstood". Picoult's mother and grandmother were both teachers, and she says that their influence on her was very important.

Education

Picoult studied creative writing at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

with Mary Morris, and graduated in 1987 with an A.B. in English after completing a 320-page-long senior thesis titled "Developments." She published two short stories in '' Seventeen'' magazine while still in college. Immediately after graduation, she began a variety of jobs, ranging from editing

textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

s to teaching eighth-grade English. She earned a master's degree in education from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. Picoult has two honorary Doctor of Letters degrees: one from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

in 2010, the other from the

University of New Haven The University of New Haven (UNH) is a private university in West Haven, Connecticut, United States. History The University of New Haven was founded in 1920 as the New Haven YMCA Junior College, a division of Northeastern University, which sha ...

in 2012. In 2016, Picoult was selected to be Princeton's Class Day Speaker before commencement.

Career

Picoult became the writer of the

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

series ''

'' (vol. 3), following the departure of

Allan Heinberg Allan Heinberg (born June 29, 1967) is an American film screenwriter, television writer and producer and comic book writer. Heinberg is the screenwriter of the 2017 film ''Wonder Woman'', directed by Patty Jenkins. His television writing and pro ...

. Her first issue (number 6) was released on March 28, 2007, and her last was issue number 10, released on June 27, 2007. '' Nineteen Minutes'', Picoult's novel about the aftermath of a school shooting in a small town, published on March 9, 2007, was her first book to debut at number 1 on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list. Her book '' Change of Heart'', published on March 4, 2008, was her second novel to debut at number 1 on that list. '' Handle with Care'' in 2009 and ''

House Rules House rules are unofficial modifications to official game rules adopted by individual groups of players. House rules may include the removal or alteration of existing rules, or the addition of new rules. Such modifications are common in board ga ...

'' in 2010 also reached number 1 on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list. Often categorized as a chick-lit author, a somewhat derisive label, Picoult has claimed to accept a lack of critical acclaim in exchange for popularity: "I'm never going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, not going to win a National Book Award, never even going to be nominated. What you trade for that is sales and readership. And I would rather reach more people. It would be very nice to not be unfairly accused of being a bad writer, but hopefully if you do pick up one of my books, you will be quickly disabused of that notion." In November 2019, Picoult participated in the criticism of Brooke Nelson, a college student who was mentioned in her local newspaper as saying she thought that author Sarah Dessen's YA novels were not suitable for the Common Read program run by

Northern State University Northern State University (NSU) is a public university in Aberdeen, South Dakota, United States. NSU is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents and offers 45 bachelor's degrees, 53 minors, six associate degrees, 16 pre-professional prog ...

, Aberdeen, and had instead advocated for the inclusion of ''Just Mercy,'' a memoir by civil rights attorney

Bryan Stevenson Bryan Stevenson (born November 14, 1959) is an American lawyer, social justice activist, and law professor at New York University School of Law, and the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. Based in Montgomery, Alabam ...

. Picoult described Nelson's views as "sinister" and "demeaning to women", and encouraged her followers on Twitter to "fight the patriarchy" in response to Nelson's comments. When the story was reported in ''Jezebel'', ''The Guardian'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Slate'', Picoult posted an apology on Twitter, noting that her remarks had resulted in harassment and bullying of Nelson. Her 2024 novel ''By Any Other Name'' is based on the premise that the poet

Emilia Lanier Emilia Lanier (; 1569–1645) was the first woman in England to assert herself as a professional poet, through her volume '' Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum'' (''Hail, God, King of the Jews'', 1611). Attempts have been made to equate her with Shakesp ...

was the actual author of several works of

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 ...

. Picoult says "I think that, back then, people in theatre knew that William Shakespeare was a catch-all name for a lot of different types of authors." and that Shakespeare could not have written proto-feminist characters.

Advocacy

In 2016, Picoult joined the advisory board of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts, a "non-profit feminist organization committed to creating transparency around the lack of gender parity in the literary landscape and to amplifying historically marginalized voices, including people of color; writers with disabilities; and queer, trans and gender nonconforming individuals". Picoult's website says that VIDA: Women in Literary Arts is a research-driven organization. She was a member of the inaugural Writers Council of the National Writing Project in 2013, an organization which recognizes the "universality of writing as a communicative tool and helps teachers enhance student writing". This inaugural group consisted of 30 published authors. She was a spokesperson for Positive Tracks, which helps young people to fundraise through athletics. In 2010, Picoult led the 5th Annual Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Hero Half Marathon & Relay 5K Walk around Occom Pond and through the town of

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a New England town, town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university ...

. She is a member of the Advisory Committee for the New Hampshire Coalition Against the Death Penalty, an organization that successfully sought to end the death penalty in the state of New Hampshire through outreach, education and advocacy. She was the co-founder, with Marjorie Rose, of the Trumbull Hall Troupe in 2004 as a means of providing children with a fun, educational theatre experience. Children from grade 6 through grade 12 audition to be in an original musical written by Picoult and composer Ellen Wilber. The proceeds are donated to local charities. The organization's contributions since its founding have exceeded $120,000. On January 21, 2017, Picoult spoke at the New Hampshire Women's Day of Action and Unity in support of the Women's March on Washington.

Book bannings

In March 2023, 20 of Picoult's books were removed from Florida's Martin County School District for review of potentially inappropriate content. According to Picoult, the complaint was made by a sole parent who characterized her books as "adult romance", which Picoult has refuted, saying: "''What he booksdo have, however, are issues like racism, abortion rights, gun control, gay rights, and other topics that encourage kids to think for themselves.''" Picoult criticized Moms for Liberty for demanding the removal of her books. During the summer of 2023, an Iowa law banning books with sex acts from school libraries was applied by the Urbandale Community School District to include '' Nineteen Minutes'' as part of a list of 374 books being considered for removal. In 2024 a book tour was held by Picoult in tandem with the organisation Unite Against Bookbans. During events speakers focused on the issue of library censorship and campaign resource kits were distributed to attendees.

Honors and awards

* New England Bookseller Award for Fiction (2003) * Alex Award from the Young Adult Library Services Association (2005) * Book Browse Diamond Award for novel of the year (2005) * Lifetime Achievement Award for mainstream fiction from the Romance Writers of America * Fearless Fiction Award from ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine (2007) * Waterstone's Author of the Year (UK) * Vermont Green Mountain Book Award (2007) * New Hampshire Granite State Book Award * Virginia Reader's Choice Award (2007) * Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award (2006) * Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award (2007) * New Hampshire Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit (2013–14) * Princeton Alumni Weekly ''Our Most Influential Alumni'' list *

Sarah Josepha Hale Sarah Josepha Buell Hale (October 24, 1788April 30, 1879) was an American writer, activist, and editor of the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the American Civil War, Civil War, ''Godey's Lady's Book''. She was the author of t ...

Award Medalist (2019)

Personal life

Picoult has been married, since 1989, to Timothy Warren van Leer, whom she met in college. They reside in

, with their three children. Picoult has published two books with her daughter Samantha.

Recurring characters

* Jordan McAfee, his son Thomas, and his wife, Selena, are featured in the novels '' The Pact'', '' Salem Falls'', '' Nineteen Minutes'', and ''

Mad Honey Mad honey is honey that contains grayanotoxins. The dark, reddish honey is produced from the nectar and pollen of genus ''Rhododendron'' and has moderately toxic and narcotic effects. Mad honey is produced principally in Nepal and Turkey, where ...

'' (2022). * Detective Patrick Ducharme is featured in '' Perfect Match'' and ''Nineteen Minutes''. Picoult has stated that she brought this character back for a second novel because she had a crush on him. * Ian Fletcher of '' Keeping Faith'' makes a brief appearance in '' Change of Heart'', published in 2008. * Frankie Martine, first featured in ''Salem Falls'', returns in ''

Second Glance ''Second Glance'' (2003) is the tenth novel by the American author Jodi Picoult. Plot summary ''Second Glance'' follows the lives of several characters throughout the book. In Picoult's signature writing style, the novel flashes back and for ...

'' and ''Perfect Match''. * Nina Frost, a main character in ''Perfect Match'', makes a cameo in ''Nineteen Minutes''. * Peter Houghton, a main character in ''Nineteen Minutes'', is mentioned briefly in ''

'' and ''Mad Honey''. Regarding recurring characters, Picoult once remarked, "It's always great fun to bring a character back, because you get to catch up on his/her life; and you don't have to reinvent the wheel—you already know how he speaks, acts, thinks."

Bibliography

* '' Songs of the Humpback Whale'' (1992) * '' Harvesting the Heart'' (1993) * '' Picture Perfect'' (1995) * ''

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French , from Medieval Latin , "price paid, wages", from Latin , "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts. In the social and le ...

'' (1996) * '' The Pact'' (1998) * '' Keeping Faith'' (1999) * '' Plain Truth'' (2001) * '' Salem Falls'' (2001) * '' Perfect Match'' (2002) * ''

'' (2003) * '' My Sister's Keeper'' (2004) * '' Vanishing Acts'' (2005) * ''

The Tenth Circle ''The Tenth Circle'' (2006) is the thirteenth novel by the American author Jodi Picoult. The novel deals with date rape, and father/daughter relationships. The novel heavily references Dante Alighieri, Dante Alighieri's ''Inferno (Dante), Infern ...

'' (2006) * '' Nineteen Minutes'' (2007) * ''

'' (vol. 3) #6–10 (

cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...

: late May 2007 – August 2007) * '' Wonder Woman: Love and Murder'' (2007) (hardcover and softcover volume collecting ''Wonder Woman'' #6–10) * '' Change of Heart'' (2008) * '' Handle with Care'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * '' Leaving Home: Short Pieces'' (2011) * '' Sing You Home'' (2011) * ''Between the Lines'', co-written with Samantha van Leer (2012) * '' Lone Wolf'' (2012) * '' The Storyteller'' (2013) * '' Leaving Time'' (2014) * ''Off the Page'', co-written with Samantha van Leer (2015) * '' Small Great Things'' (2016) * ''

A Spark of Light ''A Spark of Light'' is a 2018 Contemporary literature, contemporary novel by Americans, American writer Jodi Picoult. The plot of the book surrounds a Anti-abortion violence, shooting in a women's health clinic in Mississippi. A police negotiat ...

'' (2018) * '' The Book of Two Ways'' (2020) * ''

Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...

'' (2021) * ''Mad Honey'', co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan (2022) * ''By Any Other Name'' (2024)

Film and television adaptations

*'' The Pact'' (2002) (Lifetime Original Movie) *'' Plain Truth'' (2004) (Lifetime Original Movie) *''

'' (2008) (Lifetime Original Movie) *'' My Sister's Keeper'' (2009) (feature film) *'' Salem Falls'' (2011) (Lifetime Original Movie)

References

Sources

* ''

Jewish Chronicle ''The Jewish Chronicle'' (''The JC'') is a London-based Jewish weekly newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world. Its editor () is Daniel Schwammenthal. The newspaper is published every Fri ...

'', April 27, 2007 p. 50: "The Jodi Picoult mystery"

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Picoult, Jodi 1966 births Living people 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American women writers American chick lit writers American comics writers American female comics writers American women novelists American women short story writers Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni Jewish American novelists Jewish American short story writers Jewish women writers Novelists from New Hampshire People from Nesconset, New York Princeton University alumni Shakespeare authorship theorists Writers from Hanover, New Hampshire