Richard Powers (born June 18, 1957) 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 ...

whose works explore the effects of modern science and technology. His novel '' The Echo Maker'' won the 2006

National Book Award for Fiction The National Book Award for Fiction is one of five annual National Book Awards, which recognize outstanding literary work by United States citizens. Since 1987, the awards have been administered and presented by the National Book Foundation, bu ...

."National Book Awards – 2006"

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established with the goal "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America." Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: ...

. Retrieved March 27, 2012. (With linked information including essay by

Harold Augenbraum Harold Augenbraum (born March 31, 1953) is an American writer, editor, and translator. He is the former Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, and former member of the Board of Trustees of the Asian American Writers Workshop, and f ...

from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog.) He has also won many other awards over the course of his career, including a

MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and colloquially called the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the MacArthur Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to typically between 20 and ...

. As of 2024, Powers has published fourteen novels and has taught at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

and

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

. He won the 2019

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during ...

for ''

The Overstory ''The Overstory'' is a novel by American author Richard Powers, published in 2018 by W. W. Norton & Company. The book follows nine Americans whose unique life experiences with trees bring them together to address the destruction of forests. Thr ...

''.

Life and work

Early life

One of five children, Powers was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Richard Franklin Powers and his wife Donna Powers (née Belik). His family later moved a few miles west to Lincolnwood, where his father was a local school principal. When Powers was 11, they moved to

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, where his father had accepted a position at International School Bangkok, which Powers attended through his freshman year, ending in 1972. During that time outside the U.S., he developed skills in vocal music and proficiency in cello, guitar, saxophone, and clarinet. He also became an avid reader, enjoying nonfiction primarily and classics such as the ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

'' and the ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

''. The family returned to the U.S. when Powers was 16. Following graduation in 1975 from DeKalb High School in DeKalb, Illinois, he enrolled at the

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

(UIUC) with a

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

, which he switched to

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

during his first semester. He earned a BA in 1978 and an MA in Literature in 1980. He decided not to pursue a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

partly because of his aversion to strict specialization, which had been one reason for his early transfer from physics to English, and partly because he had observed in graduate students and their professors a lack of pleasure in reading and writing (as portrayed in ''Galatea 2.2'').

Professorships and awards

In 2010 and 2013, Powers was a Stein Visiting Writer at Stanford University, during which time he partly assisted in the lab of biochemist Aaron Straight. Powers was named a

MacArthur Fellow The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and colloquially called the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to typically between 20 and 30 individuals workin ...

in 1989. He received a Lannan Literary Award in 1999. Powers was appointed the Swanlund Professor of English at

UIUC The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

in 1996, where he is currently an emeritus professor. On August 22, 2013, Stanford University announced that Powers had been named the Phil and Penny Knight Professor of Creative Writing in the Department of English.

Novels

Powers learned

computer programming Computer programming or coding is the composition of sequences of instructions, called computer program, programs, that computers can follow to perform tasks. It involves designing and implementing algorithms, step-by-step specifications of proc ...

at Illinois as a user of

PLATO Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

and moved to Boston to work as a programmer. One Saturday in 1980, Powers saw the 1914 photograph " Young Farmers" by

August Sander August Sander (17 November 1876 – 20 April 1964) was a German portrait photography, portrait and Documentary photography, documentary photographer. His first book ''Face of our Time'' (German: ''Antlitz der Zeit'') was published in 1929. Sande ...

at the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

, and was so inspired that he quit his job two days later to write a novel about the people in the photograph. Powers spent the next two years writing the book, '' Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance'', which was published by William Morrow in 1985. It comprises three alternating threads: a novella featuring the three young men in the photo during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, a technology magazine editor who is obsessed with the photo, and the author's critical and historical musings about the mechanics of photography and the life of

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialist and business magnate. As the founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automob ...

. It was a

National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqua ...

. It also received a Special Citation from the PEN/Hemingway Awards. Powers moved to the Netherlands, where he wrote ''

Prisoner's Dilemma The prisoner's dilemma is a game theory thought experiment involving two rational agents, each of whom can either cooperate for mutual benefit or betray their partner ("defect") for individual gain. The dilemma arises from the fact that while def ...

'' about

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

and nuclear warfare. He followed with '' The Gold Bug Variations'' about genetics, music, and computer science. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. In 1993, Powers wrote '' Operation Wandering Soul'' about, among other things, a genetic condition that causes accelerated aging, and an agonized young surgical trainee. It was a finalist for the

National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...

."National Book Awards – 1993"
National Book Foundation. Retrieved March 27, 2012. In 1995, Powers published the Pygmalion story '' Galatea 2.2'' about an

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

experiment gone awry. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. In 1998, Powers wrote '' Gain'' about a 150-year-old chemical company and a woman who lives near one of its plants and succumbs to

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...

. It won the

James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction The Society of American Historians Prize for Historical Fiction, formerly known as the James Fenimore Cooper Prize, is a biennial award given for the best historical fiction, Historical American fiction by the Society of American Historians. It is ...

in 1999. 2000's '' Plowing the Dark'' tells of a

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 ...

research team building a groundbreaking

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...

while an American teacher is held hostage in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

. It received Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Powers wrote '' The Time of Our Singing'' in 2003. It is about the musician children of an interracial couple who met at

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United S ...

's famed 1939 concert on the

Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a List of national memorials of the United States, U.S. national memorial honoring Abraham Lincoln, the List of presidents of the United States, 16th president of the United States, located on the western end of the Nati ...

steps. Powers's ninth novel, 2006's '' The Echo Maker'', is about a Nebraska man who suffers head trauma in a truck accident and believes his caregiver sister is an impostor. It won a National Book Award and was a

finalist."Fiction"
''Past winners & finalists by category''. The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved March 27, 2012. Powers's tenth novel, 2009's '' Generosity: An Enhancement'', has writing professor Russell Stone encountering his former student, Thassa, an Algerian woman whose constant happiness is exploited by journalists and scientists. In 2014, Powers wrote '' Orfeo'' about Peter Els, a retired music composition instructor and avant-garde composer who is mistaken for a bio-terrorist after being discovered with a makeshift genetics lab in his house. ''

'', published in April 2018, is about nine Americans whose unique life experiences with trees bring them together to address the destruction of forests. It won the 2019

, was shortlisted for the

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

and the $75,000 2019 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, and was runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. '' Bewilderment'', published in September 2021, was shortlisted for the 2021

and longlisted for the National Book Award and

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction __NOTOC__ The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the previous year. They are named in honor of ni ...

. It is described as "an astrobiologist thinks of a creative way to help his rare and troubled son in Richard Powers’ deeply moving and brilliantly original novel." ''

Playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people wi ...

'' (2024), the 14th novel by Powers, was longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Awards and recognition

* 1985 Rosenthal Award of the

American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqua ...

* 1985

PEN/Hemingway Award The PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction is awarded annually to a full-length novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a full-length book of fiction. The award is named after Ernest Hemingway and fu ...

Special Citation * 1989

* 1991 ''Time'' Book of the Year * 1993 Finalist,

* 1996 Swanlund Professorship,

* 1998 ''

Business Week ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...

'' Best Business Books of 1998 * 1998 Elected Fellow,

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

* 1999 James Fenimore Cooper Prize,

Society of American Historians The Society of American Historians, founded in 1939, encourages and honors literary distinction in the writing of history and biography about American topics. The approximately 300 members include professional historians, independent scholars, jou ...

* 1999 Lannan Literary Award * 2000 Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award, American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters * 2000 Elected Fellow, Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois * 2001 Corrington Award for Literary Excellence, Centenary College * 2001 Author of the Year, Illinois Association of Teachers of English * 2003

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...

* 2003 Dos Passos Prize for Literature, Longwood University * 2003 W. H. Smith Literary Award (Great Britain) * 2004 Ambassador Book Award * 2006 National Book Award for Fiction * ''New York Times'' Notable Book, 2003, 2000, 1998, 1995, 1991 * Best Books of 2003: ''Chicago Tribune'', ''Christian Science Monitor'', ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', ''Newsday'', ''London Evening Standard'', ''Time Out'' (London), ''San Jose Mercury News'' * Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award, 2003, 1995, 1991, 1985 * 2006 Finalist, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction * 2010 Elected Member,

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...

* 2014

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

(longlist) * 2014 California Book Awards Silver Medal Fiction winner for ''Orfeo'' * 2018 Man Booker Prize (shortlist) * 2019

* 2019 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award for ''The Overstory'' * 2020

William Dean Howells Medal The William Dean Howells Medal is awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music ...

for ''The Overstory'' * 2021 Booker Prize (shortlist) * 2021 National Book Award (longlist) * 2024

(longlist)

References

External links

*
Richard Powers, Professor Emeritus of English
at

Archived official website with extensive bibliography
*
"Surprising Powers: Richard Powers' Scientific Humanism" by Stephen Burt
from ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

''
"The Last Generalist: An Interview with Richard Powers" by Jeffrey Williams
from '' The Minnesota Review''
Richard Powers talks with Alec Michod
in '' The Believer''
Richard Powers Course
at RIT. * * * Review of "The Overstory" in WA-Post

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powers, Richard 1957 births Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists American male novelists American postmodern writers Environmental fiction writers Granta people James Fenimore Cooper Prize winners MacArthur Fellows Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters National Book Award winners Novelists from Illinois People from Lincolnwood, Illinois Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winners University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty Writers from Evanston, Illinois