Louisa Hall

Louisa Warren Hall (born June 24, 1982 in Philadelphia) is an American novelist and poet. She has a Ph.D in literature from University of Texas at Austin, where she has taught literature and creative writing.

Louisa Hall
Hall at the 2015 Texas Book Festival.
BornLouisa Warren Hall
(1982-06-24) June 24, 1982
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
Alma materHarvard University
GenreNovel
Poetry
Medal record
Women's squash
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
2003 Santo Domingo Team

Education and early life

Hall grew up outside Philadelphia in the suburb of Haverford. She attended Episcopal Academy, where she played squash. She was also involved in the community service program, the choir, and played the violin.[1] Hall attended Harvard College, and graduated in 2004, earning a BA in English.[2] Her master's thesis concerned the poetry of Thomas Hardy. Hall is one of several members of the Harvard women's squash team to have later gone on to write professionally. Others include Galt Niederhoffer and Ivy Pochoda.[3]

She completed her PhD in English in 2013, at the University of Texas, where she subsequently taught.

Career

Writing

Hall's first novel, The Carriage House, was published in 2013 by Scribner in the United States and by Viking in the UK. It garnered comparisons to John Cheever and Richard Yates. The novel is an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1818 novel Persuasion. However, the novel does not borrow its entire structure from Austen, and it is set outside Philadelphia.[3]

Her second novel, Speak, was published in 2015 and addresses the complex relationship between humans and machines.[4] The novel was well received. NPR said of Speak that "it almost seems like an understatement to call it a masterpiece."[5] Speak garnered comparisons to Margaret Atwood and David Mitchell.[6]

Hall is also a poet. Her poems have appeared in journals such as The New Republic and the Southwest Review.[7]

Hall's third novel, Trinity, has been shortlisted for the 2019 Dylan Thomas Prize.[8]

Squash

Between 2004 and 2007 Hall played squash professionally. During her collegiate career, Louisa was Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Ivy League Player of the Year, four year First Team All American and Four year All Ivy. She also won a Pan American Games gold medal.[9]

Bibliography
  • The Carriage House (2013)
  • Speak (2015)
  • Trinity (2018)

References
  1. Beideman, Don (May 14, 1997). "It's A Summer Of Squash Episcopal Academy Freshman Louisa Hall Is Going Abroad To Find Competition". Philly.com. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  2. "Renaissance Graduate Students". UTexas. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  3. Zug, James (March 9, 2013). "'The Carriage House' by Louisa Hall". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  4. Waldman, Katy (2015-08-24). "'Speak,' by Louisa Hall". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  5. Schaub, Michael (July 8, 2015). "'Speak' Asks Hard Questions About Communication And Technology". NPR. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  6. Dean, Michelle (July 21, 2015). "Speak by Louisa Hall review – machines fulfill yearning for human connection". The Guardian. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  7. Hall, Louisa (2011). "After "This Room"". The New Republic. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  8. "2019 Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  9. Squash. "Louisa Hall (USA)". Squash Info. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
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