Louise Erdrich Biography
Louise Erdrich (b. Karen Louise Erdrich June 7, 1954) is an American author of novels, poetry, and children’s books who was born in Little Falls, MN.
She is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and is famous for being a key writer in the second wave of the Native American Renaissance. Additionally, she is acclaimed for writing the novel The Plague of Doves.
10 Quick Facts About Louise Erdrich
- Name: Louise Erdrich
- Age: 66 years of age as of 2020
- Birthday: 7 June
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Height: 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 m)
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Author
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Salary: $ 4,00,000
- Net worth: $1 million – $5 Million
Louise Erdrich Age
Louise is 68 years of age as of 2022, she was born on June 7, 1954, in Little Falls, MN, United States. Erdrich celebrates her birthday on June 7 yearly and his birth sign is Gemini.
Louise Erdrich Height
Erdrich stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 m) tall. She is a woman of above-average stature, she also appears to be quite tall in stature in her photos. Details regarding Erdrich’s actual weight and other body measurements are currently not publicly available. We are keeping tabs and will update this information once it is out.
Louise Erdrich Education
Details about Louise’s early educational background are not available, however, she attended Dartmouth College where she studied and graduated in 1976. Erdrich was a part of the first class of women admitted to the college and earned an A.B. in English. Additionally, Erdrich attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD where she studied and graduated with a Master of Arts in the Writing Seminars in 1979. She earned the Master of Arts in the Writing Seminars in 1979. Erdrich later published some of the poems and stories she wrote while in the M.A. program.
Louise Erdrich Family and Parents
Louise was born to both parents in a large-sized family in Little Falls, MN. Both her father Ralph Erdrich and mother Rita (née Gourneau) were teachers at a boarding school in Wahpeton, ND, set up by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Additionally, Erdrich’s mother is of Chippewa descent (half Ojibwe and half French) while her father holds German-American ethnicity.
She was raised alongside six siblings and is the eldest. However, details about her numerous siblings are not available. Nevertheless, Erdrich has a sister called Held E. Erdrich who is also a poet and resides in Minnesota. Moreover, her sister Lise Erdrich is an author and has written children’s books and collections of fiction and essays.
Louise revealed that her father used to pay her a nickel for every story she wrote while growing up. Still on her family, Louise’s grandfather, Patrick Gourneau served as tribal chairman for the federally recognized Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.
Furthermore, as soon as we have additional information about Louise’s siblings we shall update all her family members immediately.
Louise Erdrich Husband and Married, is Louise Erdrich married?
Louise’s ex-husband Michael Dorris was an anthropologist, writer, and director. Michael Dorris married Erdrich in 1981 in a private wedding ceremony attended by close friends and family. The couple has six children together, Persia, Pallas, Madeline, Reynold Abel, Sava, and Aza Marion. However, the couple got divorced in 1995. Erdrich’s ex-husband committed suicide in 1997.
Erdrich met her future husband Michael Dorris while studying at Dartmouth College in 1972. Additionally, Michael’s work encouraged Louise to trace her ancestry. The two maintained contact and with time started working together before they entered a romantic relationship. The former couple worked together often while married.
Louise Erdrich Children and Daughter
Louise and her late ex-husband Michael Dorris have three biological children together named Reynold Abel, Sava, and Aza Marion. However, prior to their private marriage, Michael Dorris had adopted three children by himself, Persia, Pallas, and Madeline. Additionally, Michael Dorris had different controversies with his children before his death, Jeffrey Sava accused him of child abuse while his daughter Madeline accused him of sexual abuse in 1997.
Louise Erdrich Net Worth
Louise Erdrich has an estimated Net Worth of between $1 million and $5 Million as of 2020. This includes her Assets, Money, and Income. Her primary source of income is her career as an author and poet. Through her various sources of income, Erdrich has been able to accumulate good wealth but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Louise Erdrich Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Louise.
Louise Erdrich Wiki
- Full Names: Karen Louise Erdrich
- Popular As: Louise Erdrich
- Gender: Female
- Occupation / Profession: Author and poet
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Christian (Catholic)
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Louise Erdrich Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 66 years (2020)
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Date of Birth: June 7, 1954
- Place of Birth: Little Falls, MN
- Birthday: June 7
Louise Erdrich Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: 34-27-36
- Height / How Tall?: 5’7″ (1.7 m)
- Weight: Not Known
- Eye Color: Hazel
- Hair Color: Blonde
- Shoe Size: 8 US
- Dress Size: 6 US
- Breast Size: 32C
- Waist Size: 27″
- Hip Size: 36″
Louise Erdrich Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Ralph Erdrich
- Mother: Rita (née Gourneau)
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Lise Erdrich, Held Erdrich, and four other siblings
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Husband/Spouse: Was married to Michael Dorris
- Dating / Boyfriend: Not Applicable
- Children: Sons (Reynold Abel, Sava, and Aza Marion) Daughter(s) (Persia, Pallas, Madeline)
Louise Erdrich Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $1 Million – $5 Million
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Author
Louise Erdrich House and Cars
- Place of living: Minneapolis
- Cars: Car Brand to be Updated
Louise Erdrich Writer
In 1979 she wrote “The World’s Greatest Fisherman”, a short story about June Kashpaw, a divorced Ojibwe woman whose death by hypothermia brought her relatives home to a fictional North Dakota reservation for her funeral. It won the Nelson Algren Short Fiction prize and eventually became the first chapter of her debut novel, Love Medicine, published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston in 1984.
Love Medicine won the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award. It has also been featured on the National Advanced Placement Test for Literature. During the publication of Love Medicine, Erdrich produced her first collection of poems, Jacklight (1984), which highlights the struggles between Native and non-Native cultures, as well as celebrating family, ties of kinship, autobiographical meditations, monologues, and love poetry.
She incorporates elements of Ojibwe myths and legends. Erdrich continued to write poems, which have been included in her collections. She is best known as a novelist, and has published a dozen award-winning and best-selling novels. Erdrich followed Love Medicine with The Beet Queen (1986), which continued her technique of using multiple narrators and expanded the fictional reservation universe of Love Medicine to include the nearby town of Argus, North Dakota.
The action of the novel takes place mostly before World War II. Leslie Marmon Silko accused Erdrich’s The Beet Queen of being more concerned with postmodern technique than with the political struggles of Native peoples. Tracks (1988) goes back to the early 20th century at the formation of the reservation. It introduces the trickster figure of Nanapush, who owes a clear debt to the Ojibwe figure Nanabozho.
Tracks show early clashes between traditional ways and the Roman Catholic Church.
The Bingo Palace (1994), set in the 1980s, describes the effects of a casino and a factory on the reservation community. Tales of Burning Love (1997) finishes the story of Sister Leopolda, a recurring character from all the previous books, and introduces a new set of European-American people into the reservation universe.
The Antelope Wife (1998), Erdrich’s first novel after her divorce from Dorris, was the first of her novels to be set outside the continuity of the previous books. She subsequently returned to the reservation and nearby towns. She has published five novels since 1998 dealing with events in that fictional area. Among these are The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse (2001) and The Master Butchers Singing Club (2003).
Both novels have geographic and character connections with The Beet Queen. In 2009, Erdrich’s novel The Plague of Doves was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. The narrative focuses on the historical lynching of four Native people wrongly accused of murdering a Caucasian family, and the effect of this injustice on the current generations.
Louise Erdrich Non-fiction and teaching
In addition to fiction and poetry, She has published non-fiction. The Blue Jay’s Dance (1995) is about her pregnancy and the birth of her first child. Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country trace her travels in northern Minnesota and Ontario’s lakes following the birth of her last daughter. Erdrich and her two sisters have hosted writers’ workshops on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota
Louise Erdrich Influence and style
Her heritage from both parents is influential in her life and prominent in her work. Although many of Erdrich’s works explore her Native American heritage, her novel The Master Butchers Singing Club (2003) featured the European, specifically German, side of her ancestry. The novel includes stories of a World War I veteran and is set in a small North Dakota town. The novel was a finalist for the National Book Award.
She’s a complexly interwoven series of novels that have drawn comparisons with William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha novels. Like Faulkner’s, Erdrich’s successive novels created multiple narratives in the same fictional area and combined the tapestry of local history with current themes and modern consciousness.
Louise Erdrich Writer Awards
- 1983 Pushcart Prize in Poetry
- 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, for Love Medicine
- 1985 Guggenheim Fellowship in Creative Arts
- 1987 O. Henry Award, for the short story “Fleur” (published in Esquire, August 1986)
- 1999 World Fantasy Award, for The Antelope Wife
- 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas
- 2005 Associate Poet Laureate of North Dakota
- 2006 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, for the children’s book “The Game of Silence”
- 2007 Honorary Doctorate from the University of North Dakota; refused by Erdrich because of her -opposition to the university’s North Dakota Fighting Sioux mascot
- 2009 Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters) from Dartmouth College
- 2009 Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement
- 2009 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, for Plague of Doves
- 2012 National Book Award for Fiction for The Round House
- 2013 Rough Rider Award
- 2014 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award
- 2014 PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction
- 2015 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction
- 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, for LaRose
Louise Erdrich Writer Reflections
When asked in an interview if writing is a lonely life for her, Erdrich replied, “Strangely, I think it is. I am surrounded by an abundance of family and friends and yet I am alone with the writing. And that is perfect.” Erdrich lives in Minneapolis.
Louise Erdrich Birchbark Books
Her bookstore hosts literary readings and other events. Erdrich’s new works are read here, and events celebrate the works and careers of other writers as well, particularly local Native writers. Erdrich and her staff consider Birchbark Books to be a “teaching bookstore”.
In addition to books, the store sells Native art and traditional medicines, and Native American jewelry. Wiigwaas Press, a small nonprofit publisher founded by Erdrich and her sister, is affiliated with the store.
Louise Erdrich Short Stories
She has also authored short stories such as:
- Sister Godzilla
- Matchimanito
- Destiny
- Baz Ratner / Reuters. Saint Marie
Louise Erdrich Books
Louise has authored numerous books and poems since she was young. Erdrich has authored the following books:
- Love Medicine (1984)
- The Round House (2012)
- The Night Watchman (2020)
- The Plague of Doves (2008)
- Tracks (1988)
- LaRose (2016)
- The Birchbark House (1999)
- Beet Queen (1986)
- The Master Butchers Singing Club (2003)
- The Last Report on the Miracle at Little No Horse (2001)
- The Red Convertible (1984)
- Future Home of the Living God: A Novel (2017)
- The Bingo Palace (2014)
- The Painted Drum (2005)
- The Antelope Wife (1998)
- Shadow Tag (2010)
- The Game of Silence (2005)
- Four Souls (2001)
- Geschichten von brennender Liebe (1996)
- The Crown of Columbus (1991)
- Jacklight (1984)
- Chickadee (2012)
- The porcupine year (2008)
- Baptism of desire (1989)
- The Blue Jay’s Dance: A Memoir of Early Motherhood (1995)
- The blue jay’s dance (1995)
- Original Fire: Selected and New Poems (2003)
- Makoons (2016)
- Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country (2003)
- Grandmother’s Pigeon (1996)
- The Range Eternal (2002)
- Conversations with Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris (1994)
- The Best American Short Stories 1993 (1993)
- Fight of the Century: Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases (2020)
- TRACKS CAS AU: TRACKS CAS AU (1989)
- Master Butchers Singing Club 20pk RGG (2004)
- Imagination (1982)
- Winter Reader, 2003-2004 (2003)
- 4 Souls (2001)
- Spuren. Roman (1990)
- Crown of Columbus Preprint (1991)
- Omakayas (2002)
Frequently Asked Questions About Louise Erdrich Writer
Who is Louise Erdrich?
Louise is a famous author and poet who has extensive recognition for writing children’s books and novels.
Why is Louise Erdrich important?
She is widely praised as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native American Renaissance. In 2009, The Plague of Doves, her novel, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and received an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.
How old is Louise Erdrich?
Erdrich is 66 years of age as of 2020, she is an American national born on June 7, 1954, in Little Falls, MN.
How tall is Louise Erdrich?
Louise stands at a height of 1.7 m.
Is Louise Erdrich married?
Louise is single currently, however, she was previously married to an American anthropologist, writer, and director of Michael Dorris. The couple tied the knot in 1981 and have three children together, Reynold Abel, Sava, and Aza Marion. The couple separated in 1995 before Erdrich’s husband committed suicide in 1997.
Erdrich met her future husband Michael Dorris while studying at Dartmouth College in 1972. Additionally, Michael’s work encouraged Louise to trace her ancestry. The two maintained contact and with time started working together before they entered a romantic relationship. The former couple worked together often while married.
How much is Louise Erdrich worth?
Erdrich has an approximate Net Worth of between $1 Million and $5 Million from her successful career as an author and poet.
Where does L Erdrich live?
Erdrich is a resident of Minneapolis, MN, USA. Furthermore, as soon as we have her exact location of residence, we shall upload pictures of her house immediately.
Is L Erdrich dead or alive?
Erdrich is alive and in good health.
Where is L Erdrich Now?
Louise is pursuing a career as an author and poet.
Louise Erdrich Writer Contacts
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