Madeleine L’Engle author page

Madeleine L’Engle Biography

Early Life

• Madeleine L’Engle: Born November 29, 1918, in New York City.
• Family Roots: Named after her great-grandmother, Madeleine Margaret L’Engle.
• Parental Dynamics: Father, Charles Wadsworth Camp, a writer and critic; mother, Madeleine Hall Barnett, a pianist.
• Challenging Childhood: Overcame academic struggles and isolation through early literary pursuits.

Education, Marriage, and Family

• Academic Journey: Enrolled at various boarding schools, faced parental disagreements, and attended Smith College from 1937 to 1941.
• Marriage: Married actor Hugh Franklin in 1946 after meeting during a play.
• Family Life: Settled in Goshen, Connecticut, raising three children: Josephine, Bion, and adopted daughter Maria.
• Writing Career: Balanced family life with writing, even purchasing a store to supplement income.

Writing Career

• Pivotal Moment: Considered giving up writing at 40 but persisted, leading to the creation of her most famous novel, A Wrinkle in Time.
• Professional Challenges: Faced numerous rejections before finding a publisher for A Wrinkle in Time in 1962.
• Teaching: Taught at St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s School in New York during the 1960s.

On Writing for Children

• Philosophy: Believed children’s literature required an intuitive understanding of one’s childhood.
• Role of Fantasy: Advocated for fantasy as a means to communicate important and difficult messages to children.

Religious Beliefs

• Christianity: A devout Christian attending Episcopal churches, promoting universal salvation.
• Controversies: Faced criticism from both fundamentalist Christian and secular circles for her religious views.
• Views on Divine Punishment: Echoed George MacDonald’s perspective, rejecting eternal punishment in favour of redemptive lessons.

Later Years, Death, and Legacy

• Adversities: Overcame an automobile accident in 1991 and suffered personal losses, including the death of her son Bion in 1999.
• Health Challenges: Faced reduced mobility and an intracerebral hemorrhage in 2002.
• Final Rest: Passed away on September 6, 2007, at Rose Haven in Litchfield, Connecticut.
• Legacy: Celebrated centenary year in 2018; posthumous works published, and adaptations of her notable novel A Wrinkle in Time continued.

Awards, Honors, and Organizations

• Recognition: Received numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal and the Margaret A. Edwards Award.
• Honorary Degrees: Awarded over a dozen honorary degrees from various colleges and universities.
• New York Writers Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2011.
• Literary Contributions: Vastly contributed to young adult literature, with enduring recognition for A Wrinkle in Time.

The Madeleine L’Engle Collection

• Archival Legacy: Wheaton College and the Sophia Smith Collection house extensive archives of L’Engle’s papers and materials.
• Research Fellowship: Smith College offers a fellowship in L’Engle’s name for scholars exploring her collections.

Bibliographic Overview

• Notable Works: Authored a wide array of novels, including the renowned A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels.
• Chronos & Kairos Series: Explored family sagas across generations with recurring characters.
• Picture Books and Stand-Alones: Diversified her literary contributions with works for different age groups.