Carrie Brown (author)

A Connecticut native, Brown received her Bachelor of Arts from Brown University in 1981 and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Virginia, where she was a Henry Hoyns Fellow, in 1998. She has taught at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and currently, she is the Margaret Banister Writer-in-Residence at Sweet Briar College. She lives with her husband, the novelist John Gregory Brown, in Sweet Briar, Virginia.

Brown's first novel, Rose's Garden (Algonquin 1998), won the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award.[1] The New York Times Book Review deemed it "A magical first novel...both luminous and wise," [2]

In a starred review of her second novel, Lamb in Love (Algonquin 1999), Publishers Weekly wrote "Brown eloquently explores the terrain of human interactions, showing how genuine love can exalt ordinary individuals."[3] The New York Times Book Review called the novel "unconventional and eloquent."[4]

The Hatbox Baby (Algonquin 2000) won the 2001 Library of Virginia Literary Award,[5] the 2001 Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association Award,[6] and the 2000 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize.[7]

Brown's story collection The House on Belle Isle (Algonquin) appeared in 2002. It was a finalist for the 2003 Library of Virginia Literary Award,[5] and the Chicago Tribune called it "rich in image and insight, gracefully written and peopled with characters who quietly demand our loving attention."[8]

Confinement (Algonquin 2004) won the 2005 Library of Virginia Literary Award [9] In its review of the book, People Magazine wrote: "This beautiful novel maps the emotional life of a World War II refugee who becomes trapped in his new existence in America" and called it "part Sophie's Choice, part Anne Tyler."[10]

Brown's novel The Rope Walk (Pantheon 2007) was a finalist for the 2008 Library of Virginia Literary Award [9] and the 2008 Library of Virginia People's Choice Award.[11] In addition, it was named the 2009 All Iowa Reads Book by the Iowa Public Library.[12] The Washington Post Book World called the novel "gentle, lyrical" and the New Orleans Times Picayune said: "reading this novel is a serious pleasure."[13]

• The Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers Award – 1998
• The Library of Virginia Literary Award – Winner 2001, 2005; Finalist 2003, 2007
• Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize – 2000
• Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association Award – 2001
• Library of Virginia People's Choice Award – Finalist 2008
• National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship