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Kathryn Stockett is an American novelist. She is known for her 2009 debut novel, The Help, which is about African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s.

Career

Stockett worked in magazine publishing while living in New York City before publishing her first novel,[1] which she began writing after the September 11 attacks.[2] The Help took her five years to complete, and the book was rejected by 60 literary agents before agent Susan Ramer agreed to represent Stockett.[1][3] The Help has since been published in 42 languages.[4] As of August 2012, it has sold ten million copies and spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.[5][6] The Help climbed best seller charts a few months after it was released.[7][8]

Personal life

Stockett grew up in Jackson, Mississippi.[9] After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she moved to New York City. She lived there for 16 years and worked in magazine publishing and marketing. She is divorced and has a daughter.[8][10]

Reflective of her first novel, Stockett was very close to an African American domestic worker.[11]

A lawsuit was filed in a Mississippi court by Ablene Cooper, a housekeeper who used to work for Stockett's brother. It claimed that Stockett used her likeness in the book.[12] A Hinds County, Mississippi judge threw the case out of court, citing the statute of limitations.[13] Stockett denies her claim of stealing her likeness and says she only met her briefly.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Calkin, Jessamy (July 16, 2009). "The maid's tale: Kathryn Stockett examines slavery and racism in America's Deep South". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  2. ^ Suddath, Claire (11 November 2009). "Kathryn Stockett, Author of The Help". Time. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' Turned Down 60 Times Before Becoming a Best Seller". More Magazine.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Kehe, Marjorie (May 14, 2010). "With book sales still strong, 'The Help' began filming in 2010". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  5. ^ Williams, Wyatt. "Kathryn Stockett: Life in the belle jar". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  6. ^ D'Souza, Karen (2 August 2011). "'The Help' is poised to become chick flick of the summer". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  7. ^ Memmott, Carol (July 31, 2009). "Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' is the hot book this summer". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  8. ^ a b Williams, Wyatt (4 August 2011). "Kathryn Stockett: Life in the belle jar". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  9. ^ "Kathyrn Stockett from Jackson, Mississippi, Author of the Help". www.mswritersandmusicians.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  10. ^ Calkin, Jessamy (July 16, 2009). "The maid's tale: Kathryn Stockett examines slavery and racism in America's Deep South". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  11. ^ Maslin, Janet (February 18, 2009). "Racial Insults and Quiet Bravery in 1960s Mississippi". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  12. ^ James, Susan (February 22, 2011), Black Maid Sues, Says 'The Help' Is Humiliating, ABC News, retrieved July 26, 2015
  13. ^ a b Mitchell, Jerry. "'The Help' lawsuit tossed out". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Stockett