Janet Frame
Janet Frame
Full Name and Common Aliases
Janet Claire Frame was a renowned New Zealand novelist, poet, and short story writer. She is often referred to by her full name, Janet Claire Frame.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on August 28, 1924, in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, Janet Frame passed away on January 29, 2004, at the age of 79.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Janet Frame was a New Zealand national and held the profession of novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Oamaru, Janet Frame's early life was marked by hardship and struggle. Her mother passed away when she was just six years old, leaving her father to care for four young children. This difficult period had a profound impact on Frame's writing, as it reflected her experiences with loneliness, loss, and the search for identity.
Janet Frame's love for reading and writing emerged at an early age. She began writing stories and poetry as a child and was encouraged by her teachers to pursue her passion. After completing her secondary education, she attended the University of Otago, where she developed her writing skills and began to publish her work in various literary magazines.
Major Accomplishments
Janet Frame's most notable achievement is her collection of short stories, _The Carpathians_, which earned her a prestigious award from the New Zealand Art Council. This recognition marked the beginning of her successful writing career, as she went on to publish numerous novels, collections of poetry and short stories, and essays.
Frame's work often explored themes of identity, morality, and the human condition, reflecting her own experiences with mental illness and the challenges of growing up in a small town in New Zealand. Her unique voice and perspective captivated readers worldwide, cementing her position as one of New Zealand's most celebrated writers.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Janet Frame's notable works include:
_Owls Do Cry_ (1957), a novel that explores the complexities of human relationships and the search for identity.
_The Edge of the Alphabet_ (1962), a collection of poetry that showcases Frame's mastery of language and form.
* _Living in Orange_ (1987), an autobiography that offers a candid look into her life, struggles, and creative process.
Janet Frame was also known for her activism and advocacy for writers' rights. She played a significant role in establishing the Writers' Centre in New Zealand, providing support and resources to emerging writers.
Impact and Legacy
Janet Frame's impact on literature extends far beyond New Zealand's borders. Her work has been translated into numerous languages, inspiring readers worldwide with its depth, nuance, and emotional resonance. As a pioneering figure in New Zealand literature, she paved the way for future generations of writers, demonstrating the power of storytelling to transcend cultural boundaries.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Janet Frame is widely quoted and remembered for her thought-provoking insights into the human condition, as expressed through her writing. Her work continues to resonate with readers today, offering a unique perspective on identity, morality, and the search for meaning in life.
Quotes by Janet Frame
Janet Frame's insights on:
I went towards the stairs, just as the band was playing ‘Now is the Hour’, and the music reached down like a long spoon inside me and stirred, and stirred.
I was baffled by my fuzzy hair and the attention it drew, and the urgency with which people advised that I have it ‘straightened’, as if it posed a threat.
Divisions of the kind were fashionable at that time, and it was so easy to stifle one’s need to help by deciding that help could neither be accepted nor understood.
People do not cry because it is the end. They cry because the end does not correspond with their imagination of it. Their first choice is always their own imagining; they refuse to be deterred by warnings. They say I choose this because although the price is high the thing itself is more precious, durable and beautiful. The light of imagined events is always so arranged that the customers do not see the flaws in what they have chosen to buy with their dreams.
I’m not there, she thought. I’m not there. I’m nowhere. She felt the world go dark with sudden exclusion and she was beating her wings against the door of the dark but no one opened the door; indeed, no one heard.
The fact is, very few of us are real imposters. And it’s different from play-acting. Imposterism or imposture comes from the core of your being because there’s nothing else there. Your central being never develops a self; that’s not a disadvantage, entirely, though you do have to fight for your point of view, almost as if you were dead.
So I went up north to a land of palm trees and mangroves like malignant growths in the mud-filled throats of the bays, and orange trees with their leaves accepting darkly and seriously, in their own house as it were, the unwarranted globular outbursts of winter flame; and the sky faultless and remote.