Evan S. Connell

Evan S. Connell is a distinguished author, best known for his "Bridge" series of novels. He was born in Kansas City in 1924, to a mother who was the daughter of a judge and a father who was a well-regarded doctor. Connell's writing often reflects his upbringing, with his genteel background serving as both a backdrop and, at times, a subject of satire in his works. Connell has been open about the autobiographical elements in his writing, indicating that much of it is inspired by his own experiences.

Evan Shelby Connell Jr. was not only a novelist but also a poet and short-story writer. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1924, to Evan S. Connell Sr., a physician, and Ruth Elton Connell. Connell had one sister, Barbara (Mrs. Matthew Zimmermann), to whom he dedicated his novel "Mrs. Bridge" (1959). After graduating from Southwest High School in Kansas City in 1941, Connell began undergraduate work at Dartmouth College but joined the Navy in 1943 and became a pilot. He eventually graduated from the University of Kansas in 1947 with a B.A. in English. Connell furthered his studies in creative writing at Columbia University in New York and Stanford University in California. He never married and lived and worked in Sausalito, California, for several decades.

In 2009, Connell received a nomination for the Man Booker International Prize, a recognition given for lifetime achievement. In 2010, he was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize: the Robert Kirsch Award, an honor given to a living author with a significant connection to the American West, whose contribution to American letters deserves special recognition. Connell's writing covered a range of genres, although he published most frequently in fiction. His work has left a lasting impact on American literature, earning him recognition and accolades for his contributions.