FRANK MCCOURT
Name:Author Frank McCourt
Born: August 19, 1930
Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn. However, his family returned to their native
Ireland in 1934. At age 11, McCourt's father abandoned the family leaving Frank's
mother to raise four children. After quitting school at age 13, Frank alternated
between odd jobs and petty crime in an effort to feed himself, his mother, and
three surviving brothers, Malachy, Michael, and Alphonsus (Alphie). At the age
of 19, he returned to the United States and earned a degree from New York
University. After receiving a Masters degree from Brooklyn College in 1958, he
taught English at McKee High School and Stuyvesant High School in New York City
(where he joined the American Federation of Teachers). At first he had trouble
teaching, because his students were unruly and disobedient. But eventually Frank
McCourt became a very experienced teacher. He ended his teaching career after 30
years.
He received the Pulitzer Prize (1997) and National Book Critics Circle Award (1996)
for his memoir Angela's Ashes (1996), which details his childhood as a poor
Irish Catholic in Limerick. He is also the author of 'Tis (1999), which
continues the narrative of his life, picking up from the end of the previous
book and focusing on life as a new immigrant in America. Teacher Man (2005),
detailed the challenges of being a young, uncertain teacher who must impart
knowledge to his students. His works are often part of the syllabus in high
schools. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of
Western Ontario.
Name:Author Frank McCourt
Born: August 19, 1930
Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn. However, his family returned to their native
Ireland in 1934. At age 11, McCourt's father abandoned the family leaving Frank's
mother to raise four children. After quitting school at age 13, Frank alternated
between odd jobs and petty crime in an effort to feed himself, his mother, and
three surviving brothers, Malachy, Michael, and Alphonsus (Alphie). At the age
of 19, he returned to the United States and earned a degree from New York
University. After receiving a Masters degree from Brooklyn College in 1958, he
taught English at McKee High School and Stuyvesant High School in New York City
(where he joined the American Federation of Teachers). At first he had trouble
teaching, because his students were unruly and disobedient. But eventually Frank
McCourt became a very experienced teacher. He ended his teaching career after 30
years.
He received the Pulitzer Prize (1997) and National Book Critics Circle Award (1996)
for his memoir Angela's Ashes (1996), which details his childhood as a poor
Irish Catholic in Limerick. He is also the author of 'Tis (1999), which
continues the narrative of his life, picking up from the end of the previous
book and focusing on life as a new immigrant in America. Teacher Man (2005),
detailed the challenges of being a young, uncertain teacher who must impart
knowledge to his students. His works are often part of the syllabus in high
schools. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of
Western Ontario.