Richter, Conrad, 1890-1968

Richter, a noted writer of mainly novels of pioneer life in America, was born in Pennsylvania and lived part of his life in New Mexico. He won a Pulitzer Prize for "The Town," the third part of his 1966 trilogy "The Awakening Land." His 1936 novel "Sea of Grass" was made into a motion picture in 1947.

American author (chiefly fiction); b. Conrad Michael Richter.

Conrad Michael Richter, novelist and essayist began his writing career in 1910. From 1915-1928, Richter engaged in magazine editing and publishing, as well as in continued creative writing. In 1928 he moved with his family to Albuquerque, N.M. The move forced Richter to adjust his writings to a new cultural orientation, the American Southwest. In 1937, Richter wrote his first novel, which like his later novels, including The Lady, are set in the West and concern the conflicts and other hardships of pioneering.

Conrad Richter was an American novelist from Pennsylvania known for his nostalgic portrayal of American frontier life and character. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1951 and the National Book Award in 1960.

American newspaperman, editor, short-story writer, and novelist.

Conrad Michael Richter, novelist and essayist, was born in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania. His writing career began in 1910 as a journalist for the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Journal which led to other newspaper work. Richter's first published story "How Tuck Went Home," appeared in Cavalier (6 Sept. 1913). In 1915, Richter married Harvena Achenbach. They had one daughter, Harvena. From 1915-1928, Richter engaged in magazine editing and publishing, as well as in continued creative writing. Simultaneously, Richter was involved in a process of reading and reflection about the meaning of life, an investigation resulting in two book length essays, "Human Vibration" (1925) and "Principles in Bio-Physics" (1927). In 1928, because of his wife's poor health, the Richters moved from Pennsylvania to the warmer, dryer climate of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The move forced Richter to adjust his writings to a new cultural orientation, the American Southwest. In 1937, Richter wrote his first novel, The Sea of Grass, which like his later novels set in the West concern the conflicts and other hardships of pioneering. These novels include: Early Americana (1936); The Rawhide Knot and Other Stories (collected posthumously 1978); Tacey Cromwell (1942); The Lady (1957) and The Mountain on the Desert (1955).

During his Southwestern residence, Richter continued to write about subjects concerning his native Eastern America. The Trees (1940) became the first volume of a trilogy including The Fields (1946) and the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Town (1950). These three novels were collected on one volume as The Awakening Land (1966). While working on the trilogy, Richter wrote other novels and received many awards for his writing. In 1950, the Richters returned to Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, where they again took up residence. Working steadily, Richter produced eight novels, a novelette, several short stories, and some magazine articles in the final eighteen years of his life. His The Light in the Forest (1953), was filmed by Walt Disney Studios. Its sequel, A Country of Strangers, was published in 1966. The major achievement of Richter's later years was the first two volumes of an unfinished trilogy of novels, the winner of the 1960 National Book Award for fiction, The Water of Kronos and A Simple Honorable Man (1962). Conrad Richter died October 30, 1968. Six book length studies and numerous articles have been devoted to Conrad Richter's life and work.