Reading with Style discussion

20.9 - Respect Elders - Kate S's Task:
Read a book by an author who lived at least 80 years. For example, Graham Greene, Doris Lessing, Alison Lurie, and Herman Wouk.

Umberto Eco was born January 5, 1932, making him 82 in 2014. I plan to read The Name of the Rose for this task.

Some authors I have pencilled in. As usual, my eyes are bigger than my stomach (or something like that).

Marguerite Yourcenar, 1902-1987
Anya Seton, 1904-1990
Eric Ambler, 1909-1998
E.L. Doctorow, 1931-
Alice Munro, 1931-
Marcel Allain, 1885-1970
Anthony Powell, 1905-2000

I also saw, as I was nosing around:

Wallace Stegner, 1909-1993
William Styron, 1925-2006

Chinua Achebe 1930 - 2013
Brian W. Aldiss 1925 - still alive
Ben Bova 1932 - still alive
Ray Bradbury 1920 - 2012
Antonia Fraser 1932 - still alive
Nadine Gordimer 1923 - 2014
Harry Harrison 1925 - 2012
Ursula K. Le Guin 1929 - still alive
Penelope Lively 1933 - still alive
Anne McCaffrey 1926 - 2011
David McCullough 1933 - still alive
Frederik Pohl 1919-2013
Jerry Pournelle 1933 - still alive
José Saramago 1922 - 2010
Mary Stewart 1916 - 2014
Kurt Vonnegut 1922 - 2007
Gene Wolfe 1931 - still alive

I'll add:

Barry Unsworth 1930-2012

And Cormac McCarthy (b. 1933 - still alive)
Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels/Barbara Mertz (1927-2013) [and on the 20.5 list]

Also Horace Walpole 1717-1797

And Günter Grass 1927-still alive
Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez 1927-2014

Liz got after me to figure out how to pull these authors from our database. I've had an interesting and happy morning.

Author at least 80 years old.

If you see any data that you believe is incorrect, please let us know.

As noted above, Elizabeth Peters and pseudonyms passed away in 2013.

Joanna wrote: "As noted above, Elizabeth Peters and pseudonyms passed away in 2013."

Thanks, Joanna, will make corrections.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Liz got after me to figure out how to pull these authors from our database. I've had an interesting and happy morning.

Author at least 80 years old.

If you see any data that you believe is incorr..."

Thanks for making the list, it is helpful.

Yeah! H.G. Wells! Does he still count even though:

born: September 21, 1866
died: August 13, 1946

I am going to accept H.G. Wells. We use birth years and death years in the database.

I just realized I can add Robert K. Massie who was born January 1, 1929. He'll be 86 on New Year's Day.

Oops! Just realized that Elizabeth posted a link to a list, and he's on it. I'll just add that I love his work.

Bryce Courtenay died in 2012.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Liz got after me to figure out how to pull these authors from our database. I've had an interesting and happy morning.

Author at least 80 years old.

If you see any data that you believe is incorr..."

Wow! What a great list of authors. Thanks for sharing this!

Coralie wrote: "Bryce Courtenay died in 2012."

Thanks, Coralie. I've corrected the spreadsheet and made a note to correct the database.

Erskine Caldwell wrote Tobacco Road. He lived from 1903 to 1987, 84 years.

Stefan Zweig is on the spreadsheet without a death date, but doesn't qualify - 1881-1942

Rosemary wrote: "Stefan Zweig is on the spreadsheet without a death date, but doesn't qualify - 1881-1942"

Thank you. I *thought* I went in and fixed that, but apparently not. (There were a few others who had no death dates and couldn't still be alive - always backtracking!)

Because Deedee posted an author born in 1935, I rechecked the calculations the program was making. Here are the authors born 1935 and still living who aren't on a previously posted list. If you have claimed a book this season by any these authors, Kate will be updating your score.

Brian Doyle
Maj Sjowall
Robert Silverberg
Susan Cooper
Thomas Keneally
David Lodge
Pete Hamill
Stella Rimington
Calvin Trillin
Franklin Hamilton
Annie Proulx
W.P. Kinsella
Ann Rule
Mary Oliver
Joy Kogawa
Manlio Argueta
Robert A. Caro
Kenzaburo Oe
David Nobbs
Carolyn Meyer
Gene Wolfe
Juan de Recacoechea
David Hackett Fischer
Daniel Quinn
Woody Allen
Aaron Elkins