Origins & Early Life

Karen Louise Erdrich ( ER-drik; born June 7, 1954) is an Indigenous-American author of novels, short stories, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American characters and settings. She is an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota, a federally recognized Ojibwe people. Erdrich is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native American Renaissance. She has written 28 books in all, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children's books.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 2009, her novel The Plague of Doves was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and received an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. In November 2012, she received the National Book Award for Fiction for her novel The Round House. She is a 2013 recipient of the Alex Awards. She was awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction at the National Book Festival in September 2015. In 2021, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Night Watchman.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

She was married to author Michael Dorris and the two collaborated on a number of works. The couple separated in 1995 and then divorced in 1996. Dorris took his own life in 1997 as allegations...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Al-Nasir Muhammad — Shared historical date (06-07 · Died) (1341): Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, known for his extensive, though turbulent, rule across several decades.
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• Al Martino — Historical peer (Died in 2009) (2009): Iconic Italian-American crooner, celebrated for standards and his role in The Godfather.
• Adam Yauch — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
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