Lauren Groff
Lauren Groff is an American author known for her bold and atmospheric fiction, from short stories to novels. Her writing is lauded for its unique perspective and captivating detail, and she has won countless awards for her work.
Born in Rochester, New York in 1978, Groff earned her MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2005. She moved to Gainesville, Florida and taught English at the University of Florida while also working on her writing and first publications. In 2008, she published her first novel, The Monsters of Templeton, to positive reviews.
The Monsters of Templeton follows Wilhelmina “Willie” Upton as she returns to her small hometown after a break up. Willie is searching for answers and closure, looking to her grandfather’s past and the lake monster at the heart of Templeton’s mythologies. But as she encounters the ghosts of her past, she and the reader discover that the truth sometimes hides in plain sight. This book dives into themes of identity and the search for meaning in our lives.
In 2011, Groff published her second novel, Arcadia, which is set in rural 1970s New York. The novel follows the life of Bit Stone, as he grows up in a utopian commune of the same name, Arcadia. While we see the commune as magical and idyllic—away from urban corruption and dangers—we also trace Bit’s progression into adulthood, as he faces the hard truths of life beyond the commune. Arcadia is ultimately a coming of age story, one that examines the idea of home.
Groff followed Arcadia with her third novel, Fates and Furies, which takes an intimate look at a marriage between two people from wildly different backgrounds. Part one of the novel is dedicated to Lotto, who appears to be the perfect and noble husband, but relatively soon the other perspective of the marriage unfolds. Mathilde, the wife for the majority of the novel, has secrets, and as the novel progresses, we learn the various sides to her intense and troubled past. This novel was a 2016 National Book Award Finalist.
For her 2012 short story collection, Florida, Groff again departs from traditional American fiction as she focuses on survivors and how they deal with death, family and the consequences of love. In “Eyewall”, one of the most praised stories, we see a tropical storm looming over the narrator and the memories she has of her mother. Other stories, such as “Dogs Go Wolf”, “The Midnight Zone”, and “Giants In The Sky” tell stories of strange creatures, nature and a tense atmosphere.
These stories also appeared in her 2018 novel, Florida (not to be confused with her collection of the same name). It follows the characters’ turbulent life stories and moments of tender humanity. In the aftermath of trauma, loss, and alienation, the characters cling to the state’s endless waterways and lush foliage for a brief respite from the despair of everyday life.
In her later works, 2019’s short story collection, Grand Union, and 2020’s novel, The Only Plane in the Sky, Groff examines modern life and its struggles in a way that is bold and honest. Both works focus on the everyday lives and pain of Americans.
Overall, Lauren Groff is an award-winning author known for her powerful and ambitious fiction. With her ability to bring such human depth and compassion to her work, alongside the incredible command of language and atmosphere, it is no surprise that Groff has become one of the most celebrated authors of our time.
