Author lee smith biography

Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia, nine-year-old Lee Smith was already writing—and selling, for a nickel apiece—stories about her neighbors in the coal boomtown of Grundy and the nearby isolated "hollers.". Her first novel, The Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed (), was written while she was in college. She typically wrote stories that are set in the contemporary South and, eschewing the gothic and grotesque, are filled with the details of everyday life. Early years First steps Professional growth Public recognition Peak period Later years Public interest Professional activity Media attention
Lee Smith began writing stories at the age of nine and selling them for a nickel apiece. Since then, she has written seventeen works of fiction, including Fair and Tender Ladies, Oral History, Guests on Earth, and most recently, Dimestore.