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Yourcenar Marguerite

Jun 8, 1903

Rating : AA (Data from a birth certificate)

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  • Scorpio
    Moon Sign
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  • Taurus
    Sun Sign
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  • Cancer
    Lagan

Remembering Since 1987

Events Events

Social : Joined group 1947 (Became U.S. citizen)

Death:Death of Significant person 1979 (Death of friend, Frick)

Death:Death, Cause unspecified 18 December 1987 (Age 88) chart Placidus Equal_H.

Ai Generated Biography Biography

Belgian writer, classical scholar and the first woman to enter L Academie Francaise. She was the only child of Michel de Crayencour and the former Fernandel de Cartier de Marchienne. Her mother died when she was less than one month old, and she received her education from tutors. By age eight she was reading serious works and in her teen years, published two small poetry books. Yourcenar wrote in her native French, and is best known for her fiction, especially " Memoirs Of Hadrian". Her other works includes essays , memoirs, and plays. She grew up in France and traveled widely, never having a stable home. Yourcenar decided to stay in the U.S., in early WW II, to teach comparative literature. She became a U.S. citizen in 1947, but was later reinstated as a citizen of France. While in America, she and her companion, Grace Frick, bought a house in Northeast Harbor, ME. They remained there for many years, before Fricks death in 1979. Yourcenar died at age 84 in her home, on 18 December 87. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less

bio Latest Info with AI

Update at: Jul 2, 2025
`` Marguerite Yourcenar

Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987)

Marguerite Yourcenar, born Marguerite Antoinette Jeanne Marie Ghislaine Cleenewerck de Crayencour, was a Belgian-born French novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and translator. She is best known for her historical novels, particularly Memoirs of Hadrian (1951) and The Abyss (1968). She was the first woman elected to the Académie française in 1980.

Biography

Born in Brussels, Yourcenar spent much of her childhood traveling with her father. Following her mother's death, she was raised primarily by her father, Michel Cleenewerck de Crayencour, who provided her with a broad education in classical literature and philosophy. This early exposure profoundly influenced her writing. Yourcenar adopted the pen name "Yourcenar" (an almost anagram of her family name) early in her writing career.

During World War II, Yourcenar moved to the United States, where she taught comparative literature and ultimately settled on Mount Desert Island in Maine. She became a naturalized US citizen in 1947. She continued to write prolifically, achieving international acclaim with Memoirs of Hadrian. Her works delve into historical periods, exploring themes of power, love, death, and the human condition. Other notable works include Coup de Grâce (1939), Fires (1936), and the autobiographical trilogy, Le Labyrinthe du Monde.

Legacy

Yourcenar's works are celebrated for their precise and elegant prose, meticulous historical research, and psychological depth. Her exploration of historical figures and their inner lives has resonated with readers worldwide. Her legacy continues to influence contemporary writers, and her works are widely studied and admired.

Finding More Information

Unfortunately, due to her death in 1987, Yourcenar predates the rise of modern social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. Information about her is primarily found in scholarly articles, biographies, and literary analyses. You can explore dedicated library archives, such as the Marguerite Yourcenar Manuscript Collection at the Houghton Library, Harvard University, which contains a wealth of primary source material including manuscripts, correspondence, and personal papers. Searches for "Marguerite Yourcenar" in online library databases will yield numerous articles and essays dedicated to her life and work.

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