About
Susan Sontag, born Susan Rosenblatt in New York, is a major figure in American intellectual life. A graduate of the University of Chicago and Harvard, she established herself as an essayist with collections such as Against Interpretation (1966) and On Photography (1977). As a novelist, she published The Volcano Lover (1992) and In America (2000), which won the National Book Award. She wrote and directed four films, campaigned for human rights, and served as president of PEN American Center. Her work explores culture, illness, and the representation of suffering.
* 1933-01-16 — † 2004-12-28
Major works
- Against Interpretation (1966)essay
- On Photography (1977)essay
- Illness as Metaphor (1978)essay
- The Volcano Lover (1992)novel
- In America (2000)novel
Key milestones
- 1990Awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (1990–1995)
- 2000Wins the National Book Award for the novel In America
- 2003Awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
Themes
Cultural criticismPhotography and representationIllness and metaphorPolitical activismModernity and avant-garde
Sources: macfound.org · catdir.loc.gov · americanacademy.de
