Francesca Delbanco (born May 1974) is an American novelist and screenwriter. She is best known for co-creating television series Friends from College (2017–2019) and Platonic (2023–present).
Francesca Delbanco | |
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| Born | May 1974 (age 50) |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | Nicholas Delbanco |
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Early life and education
editDelbanco was born in May 1974 and grew up in Bennington, Vermont.[1][2] She is the daughter of writers and faculty members at Bennington College, Elena (née Greenhouse) and Nicholas Delbanco.[3] Delbanco attended Harvard College, concentrating in history and literature of the United States and writing her senior thesis on William Faulkner's novel Go Down, Moses and concepts of familial honor in the Old South.[1] She also took creative writing workshops, studying with Jayne Anne Phillips, Jamaica Kincaid and Richard Ford, and went on to earn an MFA from the University of Michigan.[1]
Career
editBetween college and her MFA program, Delbanco worked in New York City for two and a half years, briefly in publicity for Warner Books, then for Seventeen magazine where she was an editorial assistant, then staff writer.[1]
In 2004, Delbanco published a novel, Ask Me Anything.[4][5][6]
In 2017, the serial comedy Friends from College debuted on Netflix, created by Delbanco and her husband Nicholas Stoller, who also directed the series. The first season, consisting of eight half-hour episodes drew some negative reaction,[7][8] particularly criticism of a central plotline featuring an affair; however, Netflix viewers continued to watch the show and it was renewed for a second season.[9] The second season premiered January 11, 2019.[10]
Personal life
editIn 2005, Delbanco married screenwriter and director Nicholas Stoller, whom she met at a playwriting workshop for Harvard alumni in 2001.[3] (While Delbanco and Stoller overlapped at Harvard and were aware of one another, they weren't directly acquainted.)[11] They live in Los Angeles, California with their three children.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Jacobs, Alexandra (26 January 2004). "The Book on Miss Delbanco: Ask Her Anything". New York Observer. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ Birnbaum, Robert (2004). "Francesca Delbanco". The Morning News. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ a b Lacher, Irene (2005-10-09). "Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
- ^ "ASK ME ANYTHING". Publishers Weekly. November 10, 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Ask Me Anything". The New Yorker. 2 February 2004. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ Demanski, Laura (February 15, 2004). "A delightful debut novel with a charmer at its center". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
- ^ Jensen, Jeff (July 12, 2017). "Netflix's Friends From College squanders its excellent cast". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
- ^ Dowling, Tim. "Friends from College review – an ensemble piece populated entirely by terrible people". The Guardian. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (2018-10-26). "'Friends From College' Was Hit By Critics in Season 1 — Here's How Its Creators Learned Lessons for Season 2". IndieWire. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
- ^ Petski, Denise (2018-10-26). "'Friends From College' Gets Season 2 Premiere Date On Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
- ^ a b "Harvard stars in Friends from College | Stories". Harvard Alumni. July 12, 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-05.