Mermaids is a 1986 coming-of-age novel by American writer Patty Dann, published in 1986 by Ticknor and Fields.[2] Its plot follows a 14-year-old girl growing up with a wayward single mother in 1960s New England. It was adapted into a feature film of the same name in 1990, starring Cher and Winona Ryder.[3]
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Author | Patty Dann |
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Language | English |
Genre | Bildungsroman |
Publisher | Ticknor and Fields |
Publication date | September 1, 1986[1] |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
Pages | 147 |
ISBN | 978-0-899-19471-4 |
Background
editDann, a graduate of the University of Oregon and Columbia University, was working as a secretary in 1984, having abandoned her career aspiration of becoming a writer.[2] In 1986, while working as a secretary for A&E, she began revising Mermaids, a period piece coming-of-age novel about a teenage girl set in the 1960s, a draft of which she had submitted as her MFA thesis.[2] During the redrafting process, she changed the narrative perspective from third-person to first-person.[2] After completing the redrafting of the novel, Dann found a literary agent who sold the novel to Ticknor and Fields, who published it in 1986.[2]
Adaptation
editIn 1990, Richard Benjamin directed a critically acclaimed feature film adaptation of the novel, starring Cher and Winona Ryder.[3]
References
edit- ^ Dann, Patty (1986). Mermaids (1986). Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0899194710.
- ^ a b c d e Alger, Derek (October 2013). "Patty Dann Interview". PIF Magazine. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020.
- ^ a b "Dann, Patty (1953–)". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020.
External links
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