Allen Kurzweil
Encyclopedia
Allen Kurzweil is an American
novelist, children's writer, editor
, essayist, and journalist
. He graduated from Yale University
in 1982, and has received Fulbright
, Guggenheim
, and NEH fellowships. He is now a Fellow at the John Carter Brown Library
at Brown University, and sits on the board of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. He is a cousin of Ray Kurzweil.
His next novel, The Grand Complication (Hyperion
, 2001), also translated widely, redirected the author’s love of invention to twentieth-century New York. The "grand complication" of the title is a 200-year-old timepiece commissioned for Marie Antoinette
and stolen from a Jerusalem museum in 1983. To research the circumstances of the theft, Kurzweil spent nearly five years crisscrossing Europe and the Middle East, interviewing detectives, curators, collectors, horologists and watch dealers. Over the last two decades, devotion to the complicated passions of his characters has led Kurzweil to take courses in pop-up book
design, study the repair of player-pianos and work behind the reference desk of a public library. He regularly constructs the contraptions "invented" by his characters. To date these devices have included roll-players, pocket-sized potato cannons, clocks and color wheels designed to distinguish different kinds of potato chips. A number of these inventions have been packaged into a science kit for children.
Since 2002, Kurzweil has been writing children’s books. He has published two novels in the bestselling "Leon" series: Leon and the Spitting Image (HarperCollins
, 2003) followed by Leon and the Champion Chip (HarperCollins, 2005). Potato Chip Science (Workman
, 2010) is an educational, eco-friendly science book and kit for children that comes packaged in a potato chip bag. Children use snack food related materials to learn about science in 29 experiments.
. He currently sits on the board of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and is a fellow at the John Carter Brown Library
at Brown University. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island
with his wife and children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, children's writer, editor
Literary editor
A literary editor is an editor in a newspaper, magazine or similar publication who deals with aspects concerning literature and books, especially reviews. A literary editor may also help with editing books themselves, by providing services such as proof reading, copy-editing, and literary...
, essayist, and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1982, and has received Fulbright
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
, Guggenheim
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
, and NEH fellowships. He is now a Fellow at the John Carter Brown Library
John Carter Brown Library
The John Carter Brown Library is an independently funded research library of history and the humanities located on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island...
at Brown University, and sits on the board of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. He is a cousin of Ray Kurzweil.
Career
Kurzweil’s first novel, A Case of Curiosities, (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992), set in eighteenth-century France, was translated into thirteen languages and earned literary honors in England, Ireland, Italy, and France. The novel was reissued by Harvest Books in 2001.His next novel, The Grand Complication (Hyperion
Hyperion (publisher)
Hyperion Books is a general-interest book publishing part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1991. Hyperion publishes general-interest fiction and non-fiction books for adults under the following imprints: ABC Daytime Press, ESPN Books,...
, 2001), also translated widely, redirected the author’s love of invention to twentieth-century New York. The "grand complication" of the title is a 200-year-old timepiece commissioned for Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
and stolen from a Jerusalem museum in 1983. To research the circumstances of the theft, Kurzweil spent nearly five years crisscrossing Europe and the Middle East, interviewing detectives, curators, collectors, horologists and watch dealers. Over the last two decades, devotion to the complicated passions of his characters has led Kurzweil to take courses in pop-up book
Pop-up book
The term pop-up book is often applied to any three-dimensional or movable book, although properly the umbrella term movable book covers pop-ups, transformations, tunnel books, volvelles, flaps, pull-tabs, pop-outs, pull-downs, and more, each of which performs in a different manner...
design, study the repair of player-pianos and work behind the reference desk of a public library. He regularly constructs the contraptions "invented" by his characters. To date these devices have included roll-players, pocket-sized potato cannons, clocks and color wheels designed to distinguish different kinds of potato chips. A number of these inventions have been packaged into a science kit for children.
Since 2002, Kurzweil has been writing children’s books. He has published two novels in the bestselling "Leon" series: Leon and the Spitting Image (HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
, 2003) followed by Leon and the Champion Chip (HarperCollins, 2005). Potato Chip Science (Workman
Workman
Workman or WORKman may refer to:* Workman , an English surname* Workman, a Linux cd player programmed in OpenLook* WORKman, a windows-based job control and task management application published by Veracity Systems...
, 2010) is an educational, eco-friendly science book and kit for children that comes packaged in a potato chip bag. Children use snack food related materials to learn about science in 29 experiments.
Fellowships
Allen has received fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York Public Library Center for Scholars & Writers, and the John Nicholas Brown Center for the Study of American Civilization at Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. He currently sits on the board of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and is a fellow at the John Carter Brown Library
John Carter Brown Library
The John Carter Brown Library is an independently funded research library of history and the humanities located on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island...
at Brown University. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
with his wife and children.