Paley, Grace (1922)

American short-story writer, poet, professor, and peace activist. Born Grace Goodside, Dec 11, 1922, in New York, NY; dau. of Isaac Goodside (physician) and Manya (Ridnyik) Goodside (photographer and medical assistant); attended Hunter College, 1938–39; m. Jess Paley (cinematographer), June 20, 1942 (div. 1972); m. Bob Nichols, 1972; children: (1st m.) Nora Paley (b. 1949); Danny Paley (b. 1951).

Major voice in 20th-century American literature and prominent peace activist, studied poetry with W.H. Auden (early 1940s); published 1st collection of short stories, The Little Disturbances of Man (1959), to critical acclaim; was founder of Greenwich Village Peace Center (1961); engaged in demonstrations and civil disobedience protesting the Vietnam War; taught at Columbia and Syracuse universities (1960s); taught at Sarah Lawrence College (1966–88); traveled to Vietnam (1969), representing the antiwar movement, as well as to Chile (1972), Moscow (1973) and China (1974); elected to American Academy of Letters (1980); writings include Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1975), Later the Same Day (1985), Leaning Forward (1985), Long Walks and Intimate Talks (1991), New and Collected Poems (1992), Grace Paley: The Collected Stories (1994) and Just As I Thought (1998). Was 1st recipient of Edith Wharton Citation of Merit and was named 1st state author of New York (1986); received REA Award for Short Stories (1992); given Vermont Award for Excellence in the Arts (1993).

See also Judith Arcana, Grace Paley's Life Stories (U. of Illinois Press, 1993); and Women in World History.