Frank McCourt is an American-Irish writer and teacher best known for “Angela’s Ashes”, an autobiographical account of his difficult childhood in Limerick, Ireland in the 1930s. Now considered one of the great writers of this century, Frank McCourt is one of those great Irish authors who have captivated readers the world over…
Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn on August 19, 1930, into a family of modest means. The eldest of a family of 4 children, Frank was confronted at an early age with the death of his little sister, less than 7 weeks old. His parents, Malachy McCourt and Angela McCourt, are devastated by the loss, and are penniless. The couple therefore decided to leave America and return to Ireland, to the town of Limerick.
The McCourt family settled in the underprivileged areas of Limerick, where they suffered from hunger. Frank’s father, Malachy McCourt, can’t seem to find a job and keep it. An alcoholic, he goes so far as to spend his meagre unemployment benefits on pints at the pub, sadly starving his wife and children…
After several difficult months, Frank McCourt saw his 2 twin brothers, Oliver and Eugene, succumb to malnutrition. The whole family is overwhelmed… But Angela McCourt announces that she is pregnant again with a boy, to be called Alphonsus McCourt.
At the age of 12, Frank McCourt saw his father leave the family for good. He will never see him again. From then on, it was up to him to take care of his family, and Frank started a few jobs to feed his family. He worked as a coal haulier, but had to stop working after suffering serious medical problems.
At the age of 15, Frank McCourt had only one wish: to leave Ireland for America. He managed to do so, bought himself a ticket to New York and set off alone for the USA. At the age of 19, he graduated from New York University, then went on to complete a master’s degree at Brooklyn University, graduating in 1958.
From then on, Frank McCourt chose the path of teaching, and became a teacher at 2 New York high schools (McKee High School and Stuyvesant High School).
It was in 1996 that McCourt decided to launch his career as a writer. He then published“Angela’s Ashes“An autobiographical account of his childhood in Limerick and his family’s struggle to survive. The book was a huge success: Frank McCourt wins the National Book Critics Award and the Pullitzer Prize. Director Alan Parker even made a film adaptation: “Angela’s Ashes”, starring Robert Carlyle and Emily Watson.
In 1999, he published the sequel to Angela’s Ashes, with“C’est Comment l’Amérique?“, a work retracing his beginnings in the United States as an Irish immigrant. Success was less than for his first book, but McCourt was nevertheless praised by his peers.
In 2005, McCourt published a new story,“Teacher Man“, in which he describes the challenges inherent in the teaching profession and criticizes the American school system. Then, with his brother Malachy McCourt (also a writer), he decided to write a 2-part play with an autobiographical objective.
On July 19, 2009, Frank McCourt died of melanoma. He leaves behind powerful works that have left an indelible mark on millions of readers around the world.
