Frank McCourt biography

Synopsis

Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 19, 1930, into a family with seven children. His family returned to Ireland due to the Depression, but they continued to struggle with poverty. His father abandoned them when McCourt was in his early teens. At 19, he returned to the U.S., served in the Korean War and graduated from Brooklyn College. He taught high school English for 30 years. He wrote the book Angela’s Ashes, which won him many awards including a Pulitzer Prize.

Profile

Writer, educator. Born Francis "Frank" McCourt on August 19, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, as the eldest of seven children. McCourt's father, Malachy, worked odd jobs while his mother, Angela, worked to raise the children. The family frequently struggled to make ends meet and, after a long stint of unemployment during the Depression, the McCourts returned to their native Limerick, Ireland, in 1934. The family continued to flounder, however, sinking deeper into poverty.

When McCourt was 11, his father left for Liverpool, England, in order to find work to support the family. By the time Frank was 13, his father had stopped communicating with the family, essentially abandoning them. McCourt left school that same year in order to earn money for his family. His odd jobs and petty thievery often helped keep his brothers and sisters alive. At 14, McCourt was hired by the Limerick Post Office to deliver telegrams, and earned money delivering the Irish Times. While he used much of the money to help his family, he also saved some for his own dream: To return to America.

McCourt left Ireland at the age of 19, returning to the United States for work. During this time he was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve during the Korean War. After completing his time in the service, he returned to New York City, using the GI Bill to enroll in New York University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in education. After receiving his master's degree from Brooklyn College in 1967, he taught English at McKee High School and Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He retired after 30 years in education.

After McCourt's retirement, he decided to write about his life in Ireland. The resulting book, Angela's Ashes was published in 1996, and became an instant success, selling more than 5 million copies. It also earned critical acclaim, winning McCourt the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the ABBY Award and the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. In 1999, McCourt penned the memoir, 'Tis. In 2005, he wrote the book Teacher Man about his experience in the education field.

The Pulitzer Prize winning author died on July 19, 2009 in New York City. He was 78. In an interview two years ago, he was quoted as saying, "I don't want funeral services or memorials. Let them scatter my ashes over the Shannon and pollute the river." Frank McCourt is survived by his wife Ellen and his daughter Maggie from a previous marriage.