Frank McCourt

Date of Birth: August 19, 1930

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: July 19, 2009

Biography

Frank McCourt was a renowned Irish-American author and teacher, best known for his memoir “Angela’s Ashes,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 1997. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Limerick, Ireland, McCourt faced many hardships during his early life, including poverty and the death of his siblings. Despite these challenges, he returned to the United States as a young man and eventually became a high school teacher in New York City. His late-in-life writing career brought him international fame, allowing him to share his poignant and often humorous life story with a wide audience. McCourt’s subsequent memoirs, “‘Tis” and “Teacher Man,” continued to explore his life and experiences, solidifying his reputation as a master storyteller.

5 Interesting Facts about Frank McCourt

1. Frank McCourt won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 1997 for “Angela’s Ashes.”

2. He spent over 30 years as a high school teacher in New York City before turning to writing.

3. “Angela’s Ashes” was adapted into a feature film in 1999, directed by Alan Parker.

4. McCourt’s memoirs have been translated into multiple languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.

5. Despite his success as an author, McCourt did not publish his first book until he was 66 years old.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Frank McCourt

1. “You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.”

2. “When I look back on my childhood, I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while.”

3. “We were so poor we didn’t know what we were missing.”

4. “I had to get out of teaching because the kids were so rude to me. You know, I was teaching in New York City.”

5. “I think there’s something about the Irish experience— that we are storytellers.”