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UrsulaK.LeGuin’sprivatelifeandprofessionalcareer
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deartoherandshapedherimagination”(Bucknall3).Reidalsowritesthat
LeGuinpreferredNorsemythologytoGreekGWithitsromantic
shenanigans”(4).Tracesofthatcanbediscernedinherwriting,evenin
Rocannon’sWorld,herfirstpublishedbook.Bloomstates:GLikeBlake’s
andEmilyBrontë’s,herimaginationisathomewithOdinandYggdrasil”
(Introduction4).InheressayGMythandArchetypeinScienceFiction”Le
GuinwritesthatGMythisanexpressionofoneoftheseveralwaysthe
humanbeing,body/psyche,perceives,understands,andrelatestothe
world”(TheLanguageoftheNight74).Freedmanwritesthataccording
toLeGuinGaproperunderstandingofthecentralityoftheimaginationto
humanexistencemustcautionagainstanyexcessiveortooexclusive
valuationofrealismasaliterarygenre(though,aswehaveseen,shehas
producedfirst-raterealismherself)”(Introductionxx).
LeGuinalsoaddsthatsheconsideredsomebooksostensiblywritten
forchildrentobedisturbing:GAndersen’stalesfascinatedandfrightened
measachild;IreadthemonlywhenIalreadyfeltmorbid”(CheekbyJowl
23-4).ReidwritesthatGAsayounggirllivinginafamilywhorespected
newideasbasedoncarefulobservation;thoughtfulinterpretation;and
constantlearningfromlistening,reading,andtalking,Ursulaearlyon
valuedtheworthofherownperceptionsandsharedthemconfidently”(5).
Shewrotelongbeforeherworksstartedtobepublished.
CharlotteSpivack,aliterarycritic,writesthatLeGuin’sfavourite
childhoodbookwasLeavesfromtheGoldenBough,Gachildren’sversion
oftheclassicalstudyinanthropology,
1
”suggestingUrsula’ssubconscious
inheritanceofherfather’sacademicinterests(2).AsateenagerUrsula,
togetherwithherbrothers,readmanysciencefictionworksinThrilling
WonderStoriesandAstoundingandidentifiedLewisPadgettasoneofher
favouriteauthors(Spivack2).SpivackalsoclaimsthatUrsula’sliterary
discoveryinthatperiodwasLordDunsany’sADreamerofTales(2).
Amongtheauthorsthatstronglyinfluencedher,LeGuinlistsTolstoyand
Dickens,greatnovelistswhosebookssheeagerlyreadoncehavingturned
awayfromthesciencefictionshereadasateenager(Spivack3).Inthe
essay,GACitizenofMondath”,LeGuinthusdescribesherchildhood:
Ineverreadonlysciencefiction,assomekidsdo.Ireadeverything
Icouldgetmyhandson,whichwaslimitless;therewasahousefullof
books,andagoodpubliclibrary.Igotoffsciencefictionsometimeinthe
lateforties.Itseemedtobeallabouthardwareandsoldiers…Possibly,
1
ShenodoubtisreferringtoTheGoldenBoughbyJ.G.Frazer.
