Kuper, Daniela

PERSONAL: Born in Chicago, IL. Religion: Jewish.

ADDRESSES: Home—Brooksville, ME. Agent—c/o Author's Mail, St. Martin's Press, 175 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010.

CAREER: Writer.

AWARDS, HONORS: Harold U. Ribalow Prize nomination, Hadassah magazine, 2005, for fiction with a Jewish theme; Pushcart Prize nomination; five literary fellowships.

WRITINGS:

Hunger and Thirst, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Contributor of short stories to periodicals.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A novel, Holy Ghost.

SIDELIGHTS: Daniela Kuper was born and raised on the North Side of Chicago, the setting for her first novel, Hunger and Thirst. The story is set in a predominantly lower-middle class Jewish area called East Rogers Park during the 1950s. In a time when Nazi Germany is a fresh memory and the next generation is the hope for every family to elevate their status, the Trout family undergo the stress that can take place behind the quest for the American dream. Daughter Joan suffers from being caught in the middle between her father's loyalty to the old neighborhood and her mother's attempts to join the modern world. Whitney Scott, in a review for Booklist, remarked that "Kuper conjures a vividly textured culture as the backdrop for the poignant, funny story of the Trouts."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 2004, Whitney Scott, review of Hunger and Thirst, p. 62.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2004, review of Hunger and Thirst, p. 768.

ONLINE

Chicago Sun Times Online, http://www.suntimes.com/ (April 24, 2005), Tom McNamee, "Chicago Rich in Formidable Scribes."

Daniela Kuper Hope Page, http://www.danielakuper.com (October 18, 2005).