The renowned American writer Paul Auster passed away, leaving behind his wife, Siri Hustvedt, who was his second wife. Before her, Paul was married to Lydia Davis from 1974 to 1979.
Auster was an American writer and film director born on February 3, 1947, known for his contributions to literature and film.
Some of his notable works include Smoke, The New York Trilogy, Moon Palace, The Music of Chance, and Lulu on the Bridge.
His writing explored themes of identity, chance, and the human condition. Unfortunately, he passed away on April 30, 2024.
Paul Auster Was Married To First Wife Writer Lydia Davis For Five Years
Paul Auster married Lydia Davis in 1974; however, their marriage ended in divorce in 1979.
During their marriage, Paul and Lydia had a son named Daniel Auster born on June 12, 1977. He died last year due to a drug overdose in New York City.
Further, after the divorce, Lydia Davis remarried the artist Alan Cote and continued her literary work.
Lydia Davis is an accomplished writer herself, known for her short stories, novels, essays, and translations from French and other languages.
As an American writer, her career is marked by an impressive array of awards and contributions to fiction and translation.
Many of her stories are extremely short, some just a few sentences long, yet they manage to explore complex emotions and situations with clarity.
“For as long as the story goes on, reality no longer exists.”
– Paul Auster in The Brooklyn Follies. RIP. pic.twitter.com/Lbm8yP79Wg
— Hay Festival (@hayfestival) May 1, 2024
In addition to her fiction, Davis is also a renowned translator, mainly of French literature.
Her translations are celebrated for their accuracy and fluency, significantly contributing to the English-speaking world’s understanding.
Further, Davis has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career that underscore her influence and skill as a writer.
These include being a finalist for the National Book Award and receiving the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, often called a “genius grant.”
Accomplished Writer And Novelist Siri Hustvedt Is Paul Auster’s Second Wife
Paul Auster married Siri Hustvedt three years after his first marriage ended with Lydia Davis.
He met Siri at a Poetry Center reading in 1981. Their meeting blossomed into a relationship that led to their marriage.
Siri Hustvedt is also a successful author known for her novels, essays, and works on neurology, psychology, and philosophy.
Both Paul and Siri were a prominent literary couple, each making significant contributions to contemporary literature.
They both had distinctive voices and thematic concerns yet complemented each other’s work in profound ways.
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Recently, Hustvedt received the Openbank Literature Award by Vanity Fair for the notable works throughout her literary career.
Paul and Siri have only one daughter, Sophie Auster, born on July 6, 1987, who is an American singer-songwriter and actress.
Moreover, Sophie has started her own family with her husband, Spencer Ostrander, as they recently had a son, Miles, in January 2024.
Additional Information
- In 1996, Paul Auster received the Bodil award for Best American Film for “Smoke”, shared with Wayne Wang.
- Paul Auster’s most popular book is The New York Trilogy which include a series of three stories City of Glass, Ghosts and The Locked Room.
- Paul attended Columbia University where he earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees before working as an author.
