Dorothy Allison Greenville SC Death:- ‘Bastard Out of Carolina’ writer Dorothy Allison has passed away. She was completely real, absolutely herself whether you liked it or not, totally down-home, fiercely intelligent, complex, complicated, hilarious, mischievous, and incredibly insightful.
Dorothy Allison was announced dead on Wednesday, the 6th of November 2024. She died at the age of 75. There was no cause of death reported at the time of this publication. Thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time.
Who was Dorothy Allison?
Dorothy Allison, born on April 11, 1949, in Greenville, South Carolina, is an American writer whose works focus on themes of class struggle, sexual and child abuse, feminism, and lesbian identity.
Growing up in a challenging environment, Allison endured abuse and poverty, experiences that profoundly shaped her writing. She became the first in her family to graduate high school, later earning a B.A. in anthropology from Eckerd College and an M.A. from the New School for Social Research.
Allison’s breakthrough novel, ‘Bastard Out of Carolina’ (1992), is a semi-autobiographical work that gained critical acclaim and controversy for its graphic portrayal of abuse. The novel was a National Book Award finalist and has been adapted into a film.
She has received numerous accolades, including the Lambda Literary Awards, the Jim Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelists’ Prize, and the Trailblazer Award from the Golden Crown Literary Society.
A self-identified lesbian femme, Allison has been active in feminist and LGBTQ+ circles, co-founding the Lesbian Sex Mafia to support women’s BDSM communities. She has held multiple residencies at institutions like Emory University and Columbia College and was elected to the Fellowship of Southern Writers in 2014.
Residing in Northern California, she continues to be celebrated for her unapologetic storytelling, which has been described as a powerful voice for marginalized identities.
