Susan Joyce Vreeland (January 20, 1946 – August 23, 2017) was an American author. Several of her books deal with the relationship between art and fiction. The Passion of Artemisia is a fictionalized investigation of some aspects of the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, while Girl in Hyacinth Blue centers round an imaginary painting by Vermeer. The Forest Lover is a fictionalized account of the life of the Canadian painter Emily Carr.
Early life Vreeland was born in Racine, Wisconsin to William Alex Vreeland and Esther Alberta, née Jancovius. Her mother was from an artistic family and had studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. The family moved to California in 1948. Living in San Diego, her neighbor was a professor at San Diego State University who exposed Vreeland to art literature, which is the basis of much of her work. Vreeland took a BA in English and library science at San Diego State University in 1969, an MA in education in 1972, and an MA in English in 1978.
Career Vreeland worked as a teacher for thirty years at James Madison High School and University City High School. Her first novel was What Love Sees.
Personal life Vreeland was married to Kip Grey. She died in 2017 after heart surgery.
Works
The works of Susan Vreeland include: What Love Sees: a biographical novel. New York: PaperJacks, 1988. . What English Teachers Want: A Survival Guide. Unionville, NY: Royal Fireworks Press, 1995. . Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Denver: MacMurray & Beck, 1999. . The Passion of Artemisia. New York: Viking, 2002. . The Forest Lover. New York: Viking, 2004. . Life Studies. New York: Viking, 2005. . Luncheon of the Boating Party. New York: Viking, 2007. . Clara and Mr. Tiffany. New York: Random House, 2011. . Lisette's List. New York: Random House, 2014. .
References Celestine Bohlen (February 18, 2002). Elusive Heroine Of the Baroque; Artist Colored by Distortion, Legend and a Notorious Trial. The New York Times. Accessed February 2015.
Dawn Goldsmith (2002). Writer Interview: "Susan Vreeland: Living in the Spirit of Art" . Crescent Blues. Accessed February 2015.
John J. Salesses (Summer 2007). Religious Assimilation in Early American Fiction. Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table. Accessed February 2015.
Michael D. Sharp (2006). Popular contemporary writers, volume 10. New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference. .
Worldcat Accessed September 2011.