Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 181

Paula Fox has led an unusual life. Born in 1923, the unwanted daughter of largely absentee parents, she spent her childhood in the care of a series of guardians, some more reliable than others. As a young adult, she held a variety of jobs with blips of education in between. She was married...

Interviewed by Oliver Broudy Issue 170, Summer 2004 Paula Fox has led an unusual life. Born in 1923, the unwanted daughter of largely absentee parents, she spent her childhood in the care of a series of guardians, some more reliable than others. As a young adult, she held a variety of jobs with blips of education in between. She was married at seventeen and soon after divorced. Three years later she put her first child up for adoption. A second marriage ended when she was in her early thirties. It wasn't until Fox was in her forties that she was able to devote significant time to writing. From

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