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family, in sociology

(Encyclopedia)family, a basic unit of social structure, the exact definition of which can vary greatly from time to time and from culture to culture. How a society defines family as a primary group, and the functio...

Fox, Paula

(Encyclopedia)Fox, Paula, 1923–, American writer, b. New York City. Fox's six cooly acute novels reflect her own life, particularly her miserable childhood and its psychological aftermath. Poor George (1967), her...

Paz, Octavio

(Encyclopedia)Paz, Octavio oktäˈvyō päsˈ [key], 1914–98, Mexican poet and critic. A diplomat, he lived abroad many years. Paz's books—revealing depth of insight, elegance, and erudition—place him among h...

Enders, John Franklin

(Encyclopedia)Enders, John Franklin, 1897–1985, American bacteriologist, b. West Hartford, Conn., grad. Yale, 1920, Ph.D. Harvard, 1930. He began teaching at Harvard in 1929, became associate professor in 1942, a...

Modiano, Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Modiano, Patrick (Jean Patrick Modiano) zhäN pätrēkˈ mōdyänōˈ [key], 1945–, French novelist. He has been acclaimed for his treatment of memory, loss, and the puzzle of identity in novels tha...

Boutet de Monvel, Louis Maurice

(Encyclopedia)Boutet de Monvel, Louis Maurice lwē mōrēsˈ bo͞otāˈ də môNvĕlˈ [key], 1851–1913, French painter and illustrator. His fame rests chiefly on his decorative illustrations for children's books...

Sommer, William

(Encyclopedia)Sommer, William, 1867–1949, American painter and lithographer, b. Detroit. He was apprenticed as a lithographer and studied drawing with Julius Melchers in Detroit and drawing and painting in Munich...

Grahame, Kenneth

(Encyclopedia)Grahame, Kenneth grāˈəm [key], 1859–1931, English author. He was a secretary in the Bank of England from 1908 until 1918. His works, noted for their humor and charm, include The Golden Age (1895)...

letters

(Encyclopedia)letters, in literature, written messages, ranging from those addressed to the public and those sent from lover to lover, to business letters and thank-you notes. The common quality they share is a liv...

Godden, Rumer

(Encyclopedia)Godden, Rumer (Margaret Rumer Godden) gŏdˈən [key], 1907–98, English novelist. Godden was highly praised for the subtlety of her characterization (particularly of children), the charm of her styl...