In Memoriam: Gloria Naylor, 1950-2016

Gloria Naylor, the celebrated author and educator, died in the Virgin Islands late last month after suffering a heart attack. She was 66 years old.

Naylor is best known for her 1982 novel The Women of Brewster Place, for which she won the National Book Award for the best first novel. The book was later adapted into a television miniseries produced by Oprah Winfrey.

Naylor was a native of New York City. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York System. She went on to earn a master’s degree in African American studies at Yale University.

In addition to her writing career, Naylor taught creating writing at several educational institutions including Cornell University, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.