Family, Friends and Feuds
Suellen Grealy:
Older sister to Lucinda Margaret Grealy, protagonist and author of 'Autobiography of a Face'. Suellen's role in Lucy's memoir is that of a more polite than compassionate sister while bedside Lucy at the hospital in her childhood years. Suellen has now go onto a public battle over familial privacy with Lucinda's long time friend and fellow writer, Ann Patchett. In Patchett's memoir, Suellen believes the personal details of her family's life have been depicted poorly. Her minor roll is that of Lucinda's defender. 
Ann Patchett:
Author of 'Truth and Beauty: Friendship' where 'Autobiography of a Face's own Lucy Grealy is derived inspiration from. Ann and Lucinda met in Iowa at the Iowa's writing workshop and developed their poetry/essays and soon to be memoirs together. Ann plays the role of the supporter and encourager. Lucy often states that Ann sees her words, not her disfigurement. |
Childhood strife, adulthood success
Lucinda Margaret Grealy was born in her hometown of Dublin, Ireland where she remained for a brief three year period. The Grealy family picked up and moved to New York where daughter Lucy was soon diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. This transition into New York symbolizes the begging of a journey burdened by disfigurement, harassment and self discovery.
Once graduating (escaping) from high school, Lucinda went onto attend Sarah Lawrence's liberal arts college in Bronxville New York. Not only was this a risk for Lucy, due to the possibility of future ridicule, this was a leap of faith. Her lack of self confidence would soon be supplemented by the support and lack of notice to her disfigurement from her fellow classmates and professors. This would also fuel her next leap into the world of writing and redemption for the pain her disease and self image had caused. 
Iowa presented the opportunity of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Where she would meet her long time friend and co-writer, Ann Patchett. Lucinda discovered that poetry wasn't her only natural abilities. She could used her talents in the area of Essay writing and later went on to develop her memoir- Autobiography of a Face.
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