Alf Prøysen
| Alf Prøysen | |
|---|---|
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Alf Prøysen with his typewriter in 1964.
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| Born |
23 July 1914 Rudshøgda, Ringsaker, Norway |
| Died | 23 November 1970 (aged 56) Oslo, Norway |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Nationality |
 Norwegian |
| Occupation | Writer and musician |
| Spouse(s) | Else Storhaug (1948–1970; his death) |
| Children | 1 daughter and 1 son |
Alf Prøysen (23 July 1914 – 23 November 1970), was a writer and musician from Norway. His Mrs. Pepperpot books established him as a children's author. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the twentieth century, and he made significant contributions to literature, music, television and radio.
He was born on 23 July 1914 at Rudshøgda in Ringsaker.
His childhood was typical for those of the social class of tenant farmers—the landless lower class of rural Norway. This is reflected in his songs and short stories, where he draws realistic, satirical and harsh pictures of class relations and everyday life in rural Norway.
Prøysen contributed to many artistic fields: children's radio, short stories, theater and music. His only novel Trost i taklampa ("thrush in the ceiling lamp") was a great success both as a book and as a play, depicting the urbanization of 1950s Norway, and the effect this had on rural life.
In 1956 the first book (of a series) about Mrs. Pepperpot is published.
Prior to Prøysen's 90th anniversary in July 2004, Prøysen's biographer Ove Røsbak – who had published his biography in 1992, wrote an article in Dagbladet Røsbak claimed that several of his sources has confirmed that Prøysen had discussed his bisexuality during the 1960s. This caused a large debate. Dagbladet editor Knut Olav Åmås commented ten days later that the debate revealed mixed feelings towards gay/bisexuality.
Three days later, Dagbladet had an interview with gay activist Karen-Christine Friele. Friele confirmed that Prøysen had told her about his love of men, and his divided life.
In the aftermath, Prøysen's songs have been re-read and re-interpreted, in search of gay themes. "Vise om løgna" [The song about the lie] is a song about being consumed by secrets, while "Mannen på holdeplassen" [The man at the tram stop] could be read as a song about love at first sight between men.
Alf Prøysen died of cancer on 23 November 1970, aged 56, in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. He was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund, at Norway's main honorary burial ground—Æreslunden.
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