Many praise Margaret Atwood for her ability to represent individual, worldly issues of universal concern (Study Guide). Over thirty years, Atwood wrote more than twenty volumes of verse, novels, and nonfiction. Although she is known for all of these volumes, she is best known for her novels. Themes such as feminism, mythology, and the power of language pervade these works of fiction. Margaret Atwood's immense talent in conveying the importance of language through her characters can be seen in her writings such as The Handmaid's Tale. Margaret Atwood was born on November 18, 1939 in Ottawa, Ontario. He spent much of his childhood in northern Quebec with his father, who did research as an entomologist. These experiences in his early years provided material for later writings (Stein, 200). After graduating from high school, Atwood attended the University of Toronto. It was at this university that she met the literary analyst Northrop Fry, who influenced her greatly (McHenry). He also studied Victorian literature in Cambridge at Radcliffe College and at Harvard. At the age of nineteen, he debuted a collection of poems titled Double Persephone. After her first publication, Atwood made a name for herself. Over the past three decades he has written numerous works of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, including children's books and short stories. Her writings often focus on feminist issues and concerns, which she examines across multiple genres such as science fiction, Southern Ontario Gothic, comedy, and ghost story (Davidson, 25). Today she continues to thrive as an author known for her feminist themes in novels such as The Edible Woman and The Handmaid's Tale (Stein, 193). She currently lives with the writer Graeme Gibson and their daughter on a farm in Ontario (McHenry). His most recent nonfiction works include Negotiating With The Dead and Oryx & Crake. Throughout her career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and several honorary degrees. These awards include the Canadian Governor General's Award, Le Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, and the National Arts Club's Medal of Honor for Literature. The Margaret Atwood Society is an international association of scholars, teachers and students who share an interest in Atwood's work (Atwood). The main goal of the Society is to promote the scholarly exchange of the writer's work by providing opportunities for scholars to exchange information (Atwood). Through the characters of one of Atwood's best-known novels, The Handmaid's Tale, her concept of language, politics, power and creativity can be seen (Davidson, 26).