In America is a 1999 novel by Susan Sontag which won the National Book Award in 2000. Although it is fiction, it is based upon the true story of the Polish actress Helena Modjeska (called Maryna Zalewska in the book), her arrival in California in 1876, and her ascendency to American stardom. Susan Sontag (/ˈsɒntɑːɡ/; January 16, 1933 – December 28, 2004) was an American writer and filmmaker, literary icon, and political activist. Beginning with the publication of her 1964 essay "Notes on 'Camp'" Sontag became a lifelong international cultural and intellectual celebrity. Sontag was often photographed and her image became widely recognized even in mainstream society. Her works include On Photography, Against Interpretation, The Way We Live Now, and Regarding the Pain of Others.