I was born in Washington DC and grew up in Los Angeles. Since then, I've lived in Iowa, Nicaragua, New Haven, and (currently) Brooklyn. I've worked as a baker, an office temp, an innkeeper, a tutor, a juice barista, a GAP clerk, and a medical actor. Every one of these was a world; they're still in me. These days I teach at the Columbia University MFA program, where I direct the nonfiction concentration. 

My new book, a memoir called Splinters, comes out in February 2024. It’s been a journey, as I’ve always found February the trickiest month to spell correctly. Please email the amazing Lena (see below!) if you’d like an advance copy. I've also written two essay collections—The Empathy Exams and Make It Scream, Make It Burn—a critical memoir, The Recovering, and a novel, The Gin Closet. I’ve also written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Harper's, Oxford American, A Public Space, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Believer.  

Publicity:

Lena Little:

Lena.little [at] hbgusa [dot] com

Literary Representation

Jin Auh:

jauh [at] wylieagency [dot] com

Speaking Engagements

Trinity Ray, Tuesday Agency:

trinity [at] tuesdayagency [dot] com

319-338-7080

Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan