Drew Nellins Smith

Smith grew up in Hillsboro, Texas. He then attended University of Texas at Austin, majoring English Literature.^[1]

Smith has written for publications including Tin House, The Millions, and the Los Angeles Times.^[1] He has also reviewed books for publications including The Washington Post,^[2] the Dallas Morning News,^[3] and The Daily Beast.^[4] In 2016 Smith released his first novel Arcade.^[5] The book, based in Texas,^[6] follows the story of narrator Sam, who after a failed relationship, begins pursuing a lifestyle of anonymous sex in an adult book store. The foundation of the work comes from a real-life bookstore that existed in Austin off U.S. Highway 290 that the author once frequented; he has stated that the book is largely based upon his own journey of coming out.^[1] The Los Angeles Review of Books wrote of his writing that, "guides us through this world of secret transactions and unwritten rules with skill and precision."^[7] Smith has also written on similar topics in publications like Vice.^[8]