Jen Beagin
American novelist and writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jen Beagin (born 1971) is an American novelist and writer.
- Novelist
- writer
- Fiction
- essays
Jen Beagin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 (age 54–55) |
| Occupation |
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| Education | |
| Genre |
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| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | Whiting Award |
Life and career
Early life and education
Beagin grew up in Torrance, California, and moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, in her youth.[1] She returned to college in her mid-30s,[2] and attended the University of Massachusetts Boston.[3] She earned an MFA in Writing from the University of California, Irvine.[4][5]
Professional life
Among other jobs, Beagin was a long time housecleaner. This inspired the character of Mona, who is the housecleaner protagonist of her first two books.[6] And, like the character Greta in the novel "Big Swiss," Beagin also transcribed therapy sessions "briefly."[7]
Published works
Pretend I'm Dead (2015)
Pretend I'm Dead, her first novel, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews which also noted it among the Best Fiction of 2018.[8] Pretend I'm Dead was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.[9] The popular website Emily Books gave an early positive review of the book,[10] the first edition of which was published by Northwestern University Press in 2015.[11] The novel was reissued as a hardcover in 2018 by Simon & Schuster.[12]
Vacuum in the Dark (2019)
Vacuum in the Dark,[13] a sequel to Pretend I'm Dead, received a starred Kirkus review and was named a best book for February 2019 by Oprah Magazine.[14] Publishers Weekly has a starred review, calling it "a sharp and superb novel" that "pulls no punches—this novel is viciously smart and morbidly funny."[15]
Big Swiss (2023)
Big Swiss is about a woman who transcribes sex therapy sessions and how she falls for a client Flavia, the titular "Big Swiss".
Publishers Weekly Tip Sheet notes that "This unconventional love story has a surplus of appeal from page one."[16]
Critical reception
Entertainment Weekly said: "Beagin stands out among fiction's fresh crop of promising voices."[17] NPR Books says that "Beagin is a wonderfully funny writer who also happens to tackle serious subjects."[18]
Awards and nominations
Awards
- 2017: Whiting Award for fiction[19][20]
- 2018: Pretend I'm Dead shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.[21]
- 2019: Vacuum in the Dark shortlist for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction.[22]
Bibliography
Novels
- — (2018). Pretend I'm Dead. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1501183935.
- — (2019). Vacuum in the Dark. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1501182143.
- — (2023). Big Swiss. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1982153083.
Short fiction
- — (2013). Juked, Issue 11.
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Essays
- — (2018). PowellsBooks.Blog: Original Essays.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - — (2019). Publishers Weekly.
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See also
Articles
- Hart, Michelle (26 February 2019). Oprah Magazine.
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Excerpts
Interviews and readings
- Ragsdale, Melissa (2015). "Somewhere on the Path Towards Self-Awareness: An Interview with Jen Beagin". Electric Literature.
- "Jen Beagin reads from 'Pretend I'm Dead'". (video) Whiting Foundation. 2017.
- "Jen Beagin on How She Began to Write Fiction". (video) Simon & Schuster. 2019.
- Bartnett, Erin (2019). "Jen Beagin Counters the BS of Who You're Supposed to Be in Your 20s". Electric Literature.
- Canfield, David (2019). "Jen Beagin on writing bad boyfriends, worse behavior, and a hilarious new literary hero". Entertainment Weekly.
- Baker, Sam (2023). "The Shift bookclub with Jen Beagin, author of Big Swiss". (video) The Shift Bookclub.
