Jen Beagin | |
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Born | 1971 (age 52–53) |
Occupation |
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Alma mater | |
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Notable works | |
Notable awards | Whiting Award |
Jen Beagin is an American novelist and writer.
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]
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.[7] Pretend I’m Dead was shortlisted for The Center for Fiction’s 2018 First Novel Prize.[8] The popular website Emily Books gave an early positive review of the book,[9] the first edition of which was published by Northwestern University Press in 2015.[10] The novel was reissued as a hardcover in 2018 by Simon & Schuster.[11]
Vacuum in the Dark (2019)
Vacuum in the Dark,[12] a sequel to Pretend I’m Dead, received a starred Kirkus review and was named a best book for February 2019 by Oprah Magazine.[13] 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."[14]
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."[15]
Critical reception
Entertainment Weekly said: "Beagin stands out among fiction’s fresh crop of promising voices."[16] NPR Books says that "Beagin is a wonderfully funny writer who also happens to tackle serious subjects."[17]
Awards and nominations
Awards
- 2017: Whiting Award for fiction[18][19]
- 2018: Pretend I’m Dead nominated to shortlist for the Center for Fiction’s 2018 First Novel Prize.[20]
- 2019: Vacuum in the Dark nominated to shortlist for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction.[21]
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.
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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.
References
- ↑ Gutman, Jennifer. "Hole In One: Jen Beagin". Chronogram Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
- ↑ Ragsdale, Melissa (2015-12-17). "Somewhere on the Path Towards Self-Awareness: An Interview with Jen Beagin". Electric Literature. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
- ↑ Gutman, Jennifer. "Hole In One: Jen Beagin". Chronogram Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
- ↑ "UCI M.F.A. alumna Jen Beagin '11 receives Whiting Award in fiction". www.humanities.uci.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- ↑ "UC Irvine MFA Alumni Publications". Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ↑ Jen Beagin on How She Began to Write Fiction (Video), Simon & Schuster, 2019-01-28, retrieved 2019-03-12
- ↑ "Kirkus Review: Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin". Kirkus Reviews. 15 May 2018.
- ↑ "2018 Short List for Fiction First Novel Prize". centerforfiction.org. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ↑ "Pretend I'm Dead | Emily Books". www.emilybooks.com. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ "Pretend I'm Dead | Northwestern University Press". nupress.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ Beagin, Jen (2018). Pretend I'm Dead. Simon & Schuster. p. 240. ISBN 9781501194429.
- ↑ Beagin, Jen (2019). Vacuum in the Dark. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781501182143.
- ↑ "These 4 Newly-Released Books Will Give You Plenty to Talk About at the Dinner Table". Oprah Magazine. 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ "Fiction Book Review: Vacuum in the Dark by Jen Beagin". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ "Big Swiss by Jen Beagin". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ↑ Canfield, David (2019-02-26). "Jen Beagin on writing bad boyfriends, worse behavior, and a hilarious new literary hero". EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ Schaub, Michael (2019-02-26). "'Vacuum In The Dark' Is Fun, Funny — But Never Frivolous". NPR.org. NBR Books. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ Beagin, Jen. "Jen Beagin, 2017 Winner in Fiction". www.whiting.org. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ "Whiting Honorees". The Paris Review. 2017-03-22. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- ↑ "2018 First Novel Prize Shortlist". centerforfiction.org. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ↑ Press Association (2019-04-17). "Wodehouse prize for comic fiction returns with six nominees". Evening Express. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- ↑ "Yoko & Yoko". louisville.edu. University of Louisville Miracle Monocle, Issue #8. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
- ↑ Honorees, Whiting (2017-03-22). "Jen Beagin, Fiction". The Paris Review. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
- ↑ "Vacuum in the Dark". Literary Hub. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2019-03-12.