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Adam Haslett

アダム・ハスレット

Adam Haslett

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1970-12-24 (Rye, New York)
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Rye, New York → Massachusetts (raised) → Oxfordshire, England (raised)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Journalist, Visiting professor
Active Years
1999-
Affiliations
Iowa Writers' Workshop (visiting professor), Columbia University (visiting professor), Fine Arts Work Center (fellow)

Education

Swarthmore College
English
Degree: B.A.
Country: United States
BA in English
University of Iowa (Iowa Writers' Workshop)
Creative Writing
Degree: MFA
Country: United States
MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Yale University
Law
Degree: J.D.
Country: United States
J.D. from Yale

Awards

New York Magazine Writer-of-the-Year Award
2002
Organization: New York Magazine
Result: winner
National Book Award for Fiction
2002
Work: You Are Not a Stranger Here
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: finalist
PEN/L.L. Winship Award
2003
Work: You Are Not a Stranger Here
Organization: PEN New England
Result: winner
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
2003
Work: You Are Not a Stranger Here
Organization: Pulitzer Prize Board
Result: finalist
PEN/Malamud Award
2006
Organization: PEN America
Result: winner
Commonwealth Prize (shortlist)
2010
Work: Union Atlantic
Organization: Commonwealth Writers
Result: finalist
Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction
2011
Work: Union Atlantic
Organization: Lambda Literary
Result: winner
Kirkus Prize (finalist)
2016
Work: Imagine Me Gone
Organization: Kirkus Reviews
Result: finalist
National Book Award for Fiction
2016
Work: Imagine Me Gone
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: longlist
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction
2017
Work: Imagine Me Gone
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: winner
National Book Critics Circle Award
2017
Work: Imagine Me Gone
Organization: National Book Critics Circle
Result: finalist
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
2017
Work: Imagine Me Gone
Organization: Pulitzer Prize Board
Result: finalist

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

You Are Not a Stranger Here

2002 Fiction (short story collection)

A debut short story collection noted for sensitive portrayals of characters and depictions of mental illness; praised for its strong sense of character.

mental illnessinterpersonal relationshipsloss

Union Atlantic

2010 Fiction (novel)

A novel centered on a conflict over a parcel of land between a young banker and a retired teacher, portraying the culture that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis.

financial crisisclass and capitalismmorality and responsibility

Imagine Me Gone

2016 Fiction (novel)

A novel about a family coping with the intergenerational consequences of the father's and eldest son's struggles with depression and anxiety; noted for psychological depth.

depressionintergenerational family impactmental health

Mothers and Sons

2024 Fiction

Published in 2024; detailed synopsis not provided.

Bibliography

  • You Are Not a Stranger Here (2002)
  • Union Atlantic (2010)
  • Imagine Me Gone (2016)
  • Mothers and Sons (2024)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
character-drivenpsychological realismnuanced, observational prose
Recurring Motifs
mental illness and its effectsfamily relationshipssocial and economic tensions

Legacy

Adam Haslett is an American writer noted for delicate character studies and portrayals of mental illness and family complexity. He has received multiple awards and nominations in both short fiction and novels, and is regarded as an important contemporary novelist for psychological realism.

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters (fellowships/associations)

Trivia

  • Official website: http://www.adamhaslett.net/
  • Debut collection 'You Are Not a Stranger Here' was noted for depictions of mental illness.
  • Educated at Swarthmore College, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and Yale University.
  • Has served as a visiting professor at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Columbia University.