Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 38 (2017) Winner
Jenny Zhang
ジェニー・チャン
Jenny Zhang
Aliases:
Jenny Bagel
Pen Names:
Jenny Bagel（Alternate name used online and in some essays）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1983-01-01 （Shanghai, China）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Chinese (Mandarin)
- Residence History
- Shanghai (birth) → New York City (childhood onwards) → Long Island (raised) → San Francisco (early career) → South of France (period of writing poetry) → Brooklyn (residence and base)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Poet, Essayist
- Active Years
- 2010-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | — | Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity | BA | 2001-2005 | United States |
| Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa) | — | Fiction (MFA program) | MFA | 2007-2009 | United States |
Stanford University
Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity
Degree:
BA
Period:
2001-2005
Year of Graduation:
2005
Country:
United States
BA in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity
Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa)
Fiction (MFA program)
Degree:
MFA
Period:
2007-2009
Year of Graduation:
2009
Country:
United States
MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Provost Fellowship | — | — | Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa) | 受与（フェローシップ） |
| 2009 | Teaching-Writing Fellowship | — | — | Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa) | 受与（フェローシップ） |
| 2010 | Zoetrope All-Story Short Fiction Contest (2nd prize) | — | — | Zoetrope All-Story | 準優勝 |
| 2012 | Workspace writer-in-residence (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council) | — | レジデンス | Lower Manhattan Cultural Council | 任命 |
| 2016 | National Magazine Awards (Essays & Criticism finalist) | How It Feels | エッセイ | National Magazine Awards | 最終候補（ファイナリスト） |
| 2016 | APRIL Festival Writer-in-Residence | — | レジデンス | APRIL Festival | 任命 |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction) | Sour Heart | 初刊長編部門（ファーストフィクション） | Los Angeles Times | 受賞 |
| 2018 | PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize | Sour Heart | — | PEN America | 受賞 |
Provost Fellowship
2009
Organization:
Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa)
Result:
受与（フェローシップ）
Teaching-Writing Fellowship
2009
Organization:
Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa)
Result:
受与（フェローシップ）
Zoetrope All-Story Short Fiction Contest (2nd prize)
2010
Organization:
Zoetrope All-Story
Result:
準優勝
Workspace writer-in-residence (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council)
2012
Category:
レジデンス
Organization:
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Result:
任命
National Magazine Awards (Essays & Criticism finalist)
2016
Work:
How It Feels
Category:
エッセイ
Organization:
National Magazine Awards
Result:
最終候補（ファイナリスト）
APRIL Festival Writer-in-Residence
2016
Category:
レジデンス
Organization:
APRIL Festival
Result:
任命
Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction)
2018
Work:
Sour Heart
Category:
初刊長編部門（ファーストフィクション）
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
受賞
PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize
2018
Work:
Sour Heart
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Sour Heart: Stories
2017 Short story collection (bildungsroman)A collection of seven coming-of-age stories focusing on Chinese-American girls and their families, conveying the sweetness and sourness of childhood.
immigrant experiencechildhoodfamilyidentity
Adaptations
- [Film] Sour Heart (film project) / Cathy Yan
Dear Jenny, We Are All Find
2012 PoetryA collection of poems reflecting youth and ache, some written during her time at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.
youthpainthe body
Hags
2014 Non-fiction chapbookA limited-edition chapbook collecting essays written in response to political acts and personal reactions, including work written in one night.
politicsfeminismpersonal experience
My Baby First Birthday: Poems
2020 PoetryA collection of poetic fragments and images, including poems concerned with parenthood and memory.
memoryintimacygrowing
Bibliography
- Dear Jenny, We Are All Find (2012)
- Hags (2014, chapbook)
- Sour Heart: Stories (2017)
- My Baby First Birthday: Poems (2020)
Adaptations
- Film adaptation project of Sour Heart (to be directed by Cathy Yan)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- direct and raw narrative voicepersonal and image-rich styleoften fragmentary and poetic phrasing
- Recurring Motifs
- childhood memoriesimmigration and identityfamily relationshipsbody and sexuality
Legacy
Jenny Zhang is recognized for her sharp portrayals of the Chinese-American experience and, through poetry, short stories and essays, has become a prominent voice for a younger generation. Sour Heart received critical acclaim and multiple award recognitions. With adaptation interest, she is considered a notable contemporary American writer.
In Popular Culture
- Noted as the first acquisition for Lena Dunham's Lenny imprint.
- Film adaptation of Sour Heart has been announced, attracting interest in film circles.
Quotes
-
I wanted to convey the unreality of childhood, the sweetness and the sourness of being so small.
Source: Interview about Sour Heart (e.g., Powell's Q&A) (2017)
Trivia
- Also known by the nickname Jenny Bagel.
- Sour Heart was the first title acquired by Lena Dunham's Lenny imprint.
- A film adaptation of Sour Heart was announced with Cathy Yan attached to direct (release year TBA).