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Mitchell S. Jackson

ミッチェル・エス・ジャクソン

Mitchell S. Jackson

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Portland, Oregon → New York City, New York → Chicago, Illinois → Tempe, Arizona (Arizona State University)

Career

Occupations
Author, Academic, Documentarian, Public speaker
Active Years
2002-
Affiliations
New York University (former faculty), Columbia University (former faculty), University of Chicago (former faculty, assistant professor), Arizona State University (John O. Whiteman Dean's Distinguished Professor)
Nominations
Center For Fiction Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize (shortlist), PEN/Hemingway Award (debut fiction, finalist), Hurston/Wright Legacy Award (finalist), William Saroyan International Prize for Writing (shortlist)

Education

Portland State University
Degree: MA (Writing)
Country: United States
Attended after release from prison; studied writing as part of career development.
New York University
Degree: MFA (Creative Writing)
Country: United States
Received an MFA in Creative Writing.

Awards

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
2014
Work: The Residue Years
Organization: Ernest J. Gaines Award / Foundation
Result: Winner
Whiting Award
2016
Organization: Whiting Foundation
Result: Winner
Lannan Foundation Fellowship
2014
Organization: Lannan Foundation
Result: Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Organization: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result: Fellowship
National Magazine Award (Feature Writing)
2021
Work: "Twelve Minutes and a Life" (Runner's World feature)
Category: Feature Writing
Organization: American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME)
Result: Winner
Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing
2021
Work: "Twelve Minutes and a Life" (Runner's World feature)
Category: Feature Writing
Organization: Pulitzer Prizes
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Residue Years

2013 Fiction (Novel)

A novel with autobiographical elements that explores youth and recovery in Portland—addressing drugs, crime, family relationships, and self-reconstruction in interconnected stories.

RedemptionPoverty and violenceFamilySelf-discovery
Adaptations
  • [Documentary] The Residue Years: A Documentary (2013)

Oversoul: Stories & Essays

2012 Short stories & Essays

An ebook collection of short fiction and essays that draws on personal experience and observations across varied pieces.

Urban lifeRace and identityMemory

Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family

2019 Nonfiction (Essays/Memoir)

A book blending family history and memoir that examines what the author terms 'Survival Math'—the strategies Black Americans use to survive—and received critical recognition from outlets like TIME and NPR.

Family historySurvival strategiesRacism and social structures

Bibliography

  • Oversoul: Stories & Essays (2012)
  • The Residue Years (2013)
  • Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family (2019)
  • Short fiction, essays and magazine features (various)

Adaptations

  • The Residue Years: A Documentary (2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Direct, gritty voiceFragmented/episodic structure with autobiographical elementsJournalistic grounding in reportage
Recurring Motifs
Redemption and atonementUrban violence and survival tacticsFamily and intergenerational relationships

Legacy

Mitchell S. Jackson is recognized for combining autobiographical elements with social insight, portraying youth redemption and Black urban experience. Winning the Pulitzer and National Magazine Award established his influence in both journalism and literature.

Academic Societies

  • Center for Fiction (affiliated)
  • PEN/Faulkner (associated)

Archives

Trivia

  • Was one of the first Black columnists for Esquire.
  • Was arrested and incarcerated in youth for drug-related charges; turned to literature after release.
  • Father of two.