American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 29 (2008) Winner
Tom Lutz
トム・ラッツ
Tom Lutz
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1953-03-21 （Cedar Grove, New Jersey, USA）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Los Angeles, California, USA → Saint-Chamassy, Dordogne, France
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Literary critic, Editor, Professor
- Active Years
- 1980-
- Affiliations
- California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), University of Iowa, Stanford University, University of Copenhagen, University of California, Riverside (UCR)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Dubuque (attended) | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of Massachusetts | — | English and Journalism | B.A. | — | United States |
| Stanford University | — | Modern Thought and Literature | Ph.D. | — | United States |
University of Dubuque (attended)
Country:
United States
Attended before transferring
University of Massachusetts
English and Journalism
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
Bachelor of Arts in English and Journalism
Stanford University
Modern Thought and Literature
Degree:
Ph.D.
Country:
United States
Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | American Book Award | Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America | — | Before Columbus Foundation | winner |
American Book Award
2008
Work:
Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Portraits: Moments of Intimacy on the Road
2022 Essay / TravelA collection of essays portraying people and intimate moments encountered on the road.
travelhuman relationshipsintimacy
The Kindness of Strangers
2021 Essay / NonfictionAn essay collection that explores the meaning of kindness through encounters with strangers.
kindnessencounterstravel
Aimlessness
2021 Essay / Cultural criticismCritical essays reflecting on modern culture's emphasis on purpose and productivity.
idleness and productivitycontemporary culture
Born Slippy: A Novel
2020 NovelA work of fiction exploring urban life and personal isolation.
citylonelinessidentity
And the Monkey Learned Nothing: Dispatches from a Life of Travel
2017 Travel / EssaysTravel essays based on experiences traveling around the world.
travelcultural observation
Drinking Mare's Milk on the Roof of the World: Wandering the Globe from Azerbaijan to Zanzibar
2016 Travel / NonfictionA travelogue recounting journeys from Azerbaijan to Zanzibar, describing landscapes and people.
adventureethnicity and culture
Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America
2007 Cultural history / NonfictionA cultural history that examines American attitudes toward work and idleness through the figure of the loafer.
work attitudesidlenesscultural history
Cosmopolitan Vistas: American Regionalism and Literary Value
2004 Literary studies / CriticismAn academic study of American regionalism and literary value.
regionalismliterary value
Crying: A Natural and Cultural History of Tears
1999 Cultural history / NonfictionAn investigative book about the natural history and cultural meanings of tears.
emotioncultural history
American Nervousness, 1903: An Anecdotal History
1991 History / Cultural studiesAn anecdotal history of American nervousness and cultural moods in the early 20th century.
cultural historysensibility
Bibliography
- American Nervousness, 1903: An Anecdotal History
- Crying: A Natural and Cultural History of Tears
- Cosmopolitan Vistas: American Regionalism and Literary Value
- Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America
- Drinking Mare's Milk on the Roof of the World: Wandering the Globe from Azerbaijan to Zanzibar
- And the Monkey Learned Nothing: Dispatches from a Life of Travel
- Born Slippy: A Novel
- Aimlessness
- The Kindness of Strangers
- Portraits: Moments of Intimacy on the Road
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- conversational and accessible proseobservational essayistic writingblend of critical and lyrical tones
- Recurring Motifs
- travel and movementencounters with strangersidleness/aimlessnessobservation of American culture
Legacy
As the founder and editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB), he has been an influential figure in contemporary literary criticism. Through teaching and a wide-ranging body of essays and books, he has explored intersections of travel writing, cultural criticism, and literary studies.
Trivia
- Founder and editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB).
- Winner of the 2008 American Book Award.
- Served as Chair of the Department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside and retired in 2024 (Distinguished Professor Emeritus).