Kaitlyn Greenidge is an American writer. She received a 2017 Whiting Award for Fiction for her debut novel, We Love You, Charlie Freeman. Her second book is a historical novel called Libertie (2021).[1][2]
Kaitlyn Greenidge | |
|---|---|
 Greenidge at Cambridge Friends School in 2019 | |
| Born | 42–43 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Education |
|
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Subject | Culture, society, reviews |
| Notable works | We Love You, Charlie Freeman |
| Notable awards | Whiting Award for Fiction (2017) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | |
| kaitlyngreenidge | |
Early life and education
editGreenidge was born in Boston and grew up in the neighboring communities of Somerville and Arlington.[3][4] Her mother, a social worker and her two sisters lived in a single-parent household after her parents divorced when she was 7.[5][1] Kaitlyn and her sisters were among the few students of color in their school district, which was said to be exclusive.[1]
Kaitlyn Greenidge worked a few jobs while attending college in New York City. She had a job at a school cafeteria, at an infant daycare center, and in the visitors center at Ellis Island. At the time she was living in Washington Heights, Manhattan.
Taking time off from school, she and her high school best friend moved to Juneau, Alaska for about six months. She worked for Gavel to Gavel, an Alaska legislative program similar to national government ones on C-SPAN. She found the job by meeting a man who worked for KTOO-TV while traveling with her friend on the ferry to Juneau.[6] She received her bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and her MFA from Hunter College in Manhattan.[1][7]
Career
edit
Greenidge has written nonfiction for outlets including Elle, Vogue, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.[8][7] In September 2020 she was hired as the features director for Harper's Bazaar.[9]
Books
editGreenidge's debut novel, We Love You, Charlie Freeman, was released in 2016. It is the story of an African American family, the Freemans, who adopt a chimpanzee and raise it as a family member for an institutional research project.[2] The book received positive critical reception; it was called "masterful"[10] in a Paste review, and a "vivid and poignant coming-of-age story"[11] by Kirkus Reviews. She won a 2017 Whiting Award for the book.
She received a 2018–2019 fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute, where she worked on "an untitled novel based in part on the life of Susan McKinney Steward, the first black female doctor in the state of New York."[7] The novel, Libertie, was released by Algonquin Books in March 2021.[12] In a starred review by Publishers Weekly, the book was called "another genius work of radical historical fiction."[13] Kirkus Reviews said in a similarly positive review, "Greenidge explores issues that are still real today while also inviting readers into historical moments that will be new to many."[14]
Personal life
editGreenidge lives in central Massachusetts with her daughter who was born in 2019.[1]
Accolades
edit- 2017 - Whiting Award for Fiction (for We Love You, Charlie Freeman)[2]
- 2021 - Guggenheim Fellowship for Fiction
Works
editBooks
edit- We Love You, Charlie Freeman (2016), Algonquin, ISBN 978-1-61620-467-9
- Libertie (2021), Algonquin, ISBN 978-1-61620-701-4
Articles
edit- What Walmart Doesn't Get About Juneteenth (2021); The New York Times – Opinion Guest Essay[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Alter, Alexandra (March 21, 2021). "Excellence Runs in the Family. Her Novel's Heroine Wants Something Else". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
- ^ a b c Honorees, Whiting (March 22, 2017). "Kaitlyn Greenidge, Fiction". The Paris Review. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "Fan of histories that force us to rethink history - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Greenidge, Kaitlyn. "Dear President: What You Need to Know About a Racialized Imagination | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Cheng, Bill (June 16, 2016). "In fiction, anyone can be a protagonist: "I don't understand this desire to only read about people who are like oneself"". Salon. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Seriously Entertaining: Kaitlyn Greenidge on "Long, Strange Trip", March 23, 2022, retrieved July 6, 2023
- ^ a b c "Kaitlyn Greenidge". Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. April 5, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Grady, Constance (January 22, 2020). "The controversy over the new immigration novel American Dirt, explained". Vox. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Hopkins, Kathryn (October 9, 2020). "Samira Nasr Makes Three New Hires at Harper's Bazaar". WWD. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Nathans-Kelly, Steve (March 8, 2016). "We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge Review". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "We Love You, Charlie Freeman". Kirkus Reviews. January 1, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Lefferts, Daniel (November 20, 2020). "With Her New Book, Kaitlyn Greenidge Practices Radical Care". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Libertie". www.publishersweekly.com. December 14, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ "Libertie". Kirkus Reviews. December 15, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ Greenidge, Kaitlyn (June 18, 2021). "What Walmart Doesn't Get About Juneteenth". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
External links
edit
- Official website
- Kaitlyn Greenidge on Twitter