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Jen Beagin

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Jen Beagin
Born1971 (age 52–53)
Occupation
  • Novelist
  • writer
Education
Genre
  • Fiction
  • essays
Notable works
Notable awardsWhiting Award

Jen Beagin (born 1971) is an American novelist and writer.

Life and career

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Early life and education

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Beagin grew up in Torrance, California, and moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, in her youth.[1] She returned to college in her mid-30s,[2] and attended the University of Massachusetts Boston.[3] She earned an MFA in Writing from the University of California, Irvine.[4][5]

Professional life

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Among other jobs, Beagin was a long time housecleaner. This inspired the character of Mona, who is the housecleaner protagonist of her first two books.[6]

Published works

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Pretend I'm Dead (2015)

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Pretend I'm Dead, her first novel, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews which also noted it among the Best Fiction of 2018.[7] Pretend I'm Dead was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.[8] The popular website Emily Books gave an early positive review of the book,[9] the first edition of which was published by Northwestern University Press in 2015.[10] The novel was reissued as a hardcover in 2018 by Simon & Schuster.[11]

Vacuum in the Dark (2019)

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Vacuum in the Dark,[12] a sequel to Pretend I'm Dead, received a starred Kirkus review and was named a best book for February 2019 by Oprah Magazine.[13] Publishers Weekly has a starred review, calling it "a sharp and superb novel" that "pulls no punches—this novel is viciously smart and morbidly funny."[14]

Big Swiss (2023)

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Big Swiss is about a woman who transcribes sex therapy sessions and how she falls for a client Flavia, the titular "Big Swiss".

Publishers Weekly Tip Sheet notes that "This unconventional love story has a surplus of appeal from page one."[15]

Critical reception

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Entertainment Weekly said: "Beagin stands out among fiction's fresh crop of promising voices."[16] NPR Books says that "Beagin is a wonderfully funny writer who also happens to tackle serious subjects."[17]

Awards and nominations

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Awards

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Bibliography

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Novels

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  • — (2018). Pretend I'm Dead. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1501183935.
  • — (2019). Vacuum in the Dark. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1501182143.
  • — (2023). Big Swiss. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1982153083.

Short fiction

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Essays

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See also

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Articles

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Excerpts

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  • "Yoko and Yoko" excerpt from Pretend I'm Dead (2016)[22]
  • Excerpt from "Hole" in Pretend I'm Dead (2015)[23]
  • "Poop" excerpt from Vacuum in the Dark (2019)[24]

Interviews and readings

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References

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  1. ^ Gutman, Jennifer. "Hole In One: Jen Beagin". Chronogram Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  2. ^ Ragsdale, Melissa (2015-12-17). "Somewhere on the Path Towards Self-Awareness: An Interview with Jen Beagin". Electric Literature. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  3. ^ Gutman, Jennifer. "Hole In One: Jen Beagin". Chronogram Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  4. ^ "UCI M.F.A. alumna Jen Beagin '11 receives Whiting Award in fiction". www.humanities.uci.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  5. ^ "UC Irvine MFA Alumni Publications". Retrieved 2019-03-17.
  6. ^ Jen Beagin on How She Began to Write Fiction (Video), Simon & Schuster, 2019-01-28, retrieved 2019-03-12
  7. ^ "Kirkus Review: Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin". Kirkus Reviews. 15 May 2018.
  8. ^ "2018 Short List for Fiction First Novel Prize". centerforfiction.org. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  9. ^ "Pretend I'm Dead | Emily Books". www.emilybooks.com. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  10. ^ "Pretend I'm Dead | Northwestern University Press". nupress.northwestern.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  11. ^ Beagin, Jen (2018). Pretend I'm Dead. Simon & Schuster. p. 240. ISBN 9781501194429.
  12. ^ Beagin, Jen (2019). Vacuum in the Dark. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781501182143.
  13. ^ "These 4 Newly-Released Books Will Give You Plenty to Talk About at the Dinner Table". Oprah Magazine. 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  14. ^ "Fiction Book Review: Vacuum in the Dark by Jen Beagin". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  15. ^ "Big Swiss by Jen Beagin". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  16. ^ Canfield, David (2019-02-26). "Jen Beagin on writing bad boyfriends, worse behavior, and a hilarious new literary hero". EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  17. ^ Schaub, Michael (2019-02-26). "'Vacuum In The Dark' Is Fun, Funny — But Never Frivolous". NPR.org. NBR Books. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  18. ^ Beagin, Jen. "Jen Beagin, 2017 Winner in Fiction". www.whiting.org. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  19. ^ "Whiting Honorees". The Paris Review. 2017-03-22. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  20. ^ "2018 First Novel Prize Shortlist". centerforfiction.org. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  21. ^ Press Association (2019-04-17). "Wodehouse prize for comic fiction returns with six nominees". Evening Express. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  22. ^ "Yoko & Yoko". louisville.edu. University of Louisville Miracle Monocle, Issue #8. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  23. ^ Honorees, Whiting (2017-03-22). "Jen Beagin, Fiction". The Paris Review. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
  24. ^ "Vacuum in the Dark". Literary Hub. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2019-03-12.

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