Gary Shteyngart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gary Shteyngart
|
|
|---|---|
Gary Shteyngart at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
|
|
| Born | Igor Semyonovich Shteyngart July 5, 1972 Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (present-day Saint Petersburg, Russia) |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Esther Won |
Gary Shteyngart (born Igor Semyonovich Shteyngart on July 5, 1972) is an American writer. He was born in the Soviet Union. He is famous for writing five novels and a memoir. Many of his stories are funny and use satire, which means they make fun of things to show a point.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Igor Semyonovich Shteyngart was born in Leningrad, which is now called Saint Petersburg in Russia. He lived there for his first seven years. His family was Jewish and his father worked at a camera factory. His mother was a pianist. When he was only five years old, he wrote a 100-page comic novel!
In 1979, Gary moved to the United States with his family. They lived in Queens, New York. English was not spoken at home, and he had a Russian accent until he was about 14.
He went to Stuyvesant High School in New York City. Later, he studied politics at Oberlin College in Ohio. He graduated in 1995.
Becoming a Writer
After college, Gary Shteyngart worked for non-profit groups in New York. He also traveled to Prague in the early 1990s. This trip helped him write his first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook. This book is set in a made-up city in Europe called Prava.
In 1999, he sent part of his first novel to Hunter College. This helped him get his first book deal. He later earned a special degree in creative writing from Hunter College. Gary Shteyngart has also taught writing at Hunter College and Columbia University.
Awards and Recognitions
Gary Shteyngart's books have won many awards. His first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, won several prizes. It was also named a "Notable Book" by The New York Times.
In 2002, he was called one of the best new writers. His book Absurdistan was chosen as one of the top ten books of the year by The New York Times Book Review and Time magazine.
In 2010, The New Yorker magazine named him one of the "20 under 40" best fiction writers. His novel Super Sad True Love Story won an award for funny literature in 2011. His memoir, Little Failure, was also a finalist for a major book award in 2014.
His Books
Gary Shteyngart has written several novels:
- The Russian Debutante's Handbook (2002)
- Absurdistan (2006)
- Super Sad True Love Story (2010)
For some of his books, like Super Sad True Love Story and his memoir Little Failure, he even made short film trailers to promote them! Famous actors like Paul Giamatti, James Franco, Rashida Jones, and Ben Stiller have appeared in these trailers.
His book Lake Success came out in 2018. His fifth novel, Our Country Friends, was published in 2021. It tells a story about friends spending time together during the pandemic. His other writings have been in magazines like The New Yorker and The New York Times.
Personal Life
Gary Shteyngart is married to Esther Won. They have a son, who was born in October 2013. He lives in Manhattan, New York City. He also spends half the year at a house in the Hudson River Valley, where he does most of his writing.
See also
In Spanish: Gary Shteyngart para niños
