Victor LaValle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victor LaValle
Born	(1972-02-03) February 3, 1972 (age 53) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Author
Education	Cornell University (BA) Columbia University (MFA)
Period	1999–present
Genre	Speculative fiction Horror
Notable works	Slapboxing With Jesus The Ballad of Black Tom The Changeling
Notable awards	Shirley—Novel (2010) BFA—Novella (2017) Shirley—Novella (2017) WFA—Novel (2018) Locus—Horror Novel (2018)
Spouse	Emily Raboteau
Children	2

Victor LaValle (born February 3, 1972) is an American author. He is known for his exciting stories, especially in the fantasy and horror genres. He has written a collection of short stories called Slapboxing with Jesus. He has also written five novels: The Ecstatic, Big Machine, The Devil in Silver, The Changeling, and Lone Women.

His fantasy-horror novella The Ballad of Black Tom won the 2016 Shirley Jackson Award. This award is given for excellent works in the horror and psychological suspense genres. LaValle mainly writes fiction. However, he has also written articles and book reviews for magazines like GQ and The Washington Post.

Early Life and Education

Victor LaValle was born on February 3, 1972. He grew up in the Flushing and Rosedale areas of Queens, New York. His mother, who came from Uganda, raised him.

He went to Lawrence Woodmere Academy for school. Later, he studied English at Cornell University. He then earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Columbia University.

His Amazing Books

Victor LaValle has written many popular and award-winning books. Here are some of his most notable works.

Slapboxing with Jesus

This collection of eleven short stories was published in 1999. The stories are connected and mostly about young Black and Latino men. They live in New York during the 1970s and 1980s. The book received a lot of praise from critics. It also won the PEN/Open Book Award.

The Ecstatic

Published in 2002, this novel continues the story of Anthony James. Anthony is a character from LaValle's earlier short stories. In this book, Anthony is a very overweight college dropout. He is also struggling with his thoughts. The novel follows his family as they try to help him. The book has some serious topics, but it also has a funny, dark humor throughout. Many critics compared it to famous writers like Ken Kesey. It was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 2003.

Big Machine

This novel came out in 2009. It was highly praised and appeared on many national top ten lists. Big Machine won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel in 2009. It also received the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and an American Book Award in 2010.

The Devil in Silver

Published in 2012, this story is about a man named Pepper. He finds himself in a strange hospital. While there, he meets a scary monster known as the Devil. This creature roams the halls at night.

The Ballad of Black Tom

This novella was published in 2016. It is a new version of an old story by H. P. Lovecraft called "The Horror at Red Hook." LaValle tells the story from the point of view of a young Black man living in Harlem.

The Changeling

This novel was published in 2017 and was very popular. It was chosen as one of the ten best books of 2017 by the New York Public Library. It also won a 2018 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Other awards include the 2018 Locus Award for Horror Novel and the 2018 British Fantasy Award for Horror Novel.

Destroyer (Graphic Novel)

Destroyer is a graphic novel published in 2017. It is a modern retelling of the classic story Frankenstein. The story follows a Black descendant of Dr. Frankenstein. She has lost her only son. The monster from the original novel is also in the story.

Lone Women

This novel was published in 2023. It is a western story with fantasy elements. It takes place in Montana in 1915. The story is about Adelaide Henry, a single woman. She leaves her family farm in California with a heavy trunk. She plans to start a new life in Montana.

Life Outside Writing

Victor LaValle is also a professor. He teaches at the Columbia University School of the Arts. He lives in New York with his wife, Emily Raboteau, who is also a novelist. They have a son and a daughter.

Awards and Recognitions

Victor LaValle has won many awards for his writing.

Other Honors

• 2004: Whiting Award for Fiction
• 2010: Guggenheim Fellowship
• 2016: This Is Horror Novella of the Year (for The Ballad of Black Tom)

Best Book Lists

Many magazines and newspapers have listed LaValle's books among the best.

• Big Machine was on "Best Books" lists in 2009 from the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, and Washington Post.
• The Devil in Silver was on the New York Times "100 Notable Books of 2012" list. It was also on Publishers Weekly and Washington Post "Best Books" lists in 2012.
• The Changeling was on the New York Times "100 Notable Books of 2017" list.