ZZ Packer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids ZZ Packer
ZZ Packer at the 2009 Texas Book Festival.
Born	Zuwena Packer (1973-01-12) January 12, 1973 (age 52) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Period	2000-present

Zuwena "ZZ" Packer, born on January 12, 1973, is a talented American writer. She is best known for her amazing short stories. ZZ Packer has won several important awards for her writing. These include the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her book, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, also won the Commonwealth First Fiction Award. It was even chosen for the Today Show Book Club!

Growing Up and Learning

Early Life and School

ZZ Packer was born in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in different cities, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Louisville, Kentucky. "ZZ" was a fun nickname she had as a child. Her real name is Zuwena.

From a young age, ZZ loved to read. She would visit the library every day with her mom in Atlanta. When she was just 19, her writing was published in Seventeen magazine. She finished high school at Seneca High School in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1990.

College and Advanced Studies

After high school, ZZ Packer went to Yale University. She earned her first degree there in 1994. She then continued her studies, getting a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1995. Later, she earned another master's degree from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1999. There, a famous writer named James Alan McPherson helped guide her.

ZZ Packer's Writing Career

First Stories and Famous Books

ZZ Packer's writing first appeared in The New Yorker magazine in 2000. This was in their special Debut Fiction issue. The short story she published there became the main story in her first collection, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. This book received high praise from many important literary critics.

The novelist Colson Whitehead said that Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is taught in writing classes. He noted that the book is full of characters trying to find themselves and understand their lives.

Writing New Stories and Novels

In 2015, ZZ Packer shared that she was working on a novel. This novel, called The Thousands, is set during the Reconstruction era. This was the time right after the American Civil War. The book tells the stories of Black, white, and Native American families during this period.

ZZ Packer also writes regularly for The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker.

Books and Collections

Her Published Books

ZZ Packer has written one main book:

Stories in Other Collections

Her short stories have also been included in several collections with other writers' works:

Awards and Honors

Major Writing Awards

ZZ Packer has won many awards for her writing:

Other Special Recognitions

She has also received other honors:

Teaching and Fellowships

Teaching at Universities

ZZ Packer has shared her writing knowledge by teaching at many universities:

Fellowships and Grants

ZZ Packer has also received many fellowships and grants. These awards help writers focus on their work: