Alan Cheuse
Encyclopedia
Alan Cheuse is an American writer and critic, the son of a Russia
n immigrant father and a mother of Romania
n descent. He graduated from Perth Amboy High School
in 1957 and Rutgers University
in 1961. After traveling abroad and working for several years at various writing and editing jobs, he returned to Rutgers to study for a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature
, which he was awarded in 1974 (having written a thesis on the life and work of the Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier
). He then taught literature at Bennington College
for nearly a decade and then took various posts at Sewanee: The University of the South, the University of Virginia
and the University of Michigan
before joining the faculty at George Mason University
.
It was in the late 1970s that he began publishing short fiction, beginning with a story in The New Yorker
and going on to write for magazines such as Ploughshares
, The Antioch Review, Prairie Schooner
, and New Letters
. He brought out his first novel, a biographical historical work about John Reed and Louise Bryant, in 1982, and a number of other works of fiction and nonfiction followed.
He is a regular book reviewer for the NPR radio program All Things Considered
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n immigrant father and a mother of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n descent. He graduated from Perth Amboy High School
Perth Amboy High School
Perth Amboy High School is a four-year public high school in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States. PAHS, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Perth Amboy Public Schools...
in 1957 and Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1961. After traveling abroad and working for several years at various writing and editing jobs, he returned to Rutgers to study for a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
, which he was awarded in 1974 (having written a thesis on the life and work of the Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier
Alejo Carpentier
Alejo Carpentier y Valmont was a Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist who greatly influenced Latin American literature during its famous "boom" period. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Carpentier grew up in Havana, Cuba; and despite his European birthplace, Carpentier strongly self-identified...
). He then taught literature at Bennington College
Bennington College
Bennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
for nearly a decade and then took various posts at Sewanee: The University of the South, the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
before joining the faculty at George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
.
It was in the late 1970s that he began publishing short fiction, beginning with a story in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and going on to write for magazines such as Ploughshares
Ploughshares
Ploughshares is an American literary magazine founded in 1971 by DeWitt Henry and Peter O'Malley in The Plough and Stars, an Irish pub in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since 1989, Ploughshares has been based at Emerson College in the heart of Boston...
, The Antioch Review, Prairie Schooner
Prairie Schooner (magazine)
Prairie Schooner is a literary magazine published quarterly at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with the cooperation of UNL's English Department and the University of Nebraska Press...
, and New Letters
New Letters (magazine)
New Letters, the name it has been published under since 1970, is one of the oldest literary magazines in the United States and continues to publish award-winning poems and fiction.-History & Editors:...
. He brought out his first novel, a biographical historical work about John Reed and Louise Bryant, in 1982, and a number of other works of fiction and nonfiction followed.
He is a regular book reviewer for the NPR radio program All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
.
Selected short fiction
- "Days Given Over to Travel," Prairie Schooner, Summer, 2003
- "Revels," Southern California Anthology, Summer, 2004
- "Paradise, Or, Eat Your Face," (novella), The Idaho Review, Winter, 2004
- "Horse Sacrifice and the Shaman's Ascent to the Sky," The Land-Grant College Review, Winter, 2005
- "Thirty-Five Passages Over Water," The Antioch Review, Fall, 2006
- "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941," New Letters, Fall, 2006
- "In the Kauri Forest," Ploughshares, Fall, 2006
- "Gribnis," Prairie Schooner, Winter, 2006
- "A Little Death", The Southern Review, Summer, 2007
- “An Authentic Captain Marvel Ring”, Superstition Review, Fall, 2008
- "A Merry Little", ACM, #48, Winter, 2009
- "When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears and Watered Heaven with Their Tears", The Idaho Review, 2011
External links
- Alan Cheuse's official website
- George Mason profile
- Littoral interview with Alan Cheuse about his novel To Catch the Lightning, (2008)
- Public radio interview with Alan Cheuse about historical fiction and his novel To Catch the Lightning, (2008)
- Tennessee Writers Project biography
- Alan Cheuse bio at NPR
- Santa Fe Writers Project, publisher of The Fires