Benjamin Hale (author)

Benjamin Hale (born August 20, 1983 in Hayward, California) is an American novelist based in Brooklyn, New York.[1] He was raised in Boulder, Colorado, where he attended Fairview High School. In 2006, he received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and earned an M.F.A. in 2008 from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he received an Iowa Provost's Fellowship and a Michener-Copernicus Award.[2] Since 2013, Hale has taught fiction and literature at Bard College as a Writer in Residence.[3]

Benjamin Hale
Born (1983-08-20) August 20, 1983 (age 41)
Hayward, California, U.S.
OccupationWriter
EducationSarah Lawrence College (BA)
University of Iowa (MFA)

Hale's first novel, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, was released by Twelve Books on February 2, 2011[4] to largely positive reviews.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] The novel tells the story of an extraordinarily precocious chimpanzee who learns to speak in English and develops a romantic relationship with a human female primatologist.[4] Narrated in the protagonist ape's own voice, the novel depicts Bruno Littlemore's development from a captive zoo animal into a virtually-human aesthete and intellectual, often highlighting his struggle to negotiate the human and animal aspects of his character. The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore garnered Hale the 2012 Bard Fiction Prize,[13] as well as nominations for the 2011 Dylan Thomas Prize[14] and the 2012 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award.[15]

Hale's second work of fiction, a collection of short stories titled The Fat Artist and Other Stories, was published by Simon and Schuster in 2016. Critics have described these stories as "excellent,"[16] "jarring,"[17] "erudite,"[18] and "wry."[19]

Hale's non-fiction work has appeared in Harper's[20] and The Millions.[21]

He is represented by DeFiore and Company,[2] and is currently working on a new novel. Benjamin often loses at chess to his brother in law Sam Millard, but enjoys chess anyway. He currently lives in the Hudson valley.

Notes

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  1. ^ Benjamin Hale Archived February 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Benjamin-hale.com. Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
  2. ^ a b DeFiore and Company Archived December 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Defioreandco.com. Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
  3. ^ Bard College Bard.edu. Retrieved on 2014-12-09.
  4. ^ a b The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore. Hachette Book Group (2009-09-18). Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
  5. ^ Beha, Christopher R. (February 4, 2011). "Primal Urges". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "'The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore' review". The San Francisco Chronicle. February 2, 2011.
  7. ^ "Book Review: The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, by Benjamin Hale". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011.
  8. ^ The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore: The Book Club. The New Yorker (2011-08-01). Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
  9. ^ Baton Rouge news, sports and entertainment on The Advocate. 2theadvocate.com. Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
  10. ^ 'Bruno Littlemore': This chimp can talk. Newsday.com. Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
  11. ^ Book Review: In “The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore,” Benjamin Hale Monkeys Around | The New York Observer Archived February 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Observer.com. Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
  12. ^ Gartner, Zsuzsi (February 4, 2011). "The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, by Benjamin Hale". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  13. ^ Bard Fiction Prize: Benjamin Hale, 2012 Recipient Archived August 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Bard College. Retrieved on 2012-11-13.
  14. ^ Dylan Thomas Prize 2011 shortlist is announced BBC (2011-10-20). Retrieved on 2012-11-13.
  15. ^ Finalists Chosen for The New York Public Library’s 2012 Young Lions Fiction Award New York Public Library(2012-03-08). Retrieved on 2012-11-13.
  16. ^ Schaub, Michal (June 2, 2016). "Benjamin Hale treats troubled characters with care in 'The Fat Artist and Other Stories'". The L.A. Times.
  17. ^ "Review: The Fat Artist and Other Stories". Library Journal. May 15, 2016.
  18. ^ "Review: The Fat Artist". Publishers Weekly. May 16, 2016.
  19. ^ "Review: The Fat Artist and Other Stories". Kirkus Reviews. March 3, 2016.
  20. ^ Benjamin Hale Harper's. Retrieved on 2012-11-13.
  21. ^ A Passion for Immortality: On the Missing Pulitzer and the Problem with Prizes The Millions (2012-05-29) Retrieved on 2012-11-13.

Bibliography

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