John Vercher is an American novelist, essayist, and educator. His work explores themes of race, identity, mental health, and societal issues through literary fiction.[1]
John Vercher | |
|---|---|
| Occupation |
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| Nationality | American |
| Education |
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| Notable works | Three-Fifths, After the Lights Go Out, Devil Is Fine |
Education
editVercher earned his Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Mountainview Master of Fine Arts program.[2]
Career
editTeaching
editVercher serves as core faculty at Randolph College's low-residency MFA program in Lynchburg, Virginia. He previously worked as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of English & Philosophy at Drexel University and was the inaugural Wilma Dykeman Writer-in-Residence at the University of North Carolina Asheville.[3]
Writing
editVercher's debut novel, Three-Fifths (2019), was published as the inaugural title of Agora, a Polis Books imprint focused on diverse voices in crime fiction.[4] The novel explores themes of racial identity and racism through the story of a biracial man who passes as white.[5]
His second novel, After the Lights Go Out (2022), follows a mixed martial arts fighter dealing with brain trauma and identity issues. The book drew from Vercher's own experience training in MMA.[1] Publishers Weekly called it "simply brilliant" in a starred review, and The New York Times described it as "shrewd and explosive."[6]
His third novel, Devil Is Fine (2024), explores grief and racial identity through magical realism.[3] The book received starred reviews from Booklist and BookPage, and was named one of the best new books of Summer 2024 by TIME Magazine.[7]
Vercher's non-fiction work has appeared in various publications including Men's Health,[8] Cognoscenti, WBUR Boston, Entropy Magazine, CrimeReads, and LitHub.[9]
Awards and Recognition
edit- Three-Fifths was named one of the best books of 2019 by the Chicago Tribune[2]
- Named a Book of the Year by The Guardian,[10] The Financial Times,[11] and The Sunday Times
- After the Lights Go Out was named a Best Book of Summer 2022 by BookRiot and Publishers Weekly[6]
- Named a Booklist Editor's Choice Best Book of 2022[7]
Personal Life
editVercher lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two sons.[9]
Bibliography
editNovels
edit- Three-Fifths (2019)
- After the Lights Go Out (2022)
- Devil Is Fine (2024)
References
edit- ^ a b "A novelist's time in the MMA cage informed his book on memory loss and identity". NPR Fresh Air. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ a b "Throwing Rocks: An Interview with John Vercher". Los Angeles Review of Books. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ a b "Making Reality Bigger Than Life: A Conversation with John Vercher About "Devil is Fine"". Chicago Review of Books. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "A new publishing imprint aims to bring diversity to mystery thrillers". New York Post. 2019-01-05. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Three-Fifths: America's fractured society past and present". The Irish Times. 2020-10-10. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ a b "Book Review: After the Lights Go Out". The Washington Post. 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ a b "24 New Books You Need to Read This Summer". TIME. 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "John Vercher Essay on Fatherhood". Men's Health. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ a b "John Vercher's novel 'Devil Is Fine' tackles grief through magical realism". NPR. 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "The best books of 2020 to support indie publishers this Christmas". The Guardian. 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "The best books of 2020". Financial Times. 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2024-11-15.