Jonathan Evison

Jonathan Evison

Jonathan Evison
Born 1968
San Jose, California
Occupation Novelist
Nationality American
Genre Literary Fiction
Website
jonathanevison.net

Jonathan Evison (born 1968), is an American writer best known for his novels All About Lulu, West of Here, and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving. His work, often distinguished by its emotional resonance and offbeat humor, has been compared by critics to a variety of authors, most notably J.D. Salinger,[1] Charles Dickens, T.C. Boyle,[2] and John Irving.[3] Sherman Alexie has called Evison "the most honest white man alive."[4] His debut novel, All About Lulu, published in 2008 by Soft Skull Press, won critical acclaim, including the Washington State Book Award, and landed on many year-end “Best of” lists, including Hudson Booksellers, where it enjoyed the added distinction of being the only independent title selected in 2008. The L Magazine included All About Lulu in its Best Books of the Decade.[5] Evison's second novel, the New York Times Bestselling West of Here, was released in 2011 by Algonquin Books. West of Here won the 2012 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award and the Booklist Editor's Choice Award, and was named Book of the Year by Hudson Booksellers. Editor Chuck Adams (Water for Elephants, A Reliable Wife, An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England) has called West of Here the best novel he's worked on in over four decades of publishing.[6] His third novel, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, released in 2012, was also widely acclaimed, earning him his second Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award in as many years. In the New York Times, Janet Maslin called the novel "Evison's most stealthily powerful novel." Upon its release, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving was optioned for film by Rob Burnett of Worldwide Pants, and was produced in 2015, starring Paul Rudd, Selena Gomez, and Craig Roberts, for release in 2016.[7]

Evison's fourth novel, This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! is set to publish in fall of 2015. He recently completed his fifth novel, Mike Munoz Saves the World! The Great American Landscaping Novel, which has yet to be scheduled for release. In 2009, Evison was awarded a Richard Buckley Fellowship from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation.[8]

He is one of the contributors to the literary website Three Guys One Book and is the executive editor of The Nervous Breakdown, where among other duties, he curates the national book club. He was the first guest on author and podcaster Brad Listi's podcast Other People.

Evison allegedly wrote six unpublished novels before the publication of All About Lulu, physically burying three of them,[9] and purportedly burned all of his rejection letters.[10] Evison is renowned for his extensive and colorful book touring,[11] and his love of beer.[12] In 2009 and 2011 he was nominated by the American Book Association as Most Engaging Author.[13]

Evison formerly worked as a laborer, a caregiver, a bartender, a telemarketer, a car salesman and a syndicated radio host. In this latter incarnation, he was the writer, producer, and host of the award winning comedy show, Shaken, Not Stirred. In his teens, Evison was the founding member and frontman of the Seattle punk band March of Crimes, which included future members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.

Born in San Jose, California, Evison has lived in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Missoula, Montana. He now lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington with his family.

Works

Awards & Honors

All About Lulu

West of Here

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

Other

External links

References

  1. ↑ http://www.powells.com/review/2008_06_07.html
  2. ↑ http://www.cclapcenter.com/2012/01/the_year_in_books_2011_best_of.html
  3. ↑ http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/constant-reader/Content?oid=879925
  4. ↑ http://townhallseattle.org/pharos-editions-debut-sherman-alexie-jess-walter-jonathan-evison-with-paul-constant/
  5. ↑ http://www.thelmagazine.com/gyrobase/well-at-least-there-was-good-stuff-to-read-the-books-of-the-decade/Content?oid=1485416&showFullText=true
  6. ↑ http://news.shelf-awareness.com/ar/theshelf/2010-05-26/bea_editors_buzz.html
  7. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2452386/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  8. ↑ http://isherwoodfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=1
  9. ↑ http://therumpus.net/2011/02/the-rumpus-interview-with-jonathan-evison/
  10. ↑ http://www.authormagazine.org/editors_blog/?tag=evison
  11. ↑ http://www.bookslut.com/features/2011_05_017610.php
  12. ↑ http://www.readinginla.com/?p=128
  13. ↑ http://news.bookweb.org/news/aba-announces-2011-indies-choice-and-eb-white-award-winners