# Karen Russell

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American writer (born 1981)

Karen Russell Russell in 2011 Born (1981-07-10) July 10, 1981 (age 44) Miami, Florida, U.S. Occupation Writer Education Northwestern University (BA) Columbia University (MFA) Notable awards MacArthur fellowship 5 under 35 Honoree Website karenrussellauthor.com

**Karen Russell** (born July 10, 1981) is an American novelist and short story writer. Her [debut novel](/source/Debut_novel), *[Swamplandia!](/source/Swamplandia!)*, was a finalist for the [2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction](/source/2012_Pulitzer_Prize). In 2009 the [National Book Foundation](/source/National_Book_Foundation) named Russell a [5 Under 35](/source/National_Book_Foundation's_5_Under_35) honoree. She was also the recipient of a [MacArthur Foundation](/source/MacArthur_Foundation) ["Genius Grant"](/source/Genius_grant) in 2013.

## Early life and education

Russell was born in [Miami](/source/Miami), Florida, on July 10, 1981. Her brother, [Kent Russell](/source/Kent_Russell), is also a writer.

In 1999, she graduated from [Coral Gables Senior High School](/source/Coral_Gables_Senior_High_School) in [Coral Gables, Florida](/source/Coral_Gables%2C_Florida). She received a [BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) in [Spanish](/source/Spanish_language) from [Northwestern University](/source/Northwestern_University) in 2003 and an [MFA](/source/Master_of_Fine_Arts) from [Columbia University](/source/Columbia_University) in 2006.[1]

## Career

Russell's stories have been featured in *[The Best American Short Stories](/source/The_Best_American_Short_Stories)*, *[Conjunctions](/source/Conjunctions_(journal))*, *[Granta](/source/Granta)*, *[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)*, *[Oxford American](/source/Oxford_American)*, and *[Zoetrope](/source/Zoetrope%3A_All-Story)*.[2]

She was named a [National Book Foundation](/source/National_Book_Foundation) "5 Under 35" young writer honoree at the November 2009 ceremony[3] for her first short story collection, *St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves*, for which Russell won the Bard Fiction Prize in 2011.[4]

Russell's second book and [first novel](/source/First_novel), *[Swamplandia!](/source/Swamplandia!)*, about a family of alligator wrestlers and their shabby amusement park in the Everglades, was long-listed for the 2011 [Orange Prize](/source/Orange_Prize).[5] The novel was also included in *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'* "10 Best Books of 2011"[6] and won the New York Public Library's 2012 [Young Lions Fiction Award](/source/Young_Lions_Fiction_Award).[7] *Swamplandia!* was a finalist for the 2012 [Pulitzer Prize for Fiction](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Fiction); however, none of the three finalists received enough votes, and no prize was awarded.[8]

Russell's second collection of short stories, *Vampires in the Lemon Grove,* was published by [Vintage Contemporaries](/source/Vintage_Contemporaries) in February 2013. Her third short story collection, *[Orange World and Other Stories](/source/Orange_World_and_Other_Stories),* was released in May 2019.

Her short story "The Hox River Window," published in *[Zoetrope: All-Story](/source/Zoetrope%3A_All-Story)*, won the 2012 [National Magazine Award](/source/National_Magazine_Award) for fiction.[9] She is the recipient of the Mary Ellen von der Heyden [Berlin Prize](/source/Berlin_Prize) and was awarded a fellowship at the [American Academy in Berlin](/source/American_Academy_in_Berlin) for Spring 2012.[10] "Reeling for the Empire" won the [Shirley Jackson Award](/source/Shirley_Jackson_Award) for Best Novelette of 2012. In 2013, Russell received a [MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant."](/source/MacArthur_Foundation_Genius_Grant)[11]

In 2010, Russell was a visiting writer at the [Iowa Writers' Workshop](/source/Iowa_Writers'_Workshop).[12] She later served as an artist in residence at [Yaddo](/source/Yaddo) in [Saratoga Springs, NY](/source/Saratoga_Springs%2C_NY).[13] In Fall 2013, Russell was a distinguished guest teacher of creative writing in the MFA program at [Rutgers University-Camden](/source/Rutgers_University-Camden).[14]

Russell held the Endowed Chair in Creative Writing at [Texas State University](/source/Texas_State_University)’s MFA program from 2017 through 2020.[15]

In March 2025, her second novel *The Antidote* was released.[16] It was shortlisted for the 2025 [National Book Award for Fiction](/source/National_Book_Award_for_Fiction)[17] and was a finalist for the [National Book Critics Circle Award](/source/National_Book_Critics_Circle_Award) for fiction.[18][19]

## Personal life

A [Miami](/source/Miami) native, she later moved to [Portland, Oregon](/source/Portland%2C_Oregon), with her husband, editor Tony Perez, and two children.[20][21] In 2026 she started a job with [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University) as a creative writing professor. She currently resides in the [San Francisco Bay Area](/source/San_Francisco_Bay_Area). [22]

## Bibliography

### Novels

- *[Swamplandia!](/source/Swamplandia!)*. [Knopf](/source/Knopf). 2011. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780307263995](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780307263995).[23]

- *The Antidote*. [Random House](/source/Random_House). 2025. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780593802250](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780593802250).[24][25]

### Short fiction

**Collections**

- *St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves*. [Knopf](/source/Knopf). 2006. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780307263988](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780307263988).

- *Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories*. Knopf. 2013. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780307957238](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780307957238).

- *[Orange World and Other Stories](/source/Orange_World_and_Other_Stories)*. Knopf. 2019. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780525656135](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780525656135).

**Novellas**

- *Sleep Donation*. Vintage Books. 2020. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780525566083](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780525566083).

**Stories**

Title Year First published Reprinted/collected St Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves 2006 Russell, Karen (April 3, 2006). "St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves". Granta. Vol. 93. A family restaurant 2011 Russell, Karen (Fall 2011). "A family restaurant". Conjunctions. 57. Russell, Karen (2013). "A family restaurant". In Henderson, Bill (ed.). The Pushcart Prize XXXVII : best of the small presses 2013. Pushcart Press. pp. 183–206. The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis 2013 Russell, Karen (February 20, 2013). "The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis". Electric Literature. No. 40. Russell, Karen (2013). Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories. Knopf. ISBN 9780307957238. The Bad Graft 2014 Russell, Karen (June 2, 2014). "The Bad Graft". The New Yorker.[26] The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015. Mariner Books. 2015.[27][28] Sleep donation : a novella 2014 Sleep donation : a novella. Atavist Books. 2014. The Prospectors 2015 Russell, Karen (June 1, 2015). "The Prospectors". The New Yorker. The Bog Girl 2016 Russell, Karen (June 20, 2016). "The Bog Girl". The New Yorker. Vol. 92, no. 18. pp. 60–69. Orange World 2018 Russell, Karen (May 28, 2018). "Orange World". The New Yorker. The Ghost Birds 2021 Russell, Karen (October 4, 2021). "The Ghost Birds". The New Yorker.

### Non-fiction

- Russell, Karen (November 23, 2015). ["Helping hand : robots, video games, and a radical new approach to treating stroke patients"](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/23/helping-hand-annals-of-medicine-karen-russell). Annals of Medicine. *[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)*. Vol. 91, no. 37. pp. 44–56.[29]

## See also

- [*Proving Up* (opera)](/source/Missy_Mazzoli#Proving_Up)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Karen Russell on the Books That Made Her Blush, Weep, and 'Hiccup-Laugh'"](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a64129384/karen-russell-book-recommendations-2025/). *ELLE*. 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-05-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-background_2-0)** ["Karen Russell"](http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=70463). August 2004. Retrieved 2006-11-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** "The National Book Foundation's ['5 Under 35' Fiction Selections For 2009".](http://www.nationalbook.org/5under35_2009.html#.T7RjH1J0kZ8)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Karen Russell, 2011 Recipient"](http://www.bard.edu/bfp/2011/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120207082716/http://www.bard.edu/bfp/2011/) 2012-02-07 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Bard Fiction Prize.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION ANNOUNCES 2011 LONGLIST"](http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/prize.html). Retrieved 22 March 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The 10 Best Books of 2011"](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/books/10-best-books-of-2011.html?hp)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Finalists Chosen for The New York Public Library’s 2012 Young Lions Fiction Award"](http://www.nypl.org/press/press-release/2012/03/08/finalists-chosen-new-york-public-library%E2%80%99s-2012young-lions-fiction-aw), New York Public Library, March 8, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Flood, Alison (2012-04-17). ["Pulitzers 2012: prize for fiction withheld for first time in 35 years"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/apr/17/pulitzer-prize-fiction-2012-withheld). *The Guardian*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2019-01-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [National Magazine Award](http://www.magazine.org/asme/national-magazine-awards/winners-finalists) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181010181823/http://magazine.org/asme/national-magazine-awards/winners-finalists) 2018-10-10 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), American Society of Magazine Editors.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["The American Academy Announces the 2011-2012 Class of Fellows"](http://www.americanacademy.de/home/program/past/blog/2011/06/28/the_american_academy_announces_the_20112012_class_of_fellows/878/detail/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110920032914/http://www.americanacademy.de/home/program/past/blog/2011/06/28/the_american_academy_announces_the_20112012_class_of_fellows/878/detail/) 2011-09-20 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Karen Russell"](https://www.prhspeakers.com/speaker/karen-russell). *Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau*. Retrieved 2019-01-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Writers' Workshop](http://www.uiowa.edu/~iww/faculty/fiction.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100111035009/http://www.uiowa.edu/~iww/faculty/fiction.htm) 2010-01-11 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), The University of Iowa.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["MacArthur Fellowships Awarded to Yaddo Guests"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190422034624/https://www.yaddo.org/about/yaddo-macarthur-fellows/). Archived from [the original](https://www.yaddo.org/about/yaddo-macarthur-fellows/) on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Pulitzer Prize Nominee to Serve as Guest Teacher for Rutgers-Camden MFA Program"](http://news.rutgers.edu/camden/pulitzer-prize-nomin-20130109), Rutgers Today, January 9, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Endowed Chair"](https://www.english.txstate.edu/mfa/Faculty/Endowed-Chair.html). 25 February 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["The Antidote by Karen Russell: 9780593802250 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books"](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/750408/the-antidote-by-karen-russell/). *PenguinRandomhouse.com*. Retrieved 2025-10-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:17_17-0)** Tsioulcas, Anastasia (7 October 2025). ["Here are the finalists for the 2025 National Book Awards"](https://www.npr.org/2025/10/07/nx-s1-5563894/national-book-awards-finalists-2025). *[NPR](/source/NPR)*. Retrieved 7 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Board, Members Of The National Book Critics Circle (2026-01-20). ["NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR PUBLISHING YEAR 2025"](https://www.bookcritics.org/2026/01/20/national-book-critics-circle-announces-finalists-for-publishing-year-2025/). *National Book Critics Circle*. Retrieved 2026-02-11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["The National Book Critics Circle Awards 2025"](https://www.bookreporter.com/features/awards/the-national-book-critics-circle-awards-2025). *bookreporter.com*.Retrieved 2026-05-05.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Karen Russell | Penguin Random House"](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/70463/karen-russell). *PenguinRandomhouse.com*. Retrieved 2019-01-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** @TonyDPerez (8 April 2019). ["My dear, dear wife, Karen Russell, has a new collection coming out next month. Given, I may have recency or spousal…"](https://twitter.com/TonyDPerez/status/1115295487093907457) ([Tweet](/source/Tweet_(social_media))) – via [Twitter](/source/Twitter).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** Feng, Sarah. ["Award-winning novelist Karen Russell to teach first Stanford workshop this spring"](https://stanforddaily.com/2026/04/08/karen-russell-first-workshop/). *standforddaily.com*. Reference edited 2026-05-15.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["Swamplandia! by Kirkus Reviews"](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-russell/swamplandia/). *kirkusreviews.com*. Retrieved 2026-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** ["A new novel from Karen Russell is a sprawling story set during the Dust Bowl"](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/17/1239050326/nprs-book-of-the-day-karen-russell-the-antidote). *NPR*. 2025-03-17. Retrieved 2025-05-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** LaValle, Victor (2025-03-12). ["Amid a Dust Storm and a Depression, 5 Pioneers Reap What They've Sown"](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/books/review/karen-russell-the-antidote.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2025-05-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** ["The Bad Graft"](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/09/the-bad-graft). *The New Yorker*. Retrieved 2026-05-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** ["The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015"](https://joehill.nl/TheCollection/miscellaneous/bestamericansciencefictionandfantasy2015/). *joehill.nl*. Retrieved 2026-05-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** ["The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015"](https://www.johnjosephadams.com/projects/basff2015/2015-table-of-contents/). *johnjosephadams.com*. Retrieved 2026-05-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-29)** Title in the online table of contents is "Can video games help stroke victims?".

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Karen Russell](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Karen_Russell).

- [Random House Author Page](http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=70463)

- [2011 podcast interview](http://www.edrants.com/segundo/karen-rusell-bss-379/) at The Bat Segundo Show

- [NPR 2014 Interview](https://www.npr.org/2014/03/26/294820998/sleep-donation-a-dark-futuristic-lullaby-for-insomniacs)

- ["A Conversation with Karen Russell about her first novel, Swamplandia!"](http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=1367), *BookBrowse*

- ["Interview with Karen Russell: Author of *St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised By Wolves*"](http://msnyder.typepad.com/the_labyrinth/2010/06/interview-with-karen-russell-author-of-st-lucys-home-for-girls-raised-by-wolves.html), *In the Labyrinth*, June 16, 2010

- ["20 Under 40: Q. & A.Karen Russell"](http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/06/14/100614fi_fiction_20under40_qa_karen-russell), *The New Yorker*, June 14, 2010

- Willing Davidson (September 30, 2013). ["This Weird Short Story I've Been Working On"](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/09/karen-russell-2013-macarthur-fellow-q-and-a.html#entry-more).

- [Karen Russell](https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Karen_Russell) at the [Internet Speculative Fiction Database](/source/Internet_Speculative_Fiction_Database)

### Short stories

- [Haunting Olivia](http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/06/13/050613fi_fiction)

- [ZZ's Sleep-Away Camp for Disordered Dreamers by Karen Russell](https://web.archive.org/web/20130421024646/http://www.conjunctions.com/webcon/russell.htm)

- [The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis](https://recommendedreading.tumblr.com/post/43561524775/the-graveless-doll-of-eric-mutis-by-karen-russell)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Karen Russell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Russell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Russell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.