{{short description|American writer}} {{Infobox writer | name = Rachel Khong | embed = | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = NBF2024-rachel-khong.jpg | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = Khong at the 2024 National Book Festival | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1985}} | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | death_place = | resting_place = | occupation = | language = | nationality = | citizenship = | education = Yale University<br>University of Florida | period = | genre = | subject = <!-- or: | subjects = --> | movement = | notableworks = <em>Goodbye, Vitamin</em><br /> ''Real Americans'' | spouse = Eli Horowitz | partner = <!-- or: | partners = --> | children = | relatives = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | years_active = | module = | website = {{URL|http://www.rachelkhong.com/}} | portaldisp = <!-- "on", "yes", "true", etc; or omit --> }} '''Rachel Khong''' (born 1985) is an American writer and editor based in Los Angeles as of 2021.<ref name="ito">{{Cite news |last=Ito |first=Robert |date=April 29, 2024 |title=How Rachel Khong Conjures Worlds, in Her Books and Beyond |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/29/books/booksupdate/rachel-khong-real-americans.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
== Life == Khong was born in Malaysia to a Malaysian Chinese family, but they soon moved to the United States when she was two.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chung |first=Nicole |date=2024-04-30 |title=Rachel Khong on the Power and Potential of Not Knowing |url=https://lithub.com/rachel-khong-on-the-power-and-potential-of-not-knowing/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref> She grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California and attended high school in nearby Diamond Bar, California.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2007 |title=Rachel Khong |url=https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2007/01/19/rachel-khong/ |access-date=2019-11-15 |website=yaledailynews.com |language=en}}</ref>
Khong attended Yale University and graduated with a degree in English in 2007. In 2011, she received her MFA from the University of Florida,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=News – Page 2 – MFA@FLA: Creative Writing |url=https://mfa.english.ufl.edu/category/news/page/2/ |access-date=2019-11-15 |website=mfa.english.ufl.edu}}</ref> where she studied with Padgett Powell.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Angela |last1=Tafoya |first2=Jessica |last2=Velez |first3=Jeanine Celeste |last3=Pang |others=Michael O'Neal (photographer) |title=30 Under 30 S.F. — Rising Young Stars in San Francisco |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/30-under-30-san-francisco |access-date=2019-11-15 |website=www.refinery29.com |language=en}}</ref>
Khong is married to Eli Horowitz, co-creator of Gimlet's ''Homecoming'' podcast and former editor at McSweeney's.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPINE-Rachel Khong on Writing Goodbye, Vitamin |url=https://spinemagazine.co/articles/rachel-khong |access-date=2019-11-15 |website=SPINE |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Career == After completing her graduate degree, Khong moved to San Francisco and worked in the food service industry.<ref name=":2" /> She interned at McSweeney's while in college<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://hazlitt.net/feature/really-small-books-can-be-just-ambitious-big-ones-interview-rachel-khong|title='Really Small Books Can Be Just as Ambitious as Big Ones': An Interview with Rachel Khong|date=2017-07-24|website=Hazlitt|language=en|access-date=2019-11-15}}</ref> and edited cookbooks for them after graduating. In 2011, Chris Ying of ''Lucky Peach'', who Khong had met while interning at McSweeney's, asked her to be the managing editor of the magazine.<ref name=":2" /> She later went on to become executive editor of ''Lucky Peach''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://us.macmillan.com/author/rachelkhong/|title=Rachel Khong {{!}} Authors {{!}} Macmillan|work=US Macmillan|access-date=2018-05-28|language=en-US}}</ref>
Khong cofounded The Ruby in 2018, a female oriented co-working space based in Mission District, San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catapult.co/stories/the-ruby-san-francisco-rachel-khong-fifteen-minutes-profile-anita-felicelli|title=Catapult {{!}} How Rachel Khong Built The Ruby, a Coworking Community for San Francisco Creatives {{!}} Anita Felicelli|date=2019-05-16|website=Catapult|language=en|access-date=2019-11-15}}</ref> She retired from managing the space and moved to Los Angeles in 2021.<ref name="ito" />
=== Writing === Khong's writing has appeared in publications such as ''American Short Fiction'', ''Joyland'', and the ''San Francisco Chronicle''. She is the coauthor of a cookbook from Lucky Peach called ''All About Eggs''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/250764/lucky-peach-all-about-eggs-by-rachel-khong-and-the-editors-of-lucky-peach/9780804187756/|title=Lucky Peach All About Eggs by Rachel Khong, the editors of Lucky Peach {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
Her first novel, ''Goodbye, Vitamin'', received Best Book of the Year honors from NPR,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/07/12/535799520/goodbye-vitamin-is-sweet-but-not-sugarcoated|title='Goodbye, Vitamin' Is Sweet — But Not Sugarcoated|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-05-27|language=en}}</ref> ''O, The Oprah Magazine'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.oprah.com/book/o-magazine-best-books-of-2017-goodbye-vitamin?editors_pick_id=71498|title=Goodbye, Vitamin|work=Oprah.com|access-date=2018-05-27|language=en-us}}</ref> the ''San Francisco Chronicle'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/books/article/Best-of-2017-100-recommended-books-12445385.php|title=Best of 2017: 100 recommended books|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=2018-05-27}}</ref> and ''Vogue''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/best-books-vogue-recommendations|title=These Were the Best Books We Read All Year|work=Vogue|access-date=2018-05-27|language=en}}</ref> It was the winner of the California Book Award for first fiction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rachel Khong |url=https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/authors/item/no2013010366/rachel-khong/#:~:text=Her%20first%20novel,%20%E2%80%9CGoodbye,,Khong%20lives%20in%20Los%20Angeles. |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> The story was inspired by her grandmother's battle with Alzheimer's disease.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Khong|first=Rachel|date=|title='How My Relationship With My Grandmother Inspired My Book'|url=https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/sex-relationships/relationships/how-my-relationship-with-my-grandmother-inspired-my-book/news-story/f3159fcb754b225af71dadd739dc1cbe|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-01-18|website=bodyandsoul.com.au|language=en}}</ref> The novel won the 2017 California Book Award for First Fiction,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cdn.commonwealthclub.org/s3fs-public/bildschirmfoto_2018-05-22_um_2.56.27_pm.png|title=California Books Awards 2017}}</ref> as well as a ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize Finalist for First Fiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/books/la-et-jc-book-prize-finalists-20180221-story.html|title=L.A. Times Book Prize finalists include Joyce Carol Oates and Ta-Nehisi Coates; John Rechy receives lifetime achievement award|last=Schaub|first=Michael|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2018-05-27}}</ref> Universal Pictures optioned the film rights in June 2019, with Constance Wu attached to lead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/constance-wu-goodbye-vitamin-1203250349/|title=Constance Wu to Star in 'Goodbye, Vitamin' Adaptation for Universal (Exclusive)|last=Kroll|first=Justin|date=2019-06-24|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2019-11-15}}</ref>
FilmNation Entertainment announced on February 5, 2021 that they and Ali Wong are producing an adaptation of Khong's short story, ''The Freshening'', with director Cathy Yan set to write and direct.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lang|first=Brent|date=2021-02-05|title=Cathy Yan to Write, Direct Sci-Fi Comedy 'The Freshening' for FilmNation (Exclusive)|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/cathy-yan-birds-of-prey-the-freshening-1234901689/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-06|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> She has written book reviews for the ''New York Times'', including of novels by Maria Kuznetsova<ref>{{Cite news |last=Khong |first=Rachel |date=2021-04-13 |title=And Now, a Case for the Ordinary |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/books/review/something-unbelievable-maria-kuznetsova.html |access-date=2022-04-29 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and Sarah Elaine Smith.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-07-30 |title=A Girl Goes Missing. A Loner Takes Her Place. (Published 2019) |language=en |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/books/review/marilou-is-everywhere-sarah-elaine-smith.html |access-date=2022-04-29}}</ref>
Her second novel, ''Real Americans'', was a ''New York Times'' bestseller.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Real Americans by Rachel Khong: 9780593537251 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725682/real-americans-by-rachel-khong/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The novel was chosen as the May 2024 Read with Jenna Book Club pick.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Anna |date=April 4, 2024 |title=Jenna Bush Hager says her May 2024 pick is a book you’ll ‘fall madly in love with’ |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/books/read-with-jenna-book-club-pick-may-2024-rcna148250 |access-date=October 14, 2024 |website=Today |language=en}}</ref>
Her first story collection, ''My Dear You'', was released by Knopf on April 7, 2026. Author Bryan Washington cited ''My Dear You'' as "one of [his] favorite books.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=My Dear You by Rachel Khong: 9780593803691 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/771170/my-dear-you-by-rachel-khong/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Works == ===Novels=== *''Goodbye, Vitamin'' (2017, Henry Holt) {{ISBN|9781471159480}}, {{OCLC|1015212743}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/books/review/goodbye-vitamin-rachel-khong.html|title=A Darkly Comic Novel About Turning 30 Without Growing Up|date=2017-07-28|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-05-27|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Felsenthal |first=Julia |date=2017-07-10 |title=Goodbye, Vitamin May Be the Best Novel You’ll Read This Summer |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/rachel-khong-goodbye-vitamin |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref> *''Real Americans'' (2024, Knopf) {{ISBN|9780593537251}}, {{OCLC|1374133903}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chung |first=Nicole |date=2024-04-30 |title=Rachel Khong on the Power and Potential of Not Knowing |url=https://lithub.com/rachel-khong-on-the-power-and-potential-of-not-knowing/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ito |first=Robert |date=2024-04-29 |title=How Rachel Khong Conjures Worlds, in Her Books and Beyond |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/29/books/booksupdate/rachel-khong-real-americans.html |access-date=2024-05-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Feng |first=Rhoda |date=April 30, 2024 |title='Real Americans' asks: What could we change about our lives? |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/04/30/1247785191/rachel-khong-real-americans-book-review |website=NPR}}</ref>
=== Short story collections === *''My Dear You'' (2026, Knopf) {{ISBN|9780593803691}}
=== Short stories === *{{cite journal |last=Khong |first=Rachel |date=2020-08-10 |title=The Freshening |url=https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/7203/the-freshening-rachel-khong |journal=The Paris Review |website=}}<ref>{{Cite news|last=Khong|first=Rachel|date=2018|title=The Freshening|language=en|volume=Fall 2018|work=The Paris Review|issue=226|url=https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/7203/the-freshening-rachel-khong|access-date=2021-02-06|issn=0031-2037}}</ref>
== References == <references />
== External links == {{wikiquote}} * [http://www.rachelkhong.com/ Rachel Khong's website] *[http://aaww.org/behind-the-fiction-an-interview-with-rachel-khong/ Interview with the Asian-American Writer's Workshop]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Khong, Rachel}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Yale University alumni Category:Asian writers Category:University of Florida alumni Category:American magazine editors Category:American women magazine editors Category:Malaysian people of Chinese descent Category:Malaysian emigrants to the United States Category:People who lost Malaysian citizenship Category:American women novelists of Asian descent