Blake Butler (born 1979) is an American writer and editor. He edits the literature blog HTMLGIANT, and two journals: ''Lamination Colony'', and concurrently with co-editor

Ken Baumann Ken Baumann (born ) is a former American actor, writer, publisher, and book designer. He is known for playing Ben Boykewich on ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager''. He is the author of numerous novels, nonfiction stories, essays, and poem ...

, ''No Colony''. His other writing has appeared in '' Birkensnake'', '' The Believer'', ''Unsaid'', ''Fence'', ''Willow Springs'', '' The Lifted Brow'', '' Opium Magazine'', '' Gigantic'' and '' Black Warrior Review''. He also wrote a regular column for ''Vice'' magazine. Butler attended

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

, where he majored in multi-media design. He went on to

Bennington College Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont, United States. Founded as a women’s college in 1932,

for his

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

. He was married to poet and memoirist

Molly Brodak Molly Brodak (March 29, 1980 – March 8, 2020) was an American poet, writer, and baker. She was the author of the poetry collection ''A Little Middle of the Night'' (University of Iowa Press, 2010) and the memoir ''Bandit'' (Grove Press, 2016). ' ...

from 2017 until her death in 2020. He has been married to writer Megan Boyle since 2022.

Commentary on his works

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' has called him "an endlessly surprising, funny, and subversive writer". About ''There Is No Year'', ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' says, "This artfully crafted, stunning piece of nontraditional literature is recommended for contemporary literature fans looking for something out of the ordinary. Butler integrates unusual elements into his novel, such as interview-style monologs and in later chapters poetry-like stanzas. Also recommended for students of literature, psychology, and philosophy, as the distinctive writing style and creative insight into the minds of one family deserve analysis. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' says, "For those who like their prose fresh out of a cleaner and more traditional wellspring, Blake's writing can prove tedious at best and arduous at worst. But for those who lean toward writing that is more visceral, taxing or outright demanding of the reader, this might be the right cup of tea..."

Bibliography

*''Ever'' (novella) ( Calamari Press, 2009) *'' Scorch Atlas'' (novel-in-stories) ( Featherproof Books, 2010) *''There Is No Year'' (novel) (

Harper Perennial Harper Perennial is a paperback imprint of the publishing house HarperCollins Publishers. Overview Harper Perennial has divisions located in New York, London, Toronto, and Sydney. The imprint is descended from the Perennial Library imprint foun ...

, 2011) *''Nothing: A Portrait of Insomnia'' (memoir) (

, 2011) *''Sky Saw'' (novel) ( Tyrant Books, 2012) *''One'' (novel) (Roof Books, 2012) *'' 300,000,000'' (novel) (

, 2014) *'' Alice Knott'' (novel) (

Penguin Random House Penguin Random House Limited is a British-American multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, with the merger of Penguin Books and Random House. Penguin Books was or ...

, 2020) *''Aannex'' (novel) (Apocalypse Party, 2022) *'' Molly'' (memoir) ( Archway Editions, 2023) *''UXA.GOV'' (novel) (Inside the Castle, 2024) *'' Void Corporation'' (novel) (reissue of ''Alice Knott'') ( Archway Editions, 2024)

References

External links

Butler's weblog "Gilles Deleuze Committed Suicide and So Will Dr. Phil"

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Blake 21st-century American novelists Living people 1979 births Georgia Tech alumni American male novelists 21st-century American male writers Bennington College alumni