Joe Meno (born September 15, 1974) is an American

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

, writer of

short fiction A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

, playwright, and music journalist based in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Biography

After attending

Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago is a Private college, private art college in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1890, it has 6,493 students (as of fall 2021) pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It i ...

, Meno spent time working as a flower delivery truck driver and art therapy teacher at a juvenile detention center. His first novel ''Tender as Hellfire'' was published when he was only 24 and received strong reviews from sources like ''

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 ...

''. His short fiction has appeared in literary magazines like '' TriQuarterly'', '' Ninth Letter'', '' Joyland: A hub for short fiction'', and ''Other Voices''. He currently teaches fiction writing at Columbia College Chicago. He is a frequent contributor to ''Punk Planet'' magazine, where his comic strip ''Iceberg Town'' is featured.

Selected bibliography

*'' Tender as Hellfire''.

Akashic Books Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent publisher, formed in 1997. It was started by Johnny Temple (bassist), Johnny Temple, bassist of Girls Against Boys and mid-'80s Dischord band Soulside, with the mission "to make literature more part ...

, 2007/St. Martin's Press, 1999. *'' How the Hula Girl Sings''. Akashic Books, 2005/ReganBooks, 2001. *'' Hairstyles of the Damned''. Akashic Books, 2004. *'' Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir: Stories''. Northwestern University Press, 2005. *'' The Boy Detective Fails''. Akashic Books, 2006. *'' Demons in the Spring''. Akashic Books, 2008. *'' The Great Perhaps''. W. W. Norton, 2009. *''Office Girl''. Akashic Books, 2012. *''Marvel and a Wonder''. Akashic Books, 2015.

Plays

*''The Boy Detective Fails.'' *''Once Upon a Time or the Secret Language of Birds.'' *''Star Witness.''

Musicals

*''The Boy Detective Fails.''

Awards

Nelson Algren Award, 2003 a prize for short fiction given by the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

''. '' Hairstyles of the Damned'' was selected for the

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across the United States. Barnes & Noble operates mainly through its B ...

Discover Great New Writers program for its November 2004 – January 2005 season. ''Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir'' was selected as the winner of the Society of Midland Author's Award for Fiction 2005. ''Demons in the Spring'' was a finalist for The Story Prize in 2009. ''The Great Perhaps'' was a winner of the Great Lakes Book Award for Fiction in 2009 and a ''

New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' Editor's Choice.

References

Sources

*Gale Online Literature Resource Center. Updated June, 2003.

External links

JoeMeno.com
* Video
A message from Joe Meno about ''The Great Perhaps''

on Akashic Books Online
Interview
on Bookslut.com
Fogged Clarity's Interview with Joe Meno (June, 2009)

1974 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American male novelists Columbia College Chicago faculty Writers from Chicago American male short story writers 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American male writers Novelists from Illinois {{US-novelist-1970s-stub