Jeff Parker (born January 3, 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 writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

and

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one 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 oldest ...

writer. His novel ''Ovenman'' was published in 2007 by the book division of the literary journal

Tin House ''Tin House'' is an American book publisher based in Portland, Oregon, and New York City. Portland publisher Win McCormack originally conceived the idea for a literary magazine called ''Tin House'' in the summer of 1998. He enlisted Holly MacArt ...

. Parker received praise from within the literary community for his hypertext story ''A Long Wild Smile'' which has appeared in numerous online journals. Parker grew up in

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In ...

, and received a B.S. in

Journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. He attended the prestigious creative writing program at Syracuse University where he studied with such writers as

George Saunders George Saunders (born December 2, 1958) is an American writer of short stories, essays, novellas, children's books, and novels. His writing has appeared in ''The New Yorker'', '' Harper's'', ''McSweeney's'', and '' GQ''. He also contributed a w ...

and

Arthur Flowers Arthur R. Flowers, Jr. (born 1950) is an American novelist, memoirist, and performance poet. His work is known for its focus on the African-American experience, particularly folklore, blues music, and hoodoo spiritualism. A native of Memphis, ...

. During his time in Syracuse he lived briefly with the poet Kevin Keck who later dedicated his first collection of stories to him. Parker graduated with an M.F.A. in creative writing in 1999. He previously served as a faculty member at the University of Toronto, lectured in

Russian State University for the Humanities The Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH, RGGU; russian: Росси́йский госуда́рственный гуманита́рный университе́т, РГГУ, translit=Rossijskij gosudarstvennyj gumanitarnyj universit ...

and ELE public forum in Moscow, and served as the Director of the Creative Writing M.F.A. at the

University of Tampa The University of Tampa (UT) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UT offers more than 200 programs of study, including 22 master's degrees and a broad variety of majors, ...

. He is currently a member of University of Massachusetts Amherst's M.F.A. faculty and Director of Disquiet International Literary Program.

Bibliography

*2004 ''Amerika: Russian Writers View the United States'' (as co-editor).

Dalkey Archive Press Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...

. *2004 ''Life & Limb: Skateboarders Writer from the Deep End'' (novel excerpt).

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

Soft Skull Press Counterpoint LLC was a publishing company distributed by Perseus Books Group launched in 2007. It was formed from the consolidation of three presses: Perseus' Counterpoint Press, Avalon Publishing Group's Shoemaker & Hoard and the independent So ...

. *2007 ''The Back of the Line'' Decode, Inc. *2007 ''Ovenman'' (novel)

Portland, OR Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous cou ...

Tin House Books ''Tin House'' is an American book publisher based in Portland, Oregon, and New York City. Portland publisher Win McCormack originally conceived the idea for a literary magazine called ''Tin House'' in the summer of 1998. He enlisted Holly MacArt ...

. *2009 ''Rasskazy: New Fiction From a New Russia'' (as co-editor)

. *2010 ''The Taste of Penny''

Dzanc Books Dzanc Books is an American independent press book publisher. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) private foundation. Michelle Dotter is publisher and editor-in-chief. Background Dzanc Books was founded in 2006 by Steven Gillis, a lawyer turned novelis ...

. *2014 ''Sankya'' (as Translator) DISQUIET. *2015 ''Where Bears Roam the Streets''

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 ...

. *2015 ''Erratic Fire, Erratic Passion''

Featherproof Books Featherproof Books is a small, independent publisher based in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 2005 by Jonathan Messinger and Zach Dodson. They publish perfect bound novels, short story collections and other works, and offer "mini-books" of ...

. *2015 ''A Manner of Being''

University of Massachusetts Press The University of Massachusetts Press is a university press that is part of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The press was founded in 1963, publishing scholarly books and non-fiction. The press imprint is overseen by an interdisciplinar ...

References

External links

The Back of the Line
(Official Author Site)

(official site of Ovenman)

(interview with Powell's)
Ovenman
at

Rasskazy: New Fiction from a New Russia
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Jeff 21st-century American novelists American male novelists Living people 1974 births Novelists from Florida University of Florida alumni American male short story writers 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American male writers