Atmospheric, Complex, Contemplative, Deconstructive, Domestic, Experimental, Geometric, Intense, Manic, Psychological

Sharon Olds grew up in a Calvinist home in Berkeley, CA. She received a BA from Stanford University in 1964 and an English PhD from Columbia University in 1972. Olds is known for candidly exploring the ordinary and unpleasant--from toilets to take-out. Olds did not publish her first poetry collect

Domestic, Perceptual, Playful

Lorrie Moore is a short story and fiction writer. She graduated from St. Lawrence University in New York in 1978 and received an MFA from Cornell University in 1982. Moore published her first book of short stories, Self-Help, in 1985 and quickly became known for her cleverly candid approach to p

Clever, Domestic, Melancholy

Zadie Smith is a British novelist and essayist. A 1997 graduate of Cambridge, Smith began her writing career in the late 1990s, publishing her first novel, 'White Teeth,' in 2000. Acclaimed by critics, 'White Teeth,' a look at London from three characters' culturally divergent perspectives, won the G

Agitated, Domestic, Flux, Urban