20 Facts About Jay Parini

1.

Jay Parini was born on April 2,1948 and is an American writer and academic.

2.

Jay Parini is known for novels, poetry, biography, screenplays and criticism.

3.

Jay Parini has published novels about Leo Tolstoy, Walter Benjamin, Paul the Apostle, and Herman Melville.

4.

Jay Parini graduated from Lafayette College in 1970 and was awarded a doctorate by the University of St Andrews in 1975.

5.

In 1976, Jay Parini co-founded the New England Review with Sydney Lea.

6.

Jay Parini is a member of the Board of Visitors of Ralston College, a liberal arts college in Savannah that was founded in February, 2010.

7.

Jay Parini has written eight novels, many of which are about the lives of literary icons, and narratives from his own personal life.

8.

Jay Parini's historical novel Benjamin's Crossing was a New York Times Notable Book of the year in 1997.

9.

Jay Parini has written biographies of John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, and Jesus.

10.

Jay Parini's biography One Matchless Time: A Life of William Faulkner was a New York Times Bestseller.

11.

Jay Parini has published non-fiction books on a variety of subjects, including Theodore Roethke, an American Romantic, Some Necessary Angels: Essays on Writing and Politics, The Art of Teaching, Why Poetry Matters, Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America, The Way of Jesus: Living a Spiritual and Ethical Life, and Borges and Me: An Encounter.

12.

Jay Parini's poems have appeared in a wide variety of magazines, including The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and Poetry.

13.

Jay Parini is a regular contributor to various journals, websites and newspapers, including The Chronicle of Higher Education, CNN, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, and The Guardian.

14.

Jay Parini has written for GQ, The Nation, The Huffington Post, and Salon.

15.

Jay Parini has made numerous appearances on film, television and radio, including NPR, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, C-SPAN, and the BBC.

16.

Jay Parini is married to the writer and psychologist Devon Jersild; they have three sons.

17.

Jay Parini has won various fellowships and awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1993.

18.

Jay Parini's novel Benjamin's Crossing was a New York Times Notable Book of the year in 1997.

19.

Jay Parini was awarded the John Ciardi Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Italian American Foundation in 2002.

20.

Jay Parini has received honorary degrees from Lafayette College, Sewanee: The University of the South, and the University of Scranton.