Bill Konigsberg is an American author, born in New York City in 1970, who has made a significant impact in the literary world with his fiction books for young adults. Some of his most well-known works include "Honestly Ben," "Openly Straight," and "The Music of What Happens."
Before becoming a renowned author, Konigsberg's life was filled with diverse experiences. As a high school student, he was an adequate athlete and a B-student, and was voted "Most Likely to Avoid Doing Any Real Work In His Life" by his peers. However, he proved them wrong with a series of unusual jobs in his twenties, including being a driver recruiter for a truck driving school and a sales consultant for a phone company. He eventually found his way to sports writing and editing for The Associated Press in New York from 2005-2008.
Konigsberg's career as an author began when he wrote a novel called "Audibles at Arizona State," which he later sold to Penguin and renamed "Out of the Pocket." This novel received high praise from his family, an old high school crush, and went on to win the Lambda Literary Award in 2009. His second novel, "Openly Straight," was published in 2013, and its light-hearted tone earned him the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor. In 2015, he released "The Porcupine of Truth," which won both the Stonewall Book Award and PEN Center USA Literary Award.
In addition to his literary accomplishments, Konigsberg is openly gay and has been recognized for his contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2002, he won a GLAAD Media Award for his column "Sports World Still a Struggle for Gays" at ESPN. His novels often feature LGBTQ+ themes and characters, and he has been praised for his sensitive and realistic portrayals.
Konigsberg currently resides in Chandler, Arizona, with his husband and two dogs. He continues to write and publish novels that resonate with readers, exploring themes of identity, love, and self-discovery.