Jill Eisenstadt is a highly regarded American author, celebrated for her work in literature and fiction, particularly her young adult novels. She is best known for her debut novel, "From Rockaway," which was published in 1987 by Knopf. Eisenstadt was born in Queens, New York, on June 15, 1963. She completed her graduation from Bennington College in 1985, where she was associated with a group of writers known as the Literary Brat Pack, which included Jay McInerney, Tama Janowitz, and Bret Easton Ellis. Similar to her contemporaries, Eisenstadt's writing style was influenced by writers such as Joan Didion and Raymond Carver, and she adopted a sparse, minimalist approach to her work.
Eisenstadt's debut novel, "From Rockaway," was based on her MFA thesis at Columbia University. The story is a coming-of-age tale that revolves around the lives of four teenagers from Rockaway Beach in Queens. The novel's protagonist, Alex, escapes from the working-class milieu by obtaining a scholarship to Camden College, a fictional institution that serves as a stand-in for Bennington. Alex's friends work ordinary jobs, and they spend their summers as lifeguards and their winters doing odd jobs. The novel follows the four friends as they reunite during a beach party and make a pact to accept each other's diverging life paths. "From Rockaway" was translated into six foreign languages, and movie director Sydney has optioned the book for a film adaptation.
Eisenstadt was raised in Rockaway, New York, and was educated at Bennington College and Columbia University. She has written several other novels, including "Kiss Out" and "Swell." Her essays, articles, and short fiction have appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Mademoiselle, Seventeen, Vogue, Elle, Bomb, The Boston Review, and Queens Noir. Eisenstadt currently resides in Brooklyn.