Melissa Febos is a highly acclaimed author, known for her compelling memoirs and essay collections. Her first book, "Whip Smart," was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2010, and her second book, "Abandon Me," was released a decade later in 2017 by Bloomsbury. "Abandon Me" was a finalist for several awards, including the LAMBDA Literary Award, the Publishing Triangle Award, and was named an Indie Next Pick. It was widely recognized as one of the best books of 2017. Febos's third book, "Girlhood," is an illustrated essay collection that is set to be released on March 30, 2021, by Bloomsbury.
In addition to her success as an author, Febos has received numerous awards and fellowships for her writing. She was the inaugural winner of the Jeanne Córdova Nonfiction Award from LAMBDA Literary and the recipient of the 2018 Sarah Verdone Writing Award from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. She has also been awarded fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Vermont Studio Center, The Barbara Deming Memorial Foundation, The BAU Institute, Ucross Foundation, and Ragdale. Her essays have been published in several prestigious publications, including Tin House, Granta, The Paris Review, The Sun, The Believer, The Sewanee Review, Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, Vogue, The Guardian, and The New York Times.
Febos is not only an accomplished writer but also an experienced educator. She has taught at conferences and colleges nationwide and is currently an associate professor at the University of Iowa, where she teaches in the Nonfiction Writing Program. Her work has been featured on NPR’s Fresh Air, CNN, and Anderson Cooper Live, among other media outlets. With her exceptional writing skills and dedication to teaching, Melissa Febos continues to make a significant contribution to the literary world.