“Jansma's writing is thoughtful and perceptive but also funny, witty, and entertaining--the best of literary fiction. Long may it live into the new century and beyond--if it can take life as seriously-humorously as this.”
– The Sherwood Anderson Foundation
Kristopher grew up in Lincroft, New Jersey. He received his B.A. in The Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University and an M.F.A. in Fiction from Columbia University. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed novels, OUR NARROW HIDING PLACES (Ecco/2024) WHY WE CAME TO THE CITY (Viking/2016) and THE UNCHANGEABLE SPOTS OF LEOPARDS, (Viking/2013). His book of essays on the creative process is REVISIONARIES: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE LOST, UNFINISHED, AND JUST PLAIN BAD WORK OF GREAT WRITERS (Quirk, 202
He is the winner of the 2014 Sherwood Anderson Fiction Award and his story “The Samples” is the winner of a 2021 Pushcart Prize.
WHY WE CAME TO THE CITY was nominated for the Brooklyn Eagles Prize and its French translation, NEW YORK ODYSSÉE by Sophie Troff and Rue Fromentin is the winner of the Prix du Livre de Voyage Urbain and was a finalist for the Prix France Inter-Journal du Dimanche.
THE UNCHANGEABLE SPOTS OF LEOPARDS was an Honorable Mention for the PEN/Hemingway Prize, a finalist for the Prix de l’Inapperçu, and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Award for Excellence in Fiction and the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. It was a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, an ABA “Indie Next” Choice, an ALA Notable Book, and an Alternate Selection for the Book of the Month Club.
His work has been translated into German, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Czech, and Korean.
He writes a column for Electric Literature about Unfinished Business, and the fates and afterlives of authors’ incomplete works. His writing has also been published in The New York Times, ZYZZYVA Magazine, The Sun, Prairie Schooner, Chicago Quarterly Review, Slice Magazine, Salon, Real Simple, The Millions, and elsewhere.
He is an Associate Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at SUNY New Paltz College. He lives in New York with his wife and children.
Contact:
Agent: Doug Stewart at Sterling Lord Literistic.
Film/TV: Jason Richman at UTA.