Andrew Solomon

Andrew Solomon is an award-winning author, journalist, and activist whose work has helped raise awareness around mental health, LGBTQ issues, and human development. His books explore the full spectrum of the human experience, from unusual childhoods to joy and despair, and address matters of identity, love, art, illness, faith, and more. In 2019, he was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award, making him the first openly gay man to receive this honor.

Andrew Solomon was born in 1963 in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated from Harvard University in 1985 with an A.B. in psychology, then went on to receive his M.Phil., Master of Philosophy, from Cambridge University in 1987. After college, he began his career as a journalist, writing for a variety of publications and anthologies, most notably for The New Yorker and Harper’s Magazine. In addition to his journalism, Solomon has published five books, including his most acclaimed work, Far from the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity, which was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2019.

The themes in Solomon’s work often focus on the struggles of various minority groups and those who live at the margins of society. He has explored the stories of families coping with Down syndrome, those living with autism, and transgender and intersex individuals, among many others. In his award-winning book Far from the Tree, he shared the stories of families around the world—identifying various ways in which parents have adapted to the physical and emotional needs of these children.

For Solomon, exploring the diversity of human experience is key to understanding ourselves. He has often said that creating empathy, and ultimately understanding, is best achieved by connecting to our families, communities, and cultures. He is a professor of Clinical Psychology and a lecturer at Columbia University. Since 2007, he has served as president of PEN America, an organization aimed at defending freedom of expression.

Solomon’s wide-ranging work centers on the power of storytelling, the importance of understanding and acceptance, and the capacity of the individual to prevail in difficult circumstances. He has dedicated himself to amplifying voices that are often overlooked, in the hopes of sparking meaningful conversations about issues in our society. He has said that it is a great privilege to give people a platform to express themselves, and to be a witness to the resilience of the human spirit.

Solomon’s remarkable body of work has been recognized by numerous awards, including an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is the recipient of a total of three National Book Critics Circle Awards, the first openly gay man to be honored in such a way. As his reputation as one of our most insightful and talented authors grows, he continues to think deeply about our shared struggles and those of us who for so long have been silently marginalized.