J. Courtney Sullivan
J. Courtney Sullivan is an American author and journalist whose works span multiple genres and often focus on the human experience. Her three novels – Maine, Commencement and The Engagements – were all New York Times bestsellers. Since her success in fiction, Sullivan has since ventured into nonfiction with her book Saints For All Occasions which was a finalist for the 2018 Kirkus Prize in Non-Fiction. Sullivan is a versatile and accomplished wordsmith who draws readers into her stories with her acute observations and characters that are painfully familiar.
Born in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, Sullivan was always interested in storytelling. Growing up in a large, tight-knit Irish Catholic family, Sullivan was witness to the unraveling of relationships and the complications of love. At Brown University, Sullivan majored in English and studied creative writing with novelist Kathryn Davis. Upon graduation, Sullivan took a job as a copy editor at The New York Times Magazine and eventually became a staff writer. Later, she started freelancing for publications such as Elle and Glamour. In 2012, Sullivan released her debut novel Maine which was soon followed by Commencement in 2011.
Maine follows the Kelleher family and how the unexpected death of their son changes the dynamic of their family. Sullivan takes readers on an emotional journey as the story progresses and we watch the family attempt to heal alongside their eldest daughter Maggie. In Sullivan’s second novel, Commencement, readers explore the relationships between four college friends as they start their fourth year of college and face the realities of adulthood. Each character views the world differently, and Sullivan poignantly illustrates the nuances of their changing paths.
Sullivan continued to explore the intricate dynamics of relationships in her third novel, The Engagements. This time revolving around four different characters and their relationships to the diamond engagement ring. The story spans years and trails the lives of Frances Gerety, who coined “a diamond is forever,” into the 21st century. The Engagements exemplifies Sullivan’s ability to spin a story by piecing together characters and observations.
In 2017, Sullivan shifted her focus from fiction to create her first nonfiction work, Saints For All Occasions. Starting in Ireland, Sullivan follows the journeys of two sisters and their family’s migration from Mayo in 1950 to the small city of Richmond, Massachusetts. Along the way, Sullivan shares her own firsthand experience of Catholic guilt, amid family secrets and misunderstandings. Through the maturation of the two sisters, Sullivan touches on the vulnerability of adolescence and adulthood.
From her beginnings as a journalist to her success in fiction, J. Courtney Sullivan continues to captivate readers with her honest and thought-provoking writing. Through her novels and nonfiction works, Sullivan further emphasizes the ever-changing nuances of relationships and how they shape our lives. Sullivan’s accomplishments have cemented her place in the literary world, and her works continue to remain both thought-provoking and entertaining.
