Collection: Author of the Month

Rachel Kushner was born in Eugene Oregon in 1968, the daughter of two scientists who she describes as ‘deeply unconventional people from the beatnik generation.’ True to her heritage, there has always been a maverick streak in her writing, both in fiction and non-fiction. Her first book Telex from Cuba is a compelling account of the Cuban revolution; her second book The Flamethrowers explores the art scene in 1970s New York; her third, The Mars Room divides its time between a women’s prison and a San Francisco strip club. She is also the author of a collection of three short stories The Strange Case of Rachel K. and most recently a selection of her non-fiction The Hard Crowd. Rivka Galchen has written of her ‘Kushner is the champion of something strange, wonderful and real’.