Photo: David Shankbone / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jonathan Lethem is, to me, one of the most genuinely exciting voices in contemporary American fiction. He refuses to respect the walls between science fiction, detective noir, and literary realism, blending them with a confidence that few writers can pull off. Motherless Brooklyn, narrated by a detective with Tourette's, is the kind of audacious premise that should collapse but instead earned a National Book Critics Circle Award. The MacArthur 'genius grant' only confirmed what readers already knew. What I love most is how he writes the city itself, Brooklyn especially, as a living archive of memory and loss.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jonathan Lethem
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョナサン・レセム
- Reading
- じょなさん・れせむ
- Born
- February 19, 1964 (age 62)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Dragon
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- writer / novelist / essayist / author / science fiction writer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- High School of Music & Art
- University
- Bennington College
Awards & achievements
- 1999 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction
- 1995 Locus Award for Best First Novel
- 1995 Crawford Award
- 1997 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection
- 2002 Tähtivaeltaja Award
- 2005 MacArthur Fellows Program
- 2014 Berlin Prize
- 2000 Gold Dagger
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Motherless Brooklyn | — | |
| Notable work | The Fortress of Solitude | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jonathan Lethem born?
Born February 19, 1964 (age 62).
Where is Jonathan Lethem from?
Jonathan Lethem is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Jonathan Lethem do?
Jonathan Lethem works as writer, novelist, essayist, author, science fiction writer.
What is Jonathan Lethem known for?
Notable works include Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude.
Writer — see all → · Novelist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.