William Deresiewicz

William Deresiewicz is an award-winning essayist, cultural critic, and author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller "Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life" and "The Death of the Artist." After earning his Ph.D., he taught English at Yale University from 1998 to 2008 before transitioning to a full-time writing career. His prolific work includes over 300 essays and reviews published in prestigious outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, Harper's, and The London Review of Books, with his writings being translated into 19 languages and featured in more than 40 college readers. His achievements include the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, the National Book Critics Circle's Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing, and a Sydney Award, along with three National Magazine Award nominations. As a frequent speaker at educational institutions, he has held visiting positions at various colleges including Bard, Scripps, and Claremont McKenna. His books explore themes ranging from education and culture to artistic survival in the digital age, with his most recent work being "The End of Solitude: Selected Essays on Culture and Society," while he currently works on a historically informed memoir about being Jewish. In 2024, he will serve as an inaugural Public Fellow at American Jewish University, continuing his influential work in cultural criticism and educational reform.