"Adrian's writing remains hypnotic on every subject." -Tin House
“Astonishing and inventive . . . darkly funny at times, brimming with compassion, terribly sad and deeply loving. Memoir readers should not miss this singular offering.” —Shelf Awareness
REVIEWS & MORE
University of Nebraska Press (2018) - memoir
A Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist and a Poets & Writers New & Noteworthy Read
“This ambitious memoir glints with poetry and wisdom. . . . Aching, endless, unresolved, and extremely compelling.[Adrian's] glossary, in making a place for everything, has provided a way through this harrowing tale of the toll of generational trauma . . . with generosity, honesty, and insight.”” —The Los Angeles Review of Books
“An intimate and searching accumulation of the moments, tender and brutal, that heap together and create a life.”
—The Boston Globe
“Adrian uses a highly unconventional form to mirror her confusion over how to connect her wide-ranging, frequently painful memories of what she and her sister endured . . . creating deep connections between the reader and her childhood self.”
—Hippocampus
“An unconventional, wildly disturbing, and hugely innovative book.”
—The Florida Review
“A remarkable rendering of a mother-daughter relationship . . . at turns hilarious, repulsive, poetic, and devastating.”
—Propeller Books
“Adrian’s writing remains hypnotic on every subject, a consuming plunge into each and every moment.”
—Tin House
“Astonishing and inventive. [Adrian's] glossary is strangely gripping, with a momentum pulling the reader in and through. The result is whimsical, even darkly funny at times, brimming with compassion, terribly sad and deeply loving. Memoir readers should not miss this singular offering.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Many books are described as ‘brave’—this one really is.”
—Sue Williams Silverman, author of Love Sick
“Utterly engaging . . . illuminating, erudite, deeply intelligent.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
REVIEWS & MORE
Bloomsbury Academic (2017) - aesthetics, cultural criticism
“Sock reflects on the brilliance present in the minutiae of our lives. With piercing wit, idiosyncratic humor and sharply insightful moments of personal examination, Adrian uses the most domestic of items as a lens through which to view the inelegance and wondrousness of humanity.” —Shelf Awareness “A thoroughly delightful discussion.” —Washington Independent Review of Books
“An utterly engaging investigation . . . of human evolution, anatomy, physics, sexuality, fashion, painting, consumerism, manufacturing, and motherhood. . . . Illuminating, erudite, deeply intelligent.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
“What a treat! . . . This slim little marvel of trivia and attention to the overlooked . . . was a near-religious experience for me.” —Pages of Julia
Amazon
Bloomsbury
Chinese edition of Sock
“[Offers] a sense of hope about literature and its capacity for evolution and change.” —The Millions
REVIEWS & MORE
University of Nebraska Press (2018) - essay anthology (editor)
“Pushes the boundaries of prose and opens up a whole new world. . . . [The Shell Game] makes readers feel as if they are learning what an essay is (or could be) all over again.” —New Pages “The essays in this collection bring with them a sense of hope about literature and its capacity for evolution and change.” —The Millions
“Adrian’s introduction demonstrates the potential and beauty of the hermit crab approach [and] . . . is often laugh-out-loud funny.” —Literary Journalism Studies
“Anyone from the expert essayist, lay reader, or a teacher looking for an evocative anthology will find something of value in these pages.” —Columbia Journal
“The Shell Game may serve to expand what readers think of when they think of the essay.” —Punctuate Magazine
“If you were to recommend this book to others, you’d likely tell them to savor it, make it last.” —Hippocampus Magazine
“A unique and significant contribution.” —Split Rock Review
Amazon
Nebraska
Bookshop
I am the author of two books of lyric criticism: Dear Knausgaard (described by James Wood, literary critic for The New Yorker, as “a delight from start to finish”); and Sock (part of Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons Series). I wrote the acclaimed memoir The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet, which was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist. Other projects include the libretto for the opera The Strange Child (music by Julia Werntz), and The Shell Game: Writers Play with Borrowed Forms, an anthology of lyric essays. Three of my works, including my book Sock, have been translated into Mandarin for publication in China. I've taught creative writing at Brown University, Grub Street, and the Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop. I live in Boston and I am currently working on a novel about the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. Excerpts from this novel have won the support of a fellowship at the Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus in Schwandorf (Germany), a special guest residency at the Villa Concordia in Bamberg (Germany), and a 2025 Individual Artist Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
PODCASTS & INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS: ★ Washington Independent Review of Books ★ Publisher's Weekly ★ Los Angeles Review of Books ★ Essay Daily ★ The Florida Review ★ Punctuate Magazine ★ The Leaving Years: A Blog for Errant Readers ★ New World Writing (scroll down for interview) ★ IN CONVERSATION: 'Great Liberations: Writing Beyond the Academy (with Anna Leahy) Public Books ★ On Writing the (Short) Nonfiction Book: A Conversation, in Poets & Writers ★ ON CRAFT: On Listening to What Our Nonfiction is Trying to Tell Us, in Literary Hub ★ Kim Adrian Recommends, in Poets & Writers ★ How Does Your Art’s Subject Shape the Process of Making It?, in ArtSake ★
Several of my essays and short stories have been listed as Notable or Distinguished in the Best American Essays, Best American Short Stories, and Pushcart Prize anthologies.
SELECTED SHORT WORKS
"My Thoughts on Pâté"
Agni
"Ten Conversations about My Struggle"
The Gettysburg Review
"Toast"
Michigan Quarterly Review
"Questionnaire for My Grandfather"
The Gettysburg Review
"Why Dim Sum Makes Me Feel Tender"
Seneca Review
"The Matter of Translation: Wislawa Szymborska's 'Conversation with a Rock'"
The Gettysburg Review
"The Cut"
Crazyhorse
"'Gooseberries' and Red Currants"
Tin House
Agni
"Ten Conversations about My Struggle"
The Gettysburg Review
"Toast"
Michigan Quarterly Review
"Questionnaire for My Grandfather"
The Gettysburg Review
"Why Dim Sum Makes Me Feel Tender"
Seneca Review
"The Matter of Translation: Wislawa Szymborska's 'Conversation with a Rock'"
The Gettysburg Review
"The Cut"
Crazyhorse
"'Gooseberries' and Red Currants"
Tin House
"The kind of criticism I most enjoy—personal, wonderfully engaged, intense but somehow simultaneously light-footed, and extremely intelligent." —James Wood, literary critic for The New Yorker
REVIEWS & MORE
Fiction Advocate (2020) - literary criticism
An SPD (Small Press Distribution) bestseller.
“On display is a rigorous mind, a fiery intellect, a curious and engaged reader.” —The Boston Globe “Adrian ruthlessly interrogates the work and the literary world at large, especially the misogyny that she finds in both places.” —Publisher's Weekly
“If you’re seeking a heady, thoughtful response to a heady, thoughtful multi-volume work — well, we have a recommendation for you.” —Vol. 1 Brooklyn
"Kim Adrian's loving struggle with Knausgaard is the kind of criticism I most enjoy — personal, wonderfully engaged, intense but somehow simultaneously light-footed, and extremely intelligent. The brilliance of her feminist critique is that it acutely exposes vulnerabilities in Knausgaard's male universalism while affectionately acknowledging the scope and appeal of his inevitably gendered voice. A delight from start to finish." —James Wood, literary critic for The New Yorker
I wrote the libretto for The Strange Child, a full-length chamber opera with music by Julia Werntz. The Strange Child is based on a long fairy tale (Das Fremde Kind) by E.T.A. Hoffmann. It was produced with the generous support of a Heinz Endowment Grant, and premiered at Alloy Studios in Pittsburgh, June 2022.
READ MORE
The video below is an interview Julia and I did with the composer John Alward on May 20, 2022.
I have taught at Brown University, Boston University, GrubStreet, and the Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, as well as independently.
READ MORE
"Kim Adrian is an excellent teacher. She can describe with such insight and precision what’s working and not working in any given piece being workshopped."
"Kim's degree of specificity with writing craft and memoir shaping ideas were excellent. She modeled feedback that was useful, clear, constructive, and actionable."
"An invaluable experience. Kim Adrian was great. She was engaging, full of information and ideas. She's a great listener and is especially personable.
"Great class! Immediately established a community. Lots of prompts and writing."
"Engaging, informative and super supportive. Kim Adrian is a gifted instructor with insight, deep knowledge about writing and a firm but gentle approach to bringing out each writers' best."
"Kim controlled the class, while allowing everyone to contribute, an excellent instructor!"
"Kim was terrific. A natural listener with totally relevant and helpful responses to each participant. Balanced and professional."
Consulting
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
"Kim's degree of specificity with writing craft and memoir shaping ideas were excellent. She modeled feedback that was useful, clear, constructive, and actionable."
"An invaluable experience. Kim Adrian was great. She was engaging, full of information and ideas. She's a great listener and is especially personable.
"Great class! Immediately established a community. Lots of prompts and writing."
"Engaging, informative and super supportive. Kim Adrian is a gifted instructor with insight, deep knowledge about writing and a firm but gentle approach to bringing out each writers' best."
"Kim controlled the class, while allowing everyone to contribute, an excellent instructor!"
"Kim was terrific. A natural listener with totally relevant and helpful responses to each participant. Balanced and professional."
I work with new and established writers of memoir, fiction, creative nonfiction, and more adventurous forms of criticism. My feedback style is honest, thoughtful, constructive. To learn about my method or to inquire about a consultation, please email me at .
"Kim Adrian is a powerhouse! With a remarkable eye for everything from structure to the smallest detail, she meets you where you are and helps you realize the full potential of your project. I can’t recommend her more highly."
"Kim’s consultation is unfailingly on point. Her close reading and honesty help me take my writing forward. When it comes to assessing voice, Kim has a golden ear. Her love of language and deep understanding of craft inform her valuable feedback."
"Kim's reading of my first chapter made me feel she’d caught every nuance I’d put into the material, and even every intention. Her observations and advice helped me enormously and stayed with me as I revised other chapters and produced new material."
"Kim Adrian is the consummate professional. She somehow strikes just the right balance between being warm and truth-telling, a winning combination to move writing to the next level. She both provided specific feedback on my piece and talked about general craft points applicable to the work. This two-pronged approach makes her an extremely effective teacher. I would absolutely hire her again."
"In both her written comments, and during our face to face meeting, Adrian was fully engaged with me and my work, and brought her intelligence and keen instincts, as well as warmth and humor to our conversations. I came away with a list of tasks that have been a road map for my current draft."
—Ann Tashi Slater, publications in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and elsewhere
"Kim’s consultation is unfailingly on point. Her close reading and honesty help me take my writing forward. When it comes to assessing voice, Kim has a golden ear. Her love of language and deep understanding of craft inform her valuable feedback."
—Judith Helfand, working on a memoir
"Kim's reading of my first chapter made me feel she’d caught every nuance I’d put into the material, and even every intention. Her observations and advice helped me enormously and stayed with me as I revised other chapters and produced new material."
—Anne Mackin, author of Americans and Their Land: the House Built on Abundance (University of Michigan Press), working on a novel
"Kim Adrian is the consummate professional. She somehow strikes just the right balance between being warm and truth-telling, a winning combination to move writing to the next level. She both provided specific feedback on my piece and talked about general craft points applicable to the work. This two-pronged approach makes her an extremely effective teacher. I would absolutely hire her again."
—Sheryl Boris-Schacter, working on a memoir
"In both her written comments, and during our face to face meeting, Adrian was fully engaged with me and my work, and brought her intelligence and keen instincts, as well as warmth and humor to our conversations. I came away with a list of tasks that have been a road map for my current draft."
—Suzanne Simmons, publications in The New York Times, Rattle, Baltimore Review, and elsewhere
IG: @kim_adrian_
EM:
Feel free to get in touch if you'd like me to read or guest teach at your university or institution.
SELECTED PAST EVENTS
July 25, 2025
Self & Sequence: the Lyric Diary, a conference out of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Featured Speaker with Heather Christle.
January 16, 2025
Auto/Bio/Fiction series Goldsmiths University, London (online event)
Featured speaker, "Script Flipping Genres"
July 11, 2023
Brookline PHS
Whipple Fellowship
Guest Speaker
February 9, 2023
Lily Pad Lounge, Cambridge MA
Big screen viewing party for The Strange Child
September 29, 2022
Online
Book Launch for the U.K. edition of Dear Knausgaard.
September 27, 2022
Wheaton College
Visiting Artist
July 3, 2022
Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus, SCHWANDORF, Germany
Creative Arts Residency Studio Open House.
June 17 and 18, 2022
Kelly Strayhorn Theatre, PITTSBURGH
Premier of The Strange Child
April 11, 2022
University of Hartford
Cardin Reading Series
Guest Speaker
October 2, 2021
Haystack Book Festival, NORFOLK CT
Guest Speaker
June 10, 2021
Boston LitCrawl - CAMBRIDGE MA
"The Art of (Writing About) Reading"
March 4, 2021
AWP Conference - ONLINE
"Close Readings: Experiments in Bibliomemoir"
September 3, 2020
Online
Brookline Booksmith Reading from Dear Knausgaard
August 31, 2020
Essay Daily Salon, "Books About Books" - ONLINE
Guest Speaker
March 12, 2019
PageTurners Series - NYC
Guest Speaker
November 29, 2018
University of New Hampshire, UNH Writers' Series
Guest Speaker
November 4, 2018
Denver, CO
Counterpath Press Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
November 3, 2018
NonfictioNOW Conference - PHOENIX
Panel Lead: "Writing the Hermit Crab Essay"
October 30, 2018
San Francisco, CA
Green Apple Books Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
October 18, 2018
NYC
Shakespeare & Co. Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
October 2, 2018
Boston
Brookline Booksmith Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
June 2, 2017
NonfictioNOW Conference - REYKJAVIK, Iceland
Panel Lead: “Microhistories: Writing Deeply About Narrow Subjects.”
April 29, 2016
The Muse and the Marketplace Writers' Conference - BOSTON "The Lyric Essay"
April 16, 2016
The Art of Life After Workshop Series - BOSTON
"Grounded Words: a Body-Centered Workshop for Survivors of Sexual Violence"
January 28, 2016
NYC
McNally Jackson Bookstore Object Lessons
Self & Sequence: the Lyric Diary, a conference out of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Featured Speaker with Heather Christle.
January 16, 2025
Auto/Bio/Fiction series Goldsmiths University, London (online event)
Featured speaker, "Script Flipping Genres"
July 11, 2023
Brookline PHS
Whipple Fellowship
Guest Speaker
February 9, 2023
Lily Pad Lounge, Cambridge MA
Big screen viewing party for The Strange Child
September 29, 2022
Online
Book Launch for the U.K. edition of Dear Knausgaard.
September 27, 2022
Wheaton College
Visiting Artist
July 3, 2022
Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus, SCHWANDORF, Germany
Creative Arts Residency Studio Open House.
June 17 and 18, 2022
Kelly Strayhorn Theatre, PITTSBURGH
Premier of The Strange Child
April 11, 2022
University of Hartford
Cardin Reading Series
Guest Speaker
October 2, 2021
Haystack Book Festival, NORFOLK CT
Guest Speaker
June 10, 2021
Boston LitCrawl - CAMBRIDGE MA
"The Art of (Writing About) Reading"
March 4, 2021
AWP Conference - ONLINE
"Close Readings: Experiments in Bibliomemoir"
September 3, 2020
Online
Brookline Booksmith Reading from Dear Knausgaard
August 31, 2020
Essay Daily Salon, "Books About Books" - ONLINE
Guest Speaker
March 12, 2019
PageTurners Series - NYC
Guest Speaker
November 29, 2018
University of New Hampshire, UNH Writers' Series
Guest Speaker
November 4, 2018
Denver, CO
Counterpath Press Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
November 3, 2018
NonfictioNOW Conference - PHOENIX
Panel Lead: "Writing the Hermit Crab Essay"
October 30, 2018
San Francisco, CA
Green Apple Books Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
October 18, 2018
NYC
Shakespeare & Co. Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
October 2, 2018
Boston
Brookline Booksmith Reading from The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet
June 2, 2017
NonfictioNOW Conference - REYKJAVIK, Iceland
Panel Lead: “Microhistories: Writing Deeply About Narrow Subjects.”
April 29, 2016
The Muse and the Marketplace Writers' Conference - BOSTON "The Lyric Essay"
April 16, 2016
The Art of Life After Workshop Series - BOSTON
"Grounded Words: a Body-Centered Workshop for Survivors of Sexual Violence"
January 28, 2016
NYC
McNally Jackson Bookstore Object Lessons
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