Authors born after 1940-present
This category of American literature is purely an invention of this site and does not represent or presume to dictate to the academic authorities responsible for assigning formal names to literary periods. Our intention is to isolate a generation of contemporary writers who were born after 1940 and are, therefore, generally considered to have little or none of the pre-WWII perspectives or mentalities that characterize the authors of the Postmodern Period.
As such, the themes of contemporary writers are not yet officially recognized to tend toward one direction of thought or another. It remains for time to tell what this generation of literary artists will contribute to the history of American literature – and we all get to enjoy the journey right along with them.
Note: Most of the works of authors in this category are still under copyright protection. We have attempted to create bibliographies for these authors, but their works are not in the public domain and, thus, are unavailable for free access at this time.
Contemporary Literature
The following authors in our database represent the Contemporary Period of American Literature:
Aciman, Andre (1950-) |
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Keller, Nora Okja (1965-) |
Acker, Kathy (1947-1997) |
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Kidd, Sue (1948-) |
Albom, Mitch (1958-) |
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Kidder, John Tracy (1945-) |
Alexander, Meena (1951-2018) |
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Kincaid, Jamaica (1949-) |
Alexie, Sherman (1966-) |
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King, Stephen (1947-) |
Allison, Dorothy (1949-) |
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Kingsolver, Barbara (1955-) |
Alvarez, Julia (1950-) |
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Kingston, Maxine Hong (1940-) |
Anderson, Laurie Halse (1961-) |
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Komunyakaa, Yusef (1941-) |
Anzaldua, Gloria (1942-2004) |
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Krakauer, Jon (1954-) |
Ayer, Eleanor H. (unknown) |
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Lahiri, Jhumpa (1967-) |
Baker, Nicholson (1957-) |
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Langewiesche, William (1955-) |
Banks, Russell (1940-2023) |
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Larson, Erik (1954-) |
Beah, Ishmael (1980-) |
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Lee, Li-Young (1957-) |
Beatty, Paul (1962-) |
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Lethem, John (1964-) |
Benioff, David (1970-) |
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Lightman, Alan (1948-) |
Bernstein, Carl and Bob Woodward (1944-) |
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Loewen, James W. (1942-2021) |
Bissinger, H.G. (1954-) |
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MacKinnon, Catharine A. (1946-) |
Bourgois, Philippe (1956-) |
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McBride, James (1957-) |
Boyle, T.C. (1948-) |
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McElvaine, Robert S. (1947-) |
Bradley, James (1954-) |
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Meyer, Stephenie (1973-) |
Brown, Dan (1964-) |
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Mikaelsen, Ben (1952-) |
Bruchac, Joseph (1942-) |
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Millhauser, Steven (1943-) |
Butler, Octavia (1947-2006) |
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Minot, Susan (1956-) |
Butler, Robert Olen (1945-) |
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Moore, Lorrie (1957-) |
Card, Orson Scott (1951-) |
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Mora, Pat (1942-) |
Chevalier, Tracy (1962-) |
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Mortenson, Greg (1957-) |
Chin, Frank (1940-) |
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Mosley, Walter (1952-) |
Cisneros, Sandra (1954-) |
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Moss, Thylias (1954-) |
Cliff, Michelle (1946-2016) |
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Mukherjee, Bharati (1940-2017) |
Collins, Suzanne (1963-) |
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Naylor, Gloria (1950-2016) |
Creech, Sharon (1945-) |
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Nazario, Sonia (1960-) |
Cruz, Victor Hernandez (1949-) |
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O’Brien, Tim (1946-) |
Danticat, Edwidge (1969-) |
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Ortiz, Simon (1941-) |
Díaz, Junot (1968-) |
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Packer, Z.Z. (1973-) |
Dove, Rita (1952-) |
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Palahniuk, Chuck (1962-) |
Dumas, Firoozeh (1965-) |
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Patchett, Ann (1963-) |
Eggers, Dave (1970-) |
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Picoult, Jodi (1966-) |
Ehrenreich, Barbara (1941-2022) |
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Pietri, Pedro (1944-2004) |
Ellis, Bret Easton (1964-) |
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Pinsky, Robert (1940-) |
Ellis, Joseph J. (1943-) |
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Pollan, Michael (1955-) |
Enger, Leif (1961-) |
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Preston, Richard (1954-) |
Erdrich, Louise (1954-) |
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Relin, David Oliver (1963-2012) |
Ettlinger, Steve (unknown) |
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Rice, Anne (1941-2021) |
Fiol-Matta, Licia (unknown) |
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Rodriguez, Richard (1944-) |
Fisher, Diane Gilliam (1957-) |
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Rose, Wendy (1948-) |
Foer, Jonathan Safran (1977-) |
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Rylant, Cynthia (1954-) |
Fontes, Montserrat (1940s) |
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Sapphire (1950-) |
Forche, Carolyn (1950-) |
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Sebold, Alice (1968-) |
Foster, Thomas C. (1952-) |
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Shteyngart, Gary (1972-) |
Frazier, Charles (1950-) |
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Silko, Leslie Marmon (1948-) |
Giovanni, Nikki (1943-) |
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Smiley, Jane (1949-) |
Goldbarth, Albert (1948-) |
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Soto, Gary (1952-) |
Guterson, David (1956-) |
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Spiegelman, Art (1948-) |
Hagedorn, Jessica (1949-) |
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Spinelli, Jerry (1941-) |
Harjo, Joy (1951-) |
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St. John, Warren (1969-) |
Harris, E. Lynn (1955-2009) |
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Staples, Suzanne Fisher (1945-) |
Hejinian, Lyn (1941-) |
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Strasser, Todd (Rhue, Morton) (1950-) |
Hinton, S.E. (1950-) |
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Tan, Amy (1952-) |
Ho, Minfong (1951-) |
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Taylor, Mildred (1943-) |
Hobbs, Will (1947-) |
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Ung, Loung (1970-) |
Hopkins, Ellen (1955-) |
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Viramontes, Helena Maria (1954-) |
Hosseini, Khaled (1965-) |
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Vreeland, Susan (1947-2017) |
Irving, John (1942-) |
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Walker, Alice (1944-) |
Isay, Dave (1966-) |
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Wallace, David Foster (1962-2008) |
Jacoby, Russell (1945-) |
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Walls, Jeannette (1960-) |
Jarman, Mark (1952-) |
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Watson, Larry (1947-) |
Jen, Gish (1955-) |
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Welch, James (1940-2003) |
Johnson, Charles R. (1948-) |
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Wideman, John Edgar (1941-) |
Johnson, Steven (1968-) |
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Wolff, Tobias (1945-) |
Jones, Edward P. (1951-) |
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Yep, Laurence (1948-) |
Jones, Gayl (1949-) |
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Zimmerman, Robert D. (1952-) |
Click on any of the above names to open the corresponding biographical essay.
Click on the red book icon to the left of any name in the list to access that author’s bibliography and our collection of direct links available for the associated titles as hosted by a wide variety of professional and academic Web sites.
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