“Our
job as writers, as far as I can tell, is to attempt to express what seems
inexpressible.” – Nick Flynn
Born
in Massachusetts on this date in 1960, Flynn is the author of two award-winning
memoirs, a play, and a number of poetry collections, including My Feelings
and Some Ether, which earned him the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award.
Flynn said he always had the urge to
become a writer, but out of high school he tried a number of other things
before taking the plunge. After working
as an electrician for several years, he spent some time at sea, including
serving as a ship’s captain
before taking on a position at a homeless shelter in Boston. While there, he resumed his studies and his
writing. 
After studying on a two-fellowship
from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, he earned his MFA from New York
University and began teaching at Columbia University’s Writing Project. Today he teaches creative writing at the University of Houston while still living part time in Brooklyn, NY.
After studying on a two-fellowship
from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, he earned his MFA from New York
University and began teaching at Columbia University’s Writing Project. Today he teaches creative writing at the University of Houston while still living part time in Brooklyn, NY.
Some
Ether, his debut work in 2000, focuses on his
tumultuous family life and includes a detached yet affecting look at childhood and
trauma. “Certain stories we carry with us,
events in our life, they define who we are,” Flynn said. “It's not a matter of
getting over anything; we have to make the best of it.”
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