Kristen Radtke

Kristen Radtke
Radtke at the 2017 Texas Book Festival
Radtke at the 2017 Texas Book Festival
BornKristen Radtke
(1987-06-25) June 25, 1987 (age 37)
Green Bay, Wisconsin
OccupationWriter
Illustrator
Notable worksImagine Wanting Only This, Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness

Kristen Radtke (born June 25, 1987) is a writer and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York. Her graphic memoir, Imagine Wanting Only This, was published by Pantheon Books in April 2017. It was described by The Atlantic as "a breathtaking mix of prose and illustration."[1][2][3]

Radtke's second book, Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness was published in July 2021. NPR.org said: "The beauty of Seek You is that it feels like a communal experience. Reading this book is reading about ourselves and our lives."[4] The book was awarded a 2019 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant.[5] It was also shortlisted for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.[6]

Radtke is currently creative director for The Verge.[7] Previously, she was art director and deputy publisher of The Believer magazine,[8] managing editor of Sarabande Books, and the film and video editor of TriQuarterly magazine. She has an MFA from the University of Iowa's Nonfiction Writing Program. In 2017, she was named "A Face to Watch" by the Los Angeles Times.[9][10][11]

Radtke's writing and comics have appeared in publications including The New Yorker,[12] The New York Times Book Review,[13] The Atlantic,[14] GQ,[15] Oxford American,[16] and Virginia Quarterly Review.[17]

  1. ^ Adhikari, Arnav (April 18, 2017). "A Graphic-Novel Memoir That Tangles With the Puzzle of Existence". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  2. ^ Kephart, Beth (April 12, 2017). "'Imagine Wanting Only This': Devastating graphic memoir features 'ruins' of Gary, Ind". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  3. ^ Hassler, Chelsea (April 17, 2017). "HE BEST NEW BOOK RELEASES FOR APRIL 18, 2017". Newsweek. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  4. ^ Iglesias, Gabino (July 13, 2021). "Loneliness is a Communal Experience in 'Seek You'". NPR.
  5. ^ "Kristen Radtke".
  6. ^ "2022 Winners". American Library Association. October 17, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "About The Verge". The Verge. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  8. ^ "After an uncertain week, The Believer is returning home to McSweeney's!". Literary Hub. May 16, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  9. ^ Rivera, William (January 6, 2017). "Faces to watch: Remember these authors and their books". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  10. ^ Lehoczky, Etelka (April 22, 2017). "Wanting More From 'Imagine Wanting Only This'". NPR. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  11. ^ Conza, Yvonne (April 17, 2017). "VISITING ABANDONED PLACES: A CONVERSATION WITH KRISTEN RADTKE". The Rumpus. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  12. ^ "Kristen Radtke: Contributor". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  13. ^ Radtke, Kristen (October 19, 2018). "An Illustrated Homage to the Oceans Atlas". New York Times Book Review. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  14. ^ Radtke, Kristen (October 3, 2018). "What's the Loneliest You've Ever Felt?". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  15. ^ "Kristen Radtke: Contributor". GQ. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  16. ^ "Archives: Kristen Radtke". oxfordamerican.com. Oxford American. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  17. ^ "Archives: Kristen Radtke". VQR. Virginia Quarterly Review. Retrieved April 25, 2017.