Garth Greenwell
@garthgreenwell.bsky.social
What Belongs to You, Cleanness, & Small Rain | 2025 PEN/Faulkner Award | Eeyore at the gay club | https://garthgreenwell.substack.com
Lots of things came up in my conversation with Brandon Taylor at The Strand, including the importance of face-to-face encounters and the difference, for me, between art and politics. Free post, no paywall. Link in profile. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
November 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Lots of things came up in my conversation with Brandon Taylor at The Strand, including the importance of face-to-face encounters and the difference, for me, between art and politics. Free post, no paywall. Link in profile. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
Northern lights tonight in Iowa City.
November 12, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Northern lights tonight in Iowa City.
I thought Brandon might go easy on me at @strandbookstore.bsky.social a couple of weeks ago, but no luck: he came out swinging. We talk about ambient violence, art as individualizing, why we (sorry!) still need Heidegger, etc. Free post, no paywall. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
November 10, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I thought Brandon might go easy on me at @strandbookstore.bsky.social a couple of weeks ago, but no luck: he came out swinging. We talk about ambient violence, art as individualizing, why we (sorry!) still need Heidegger, etc. Free post, no paywall. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
I can’t wait for this beautiful book to be in the world. Coming in May 2026: Luis Munoz’s ONE MOMENT, translated by Idra Novey & me. You can preorder it here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/One-Mo....
October 28, 2025 at 10:06 PM
I can’t wait for this beautiful book to be in the world. Coming in May 2026: Luis Munoz’s ONE MOMENT, translated by Idra Novey & me. You can preorder it here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/One-Mo....
One week until DADDY AUGUSTINE. Join us Nov 1 as we read the first two books of Confessions—the book that inaugurates the tradition that leads to the modern novel. 6 sessions, all recorded. Full info & registration here: www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
October 24, 2025 at 4:49 PM
One week until DADDY AUGUSTINE. Join us Nov 1 as we read the first two books of Confessions—the book that inaugurates the tradition that leads to the modern novel. 6 sessions, all recorded. Full info & registration here: www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
The next picks for the To a Green Thought Book Club. In Dec, we’ll be reading KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN by Manuel Puig. Then, in Feb, COLD NIGHTS OF CHILDHOOD by Tezer Özlü. Open to all Founding Members. I’d love for you to join us. Full info here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/an-ideal-o...
October 23, 2025 at 6:40 PM
The next picks for the To a Green Thought Book Club. In Dec, we’ll be reading KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN by Manuel Puig. Then, in Feb, COLD NIGHTS OF CHILDHOOD by Tezer Özlü. Open to all Founding Members. I’d love for you to join us. Full info here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/an-ideal-o...
Reading tonight @umassamherst.bsky.social. Full info here: www.umass.edu/english/even...
October 23, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Reading tonight @umassamherst.bsky.social. Full info here: www.umass.edu/english/even...
I went to @icfilmscene.bsky.social's film festival & had some thoughts about Hedda, Romería, Peter Hujar’s Day, & several others. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-film-fes...
October 21, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I went to @icfilmscene.bsky.social's film festival & had some thoughts about Hedda, Romería, Peter Hujar’s Day, & several others. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-film-fes...
Friends in NYC, there are just a few tickets left for my event with Brandon Taylor. I’d love to see you at the Strand this Friday, 10/24, at 7pm. Chatting with Brandon is one of my favorite things; pretty sure this will be a blast. Get tix here:
www.eventbrite.com/e/garth-gree...
www.eventbrite.com/e/garth-gree...
October 20, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Friends in NYC, there are just a few tickets left for my event with Brandon Taylor. I’d love to see you at the Strand this Friday, 10/24, at 7pm. Chatting with Brandon is one of my favorite things; pretty sure this will be a blast. Get tix here:
www.eventbrite.com/e/garth-gree...
www.eventbrite.com/e/garth-gree...
Daddy Augustine starts in two weeks, on Nov 1. I’d love for you to join us as we read Confessions, with a focus on Augustine as a writer—as the great explorer of interiority. 6 online sessions, all recorded. Full info here:
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
October 17, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Daddy Augustine starts in two weeks, on Nov 1. I’d love for you to join us as we read Confessions, with a focus on Augustine as a writer—as the great explorer of interiority. 6 online sessions, all recorded. Full info here:
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
On what makes Augustine so lovable, especially in the Confessions. No paywall. Link to full essay here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/marked-by-...
October 12, 2025 at 6:32 PM
On what makes Augustine so lovable, especially in the Confessions. No paywall. Link to full essay here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/marked-by-...
If nerdy close reading is your jam, please join us for Daddy Augustine, an online class exploring Confessions as the source of much of what is “modern” in the modern novel. 6 weeks, all classes recorded. Full info here:
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
October 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
If nerdy close reading is your jam, please join us for Daddy Augustine, an online class exploring Confessions as the source of much of what is “modern” in the modern novel. 6 weeks, all classes recorded. Full info here:
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
With three weeks until the start of my online class on Confessions, I spent some time analyzing a short passage to show why I think Augustine is such a great stylist, & what it means to read him *as a writer.* Free post, no paywall. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/marked-by-...
October 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
With three weeks until the start of my online class on Confessions, I spent some time analyzing a short passage to show why I think Augustine is such a great stylist, & what it means to read him *as a writer.* Free post, no paywall. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/marked-by-...
Beauford Delaney’s final self-portrait is a moving testament to his lifelong quest to accept his sexuality, especially when seen alongside his first portrait of James Baldwin. Free post; no paywall. Full essay here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/on-beaufor...
October 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Beauford Delaney’s final self-portrait is a moving testament to his lifelong quest to accept his sexuality, especially when seen alongside his first portrait of James Baldwin. Free post; no paywall. Full essay here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/on-beaufor...
On Beauford Delaney’s “Dark Rapture”—his first, great portrait of James Baldwin. Link to full essay (free post, no paywall) garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/on-beaufor...
October 1, 2025 at 4:05 PM
On Beauford Delaney’s “Dark Rapture”—his first, great portrait of James Baldwin. Link to full essay (free post, no paywall) garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/on-beaufor...
I wrote about the great painter Beauford Delaney, his friendship with James Baldwin, & the tremendous courage of his wrestling with desire & selfhood. Free post, no paywall. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/on-beaufor...
September 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I wrote about the great painter Beauford Delaney, his friendship with James Baldwin, & the tremendous courage of his wrestling with desire & selfhood. Free post, no paywall. garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/on-beaufor...
Just over a month until the start of this online course on Augustine's Confessions. Our focus will be on Augustine as a writer—as the inventor of much of what is "modern" in the modern novel. 6 sessions, all recorded. I'd love for you to join us. www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
September 29, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Just over a month until the start of this online course on Augustine's Confessions. Our focus will be on Augustine as a writer—as the inventor of much of what is "modern" in the modern novel. 6 sessions, all recorded. I'd love for you to join us. www.garthgreenwell.com/classes-ig
It’s extremely moving to read James Baldwin’s novels, one after the other, & watch him slowly escape the homophobic logic that structures Giovanni’s Room—even if traces of that logic always remain. These & more thoughts on Giovanni’s Room here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/more-thoug...
September 22, 2025 at 2:25 PM
It’s extremely moving to read James Baldwin’s novels, one after the other, & watch him slowly escape the homophobic logic that structures Giovanni’s Room—even if traces of that logic always remain. These & more thoughts on Giovanni’s Room here: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/more-thoug...
Scholarship applications for my upcoming class, Daddy Augustine: Reading Confessions, close tomorrow at noon ET. I’d love for you to join us. Full info here: www.garthgreenwell.com/classes
September 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Scholarship applications for my upcoming class, Daddy Augustine: Reading Confessions, close tomorrow at noon ET. I’d love for you to join us. Full info here: www.garthgreenwell.com/classes
Harper’s gave 6k words to my essay on Giovanni’s Room—very generous for lit crit in a glossy magazine. But the essay is a good bit longer. On the stack this week I shared some of what was cut. Also: why everyone should have a cat nearby when writing a difficult essay. tinyurl.com/4fj97d37
September 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Harper’s gave 6k words to my essay on Giovanni’s Room—very generous for lit crit in a glossy magazine. But the essay is a good bit longer. On the stack this week I shared some of what was cut. Also: why everyone should have a cat nearby when writing a difficult essay. tinyurl.com/4fj97d37
I first read Giovanni's Room when I was 14. How did a book built (I now think) on a homophobic logic give me access to dignity? For Harper's, I wrote about why we should complicate our sense of what it means for art to be "affirming." harpers.org/archive/2025...
September 17, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I first read Giovanni's Room when I was 14. How did a book built (I now think) on a homophobic logic give me access to dignity? For Harper's, I wrote about why we should complicate our sense of what it means for art to be "affirming." harpers.org/archive/2025...
Very grateful to learn that Small Rain has won a 2025 Josephine Miles Award from PEN Oakland. I’m honored to be included among such excellent writers. Full list of honorees below.
September 16, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Very grateful to learn that Small Rain has won a 2025 Josephine Miles Award from PEN Oakland. I’m honored to be included among such excellent writers. Full list of honorees below.
Friends in NYC, I’m so excited to talk about Small Rain with my friend Brandon Taylor. Friday, Oct 24 at The Strand. Full info and tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/garth-gree...
September 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Friends in NYC, I’m so excited to talk about Small Rain with my friend Brandon Taylor. Friday, Oct 24 at The Strand. Full info and tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/garth-gree...