Picture a storyteller who turned her journey with disability into a dazzling exploration of beauty and humanity—meet Chloé Cooper Jones! A Pulitzer Prize finalist and philosophy professor, Jones captivates with her memoir Easy Beauty, blending raw honesty, global adventures, and sharp insights. Her work challenges how we see difference, inviting readers into a richer understanding of the human experience.
With a knack for weaving philosophy into personal narrative, Jones has become a vital voice in contemporary literature. Whether she’s reflecting on a Beyoncé concert or the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh, her writing is a soul-stretching invitation to rethink beauty, worth, and connection. Ready to meet the woman behind this transformative storytelling?
The Making of Chloé Cooper Jones
Born with sacral agenesis, a rare congenital condition affecting her spine and mobility, Chloé Cooper Jones grew up in Kansas, navigating a world that often judged her body before her mind. This early experience shaped her perspective, fueling a drive to excel academically and philosophically. She earned a PhD, diving into aesthetics and beauty, and began a career as a journalist, contributing to outlets like The New York Times Magazine and The Believer. Her 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist feature on Ramsey Orta, who filmed Eric Garner’s killing, showcased her ability to tackle complex human stories with clarity and courage.
Chloé Cooper Jones’s Unforgettable Stories
Jones’s debut memoir, Easy Beauty (2022), is a literary triumph, named a Best Book of 2022 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others, and a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Memoir. The book chronicles her global quest to reclaim spaces denied to her disabled body, from Rome’s sculpture gardens to a Milan Beyoncé concert. With lyrical precision, Jones interrogates societal myths about beauty, blending philosophy from Iris Murdoch and Elaine Scarry with vivid personal anecdotes.
Her journalism, like the 2019 essay “Such Perfection” in The Believer, laid the groundwork for Easy Beauty. It explored her travels in Italy, confronting exclusion amid stunning landscapes. Jones’s style is both scholarly and accessible, marked by razor-sharp wit, vulnerability, and a refusal to lean on disability clichés. She resists sentimental “overcoming” narratives, instead offering a complex portrait of a woman—mother, wife, thinker—living fully in a world that often overlooks her.
Other works, including contributions to GQ and The Verge, showcase her versatility, covering tennis, film festivals, and cultural phenomena with the same incisive lens. Each piece reflects her commitment to seeing and being seen authentically, making her a standout in nonfiction.
Why Chloé Cooper Jones Matters
Chloé Cooper Jones has redefined disability literature, moving beyond tropes to craft narratives that resonate universally. Her work challenges readers to confront their biases about beauty, ability, and worth, fostering empathy and self-reflection. As a professor at Columbia University and a mentor to young writers, she shapes the next generation of storytellers. Her influence extends beyond the page, sparking conversations about inclusion and the power of complex, honest storytelling.
By sharing her life—pain, joy, and all—Jones invites us to see the world anew. Her memoir’s success, coupled with her journalistic accolades, cements her as a transformative figure in contemporary literature, proving that stories from the margins can illuminate the universal.
- Birthplace: Kansas, USA
- Key Work: Easy Beauty (2022)
- Awards: 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist (Memoir), 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist (Feature Writing), Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant
- Current Role: Associate Professor, Columbia University
Snag Easy Beauty and dive into Chloé Cooper Jones’s breathtaking world of philosophy, travel, and fearless honesty!