Picture an American storyteller who weaves raw human experience into prose that stings and soothes—meet Leslie Jamison! Known for her bestselling essay collection The Empathy Exams, Jamison has carved a niche as a literary alchemist, blending memoir, journalism, and criticism with a poet’s touch. Her work, born from a life as varied as a baker’s tray, captures the messy beauty of connection and struggle.
From her early days in Los Angeles to her current perch in Brooklyn, Jamison’s journey is as layered as her writing. With a knack for turning personal pain into universal insight, she’s become a voice for those navigating life’s thorny edges. Ready to dive into her world?
The Making of Leslie Jamison
Born in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 1983, Leslie Jamison grew up in the sunlit Pacific Palisades of Los Angeles, the daughter of a nutritionist and an economist. Her parents’ divorce at age 11 shaped her early years, leaving her to navigate adolescence with her mother and two older brothers. A self-described bookworm, Jamison found solace in stories, later channeling this passion at Harvard College, where she majored in English and wrote a thesis on incest in William Faulkner’s work. Her time at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Yale, where she earned a Ph.D., honed her craft, but it was her eclectic jobs—baker, innkeeper, medical actor—that infused her writing with gritty authenticity.
Leslie Jamison’s Unforgettable Stories
Jamison’s debut novel, The Gin Closet (2010), introduced her unflinching style, telling the story of a young New Yorker and her alcoholic aunt forging a fragile bond in a Nevada trailer. Critics praised its raw intimacy, but it was The Empathy Exams (2014) that skyrocketed her fame. This essay collection, a New York Times bestseller, probes empathy through lenses like medical acting and personal loss, earning comparisons to Joan Didion for its lyrical precision.
In The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath (2018), Jamison blends her own alcoholism recovery with literary giants’ struggles, creating a tapestry of addiction and redemption. Her 2019 collection, Make It Scream, Make It Burn, explores longing and obsession, from lonely whales to virtual worlds. Her latest memoir, Splinters (2024), dives into motherhood and divorce, delivering a heart-wrenching yet hopeful reflection on fractured love. Jamison’s style—part confessional, part investigative—invites readers to wrestle with life’s contradictions alongside her.
Why Leslie Jamison Matters
Leslie Jamison’s work reshapes how we understand empathy, addiction, and the self. Her ability to weave personal narrative with cultural critique has made her a touchstone for contemporary nonfiction, influencing writers and readers alike. As a professor at Columbia University, she mentors emerging voices, while her workshops at recovery centers reflect her commitment to storytelling’s healing power. Jamison’s prose doesn’t just describe pain—it honors it, making her a vital voice in a world craving connection.
- Born: June 21, 1983, Washington, D.C.
- Key Works: The Gin Closet, The Empathy Exams, The Recovering, Splinters
- Awards: Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize, PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award finalist
- Fun Fact: She has a tattoo that reads, “I am human: nothing is alien to me.”
Grab The Empathy Exams and dive into Leslie Jamison’s world of heart-stirring nonfiction!