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Jonathan Rabb

Writing professor

Education

  • M.Phil., political science, Columbia University
  • M.A., political science, Columbia University
  • B.A., political science, Yale University

Credentials

Teaching experience

  • Professor, 2009–present, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA
    Students build a firm grasp of the fundamentals of structure, narrative, and the mechanics of language, always with the aim of publication.
  • Visiting professor, 2008–09, NYU Creative Writing Program, New York
    Taught intermediate fiction in a workshop setting. Topics included character, structure, intention, syntax, cadence, transition, and research techniques through exercises and shared work. Strong emphasis on the role of critique as an essential part of the creative process.
  • Instructor, 2003–07, 92nd Street Y, New York
    Taught courses in historical fiction and the novel. Tackled topics such as long-form structure, character, voice, and narrative drive.
  • Lecturer, 1992–95, Columbia University, New York
    Taught contemporary civilization, a course on political theory from Plato and Augustine to John Rawls and Hannah Arendt.

Awards, recognitions, and honors

  • Finalist, Townsend Prize in Fiction, Among the Living, 2018
  • Book All Georgians Should Read, Georgia Center for the Book, Among the Living, 2017
  • "Books That Will Change the Way You Look at the South," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Among the Living, 2016
  • Book Review Editor's Choice, The New York Times, The Second Son, 2012
  • "5 Best Berlin Noirs," The Wall Street Journal, Shadow and Light, 2012
  • "Best Mysteries of 2011," The Seattle Times, The Second Son, 2011
  • Book Review Editor's Choice, The New York Times, Shadow and Light, 2010
  • Best Book of 2009, January Magazine, Rosa, 2009
  • Fulbright Scholar, 1991

Organizations

  • Member of the board, Savannah Book Festival
  • Member of the board, Congregation Mickve Israel
  • Member of the board, The Blue Hill Troupe

Publications and presentations

Novels

  • Among the Living, Other Press, 2016.
  • The Second Son, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2011.
  • Shadow and Light, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009.
  • Rosa, Crown, 2005.
  • The Book of Q, Crown, 2001.
  • The Overseer, Crown, 1998.

Short form prose

  • "Trigger Warnings in Historical Fiction," Read It Forward, 2017.
  • "Not Just Trump: The South's Progressive Roots Run Deep," Literary Hub, 2016.
  • "A Fight for Love and Glory," The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 2014.
  • "A Game Played," Strand Magazine, 2013.
  • "Pick," Oxford American, 2012.
  • "Ode to an Orange," Oxford American, 2011.
  • "Santa Muerte," Strand Magazine, 2011.
  • "When 'Socialism' Meant Something," Huffington Post, 2011.

Speaking engagements

  • AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs), Portland, Ore., 2019.
  • "In Conversation with George and Paula Saunders" at Savannah Book Festival, Savannah, Ga., 2019.
  • North American book tour for Among the Living, New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, 2016–2019.
  • AJC Decatur Book Festival, Decatur, Ga., 2018.
  • Broadleaf Writers' Conference, 2018.
  • Brigada para Leer en Libertad Internacional, Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico City, 2017.
  • Georgia Center for the Book, 2017.
  • SIBA, Savannah, Ga., 2016.
  • Book Expo America, Chicago, 2016.
  • ALA, Orlando, 2016.
  • Savannah Book Festival, Savannah, Ga., 2016.
  • Decatur Book Festival, Decatur, Ga., 2016.
  • 4th Feria Del Libro Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, 2013.
  • Quais du Polar International Festival, Lyons, France, 2012.
  • Renaissance Weekend, Charleston, S.C., 2012.
  • TEDx Talk, Savannah, Ga., 2011.
  • Los Angeles Times Book Festival, 2011.
  • Savannah Book Festival, 2011.
  • Yale University Writing in a Digital Age, 2011.