Brian Blanchfield

About the Author

Brian Blanchfield is a poet, essayist, and educator whose work delves into the intricacies of memory, knowledge, and the personal essay form. Raised in the rural South and educated at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he has taught creative writing at institutions including the University of Arizona and Bard College. Blanchfield's essays often explore the limits of certainty through associative leaps and intimate revelations, blending autobiography with cultural critique. His acclaimed collection Proxies: Essays Near Knowing, winner of the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism, exemplifies his innovative approach to nonfiction, where vulnerability meets rigorous inquiry. A recipient of fellowships from the Lambda Literary Foundation and the MacDowell Colony, Blanchfield continues to push the boundaries of lyrical prose.