Chen Chen’s second book, Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency, was a best book of 2022 according to the Boston Globe, Electric Lit, NPR, and others. It was also named a 2023 Notable Book by the American Library Association. His debut, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities, was long-listed for the 2017 National Book Award and won the Thom Gunn Award. He has received two Pushcart Prizes and fellowships from Kundiman, the National Endowment for the Arts, and United States Artists. He teaches for the low-residency MFA programs at New England College and Stonecoast.
Image Description: Chen Chen stands in front of a large residential building. His slicked back hair is dyed orangey blond and he wears clear glasses, a silver blazer, and a purple button-down shirt with silver polka dots.