Alexis Wilkinson

Last updated
Alexis Wilkinson
Born1992 (age 3334)
Alma mater Harvard University (BA)
OccupationWriter
Years active2014–present
Website http://www.ohgoditsalexis.com

Alexis Wilkinson (born 1992) [1] [2] is an American writer and comedian. She gained prominence after she was elected the first African American president of The Harvard Lampoon .

Contents

Wilkinson was a staff writer for Veep and Brooklyn Nine-Nine , and she is a contributing writer to The New Yorker . [3] [4] [5]

Early life and education

Wilkinson was raised in Wheaton, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she graduated from Nicolet High School. [6] Growing up, Wilkinson wrote for herself and in high school wrote a satirical newsletter with her friends, but she didn’t take being a writer too seriously. [7]

She attended Harvard University and studied economics, with aspirations of writing for television. Wilkinson joined The Harvard Lampoon writing staff as a freshman, and her junior year she was elected president of the publication, the first African American student of any gender to hold the position. [6] [8]

Career

Just prior to graduating, Wilkinson sent copies of The Harvard Lampoon to the Harvard alumni trustees and asked for job leads. [1] David Mandel was a recipient and the show runner of Veep ; he hired Wilkinson onto the writing staff. She was the only person of color in the writer's room. [1] Wilkinson left Veep to join the writing staff of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2016. [1] [4]

She left TV writing to work on her first book. She also consults on ad campaigns. [9]

Alexis Wilkinson has written for publications such as Time, Vulture, the New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle. [7]

In November 2019, it was announced that Wilkinson had written an audiobook for Serial Box, called The Co-Founder, about two female entrepreneurs who hire a man to sell their product to Silicon Valley investors. [10] It is also currently being developed into a film. [10]

Personal life

Wilkinson has resided in San Francisco, California. [9] While her whereabouts are currently unknown, she has been sighted in the Midwest.

Awards and nominations

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Liebman, Lisa (6 June 2016). "Alexis Wilkinson on Joining Veep Straight Out of College and Writing for Middle-Aged White Guys". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  2. "Alexis Wilkinson on Instagram: "feeling extremely seen and extremely loved on birthday #26 ♥️"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  3. Dobbins, Amanda (2014-01-10). "122 Minutes With Alexis Wilkinson". NYMag.com. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  4. 1 2 "Disarming People With Laughter". The On Being Project. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  5. "The New Yorker: "Explaining U.S. Holidays to Extraterrestrials"". Newstral. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  6. 1 2 Borrelli, Christopher (29 January 2014). "Alexis Wilkinson's path to Harvard Lampoon president's chair". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  7. 1 2 Escandon, Rosa. "26-Year-Old Alexis Wilkinson Isn't Afraid To Write In New Mediums". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  8. "African-American Woman To Run Humorous 'Harvard Lampoon' Magazine". npr.com. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Escandon, Rosa. "26-Year-Old Alexis Wilkinson Isn't Afraid To Write In New Mediums". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  10. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (2019-11-12). "Serial Box, In Its First Film and TV Deals, Sets Pacts for 'The Co-Founder' and 'First Street' Adaptations (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2020-01-25.