Charles Blackstone | |
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| Born | March 21, 1977 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist, editor |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Chicago University of Colorado |
| Period | 2003–present |
| Genre | Autobiographical fiction Experimental fiction |
| Notable works | Vintage Attraction (2013) |
| Spouses | Caroline Eick (m. 2016) |
| Website | |
| www | |
Charles Blackstone (born March 21, 1977) [1] is an American writer. His most recent novel is the semi-autobiographical Vintage Attraction (2013).
Blackstone was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is the great grandson of Janet Sobel. [1] He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago [2] and earned a master's degree from the University of Colorado creative writing program in 2003, [3] where he received the Barker Award for Fiction in 2001. [4]
Blackstone's first novel was the avant-garde The Week You Weren't Here (2005), set in Chicago in the spring of 2001. [5] Using experimental prose, the story follows Hunter Flanagan on his search for true love. [6] Next, he collaborated with Jill Talbot as co-editors of the experimental anthology The Art of Friction: Where (Non)Fictions Come Together (2008), [7] a collection exploring the creative differences between fiction and nonfiction. [8] His stories have been published in literary journals including Bridge, Evergreen Review and The Journal of Experimental Fiction. [5] His short story "Before" was published in Esquire in March 2008 as part of the magazine's Napkin Fiction series. [9]
Set in Chicago and Greece, Blackstone's semi-autobiographical second novel Vintage Attraction is a depiction of the academia, celebrity and fine wine culture. [2] The novel is inspired by his courtship of Alpana Singh, a master sommelier and TV show host whom he would later marry. The character Peter Hapworth, a lonely 30-something adjunct creative writing professor, is based on Blackstone, and Isabelle "Izzy" Conway, who hosts a wine-tasting program, is based on Singh. [10] [11] [12] The novel took Blackstone four years to write. [13]
Writing for the Los Angeles Review of Books , Sabra Embry said that Vintage Attraction's fantasy vs. reality love story was poignant. [14] Reviewing for the Chicago Reader Aimee Levitt described the book as awkwardly written, and the protagonist as unsympathetic. [15] Gapers Block reviewer Ines Bellina praised the descriptions of wine, food, and local Chicago landmarks, but called the plot dull. [16] Michael Lindgren of The Washington Post called the book "a slapdash, irritating affair." [17]
In 2010 Blackstone began serving as managing editor of Bookslut, a literary website founded by Jessa Crispin in 2002. [10] [18] He has worked with writers and served as an editor for the site's monthly reviews. [10]
In 2015, Blackstone taught writing at the Gotham Writers' Workshop in New York City, where he lives. [19]
Blackstone married sommelier and restaurant critic Alpana Singh in 2006. [8] [10] [20] The couple divorced in 2014. [21] In 2016, Blackstone married Caroline Eick, a senior vice president with Philadelphia-based healthcare marketing firm Calcium. [22]
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