Mr. Christopher Barzak

Professor
Mr. Christopher Barzak - profile photo

Mr. Christopher Barzak

Professor

English & World Languages

DeBartolo Hall 245

phone: (330) 941-2327

cmbarzak@ysu.edu

www.christopherbarzak.com

Bio

Christopher Barzak is the author of the Crawford Fantasy Award winning novel One for Sorrow which has been made into the Sundance feature film Jamie Marks is Dead. His second novel, The Love We Share Without Knowing, was a finalist for the Nebula Award and the James Tiptree Jr. Award. His third novel, Wonders of the Invisible World, received the Stonewall Honor from the American Library Association and most recently was selected for inclusion on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of books for libraries in LGBTQ welcoming schools. He is also the author of three short story collections: Birds and Birthdays, a collection of surrealist fantasy stories, Before and Afterlives, a collection of supernatural fantasies, which won Best Collection in the 2013 Shirley Jackson Awards, and Monstrous Alterations. His most recent novel, The Gone Away Place, received the inaugural Whippoorwill Award, and was selected for the Choose to Read Ohio program by the State Library of Ohio, the Ohioana Library Association, and the Ohio Center for the Book.

Research Interests

Revisionist and adaptive writing, writing about place, fabulist literature, mythology, and folklore.

Teaching Interests

Creative writing, fiction writing, poetry writing, creative nonfiction, speculative fiction, magical realism, fantasy, surrealism, the fairy tale, gothic fiction, nature and environmental writing.

  • Education
    • 2010

      MFA, Creative Writing

      Chatham University

      Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Wonders of the Invisible World: A Novel"

    • 2003

      MA, English

      Youngstown State University

      Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Birds and Birthdays: Reconstructing the Body in Surrealism"

    • 1998

      BA, English

      Youngstown State University

  • Awards and Honors
    • 2024

      CNN

      Selected for CNN's Honor List of Books for Pride Month 2024

      My novel, Wonders of the Invisible World, was selected by CNN for their Honor List of Books for Pride Month 2024.

    • 2021

      The Human Rights Campaign

      Selected for Human Rights Campaign's Required Reading List (Wonders of the Invisible World)

      My novel, Wonders of the Invisible World, was selected by the Human Rights Campaign for its list of thirty books every LGBTQ welcoming high school should have in their libraries.

    • 2020

      National Council of Teachers of English

      Winner of The Whippoorwhill Award

      Award for my novel The Gone Away place, celebrating rural life in young adult literature.

    • 2020

      State Library of Ohio and the Ohio Center for the Book

      Selected for the Choose to Read Ohio Program (The Gone Away Place)

      My novel, The Gone Away Place, was selected for 2020-22 as a featured book for young adults throughout Ohio to read.

    • 2019

      Locus Magazine

      Finalist for the Locus Award (Best YA Novel)

      My novel, The Gone away Place, was selected by editors and publishers for Locus Magazine's publishing industry awards.

    • 2016

      The American Library Association

      The Stonewall Honor

      Award given to Wonders of the Invisible World for exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQ experience.

    • 2014

      The Shirley Jackson Awards

      Winner of The Shirley Jackson Award (Before and Afterlives)

      Award for Best Short Story Collection for Before and Afterlives. The awards celebrate the literature of the gothic and the fantastic, at which the authors whose name it brandishes excelled.

    • 2014

      The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association

      Finalist for The Nebula Awards ("Paranormal Romance")

      Finalist of Five for Award Category of Best Novelette

    • 2014

      Locus Magazine

      Finalist for the Locus Awards (Before and Afterlives)

      Publishing industry awards selection for best short story collection,

    • 2014

      Locus Magazine

      Finalist for Locus Awards ("Paranormal Romance")

      Publishing Industry award in the category of Best Novelette.

    • 2013

      Story South

      Finalist for the Million Writers Award ("Invisible Men")

      Award system for best digital fiction publications in a given year.

    • 2013

      Locus Magazine

      Finalist for Locus Awards (Birds and Birthdays)

      Publishing Industry trade awards, category of Best Short Story Collection)

    • 2011

      Youngstown State University

      Distinguished Professor in Service to University and Community

    • 2010

      The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association

      Finalist for the Nebula Award ("Map of Seventeen")

      National award system, in the category of Best Novelette.

    • 2009

      The Otherwise Awards

      Honor List for The James Tiptree Jr. Award/Otherwise Award (The Love We Share Without Knowing)

      Award exploring gender and diversity within speculative fiction.

    • 2009

      The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association

      Finalist for the Nebula Awards (The Love We Share Without Knowing)

      National awards system, in the category of Best Novel.

    • 2009

      Locus Magazine

      Finalist for the Locus Awards (The Love We Share Without Knowing)

      Publishing Industry Award, category of Best Novel.

    • 2008

      The Spectrum Awards Foundation

      Winner of the Spectrum Award ("The Language of Moths")

      Award exploring LGBTQ experience in speculative fiction, for Best Novelette category.

    • 2008

      The Crawford Awards

      Winner of the Crawford Award (One for Sorrow)

      Award given at The International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts for Best first book.

    • 2008

      Indiebound.org

      Indiebound Notable Book of the Year (The Love We Share Without Knowing)

      Honor list selected by independent Booksellers annually.

    • 2008

      The Logo Channel

      Finalist for the Logo Channel's New Now Next Awards (One for Sorrow)

      Award from LGBTQ television channel, category of Author on the Verge (Best New Author)

    • 2008

      Michigan Reading Awards

      Finalist for the Great Lakes Book Award (One for Sorrow)

      Award for writers of literature of the Great Lakes Region, category novel.

    • 2008

      Locus Magazine

      Finalist for Locus Award (One for Sorrow

      Publishing Industry award system, category Best First Novel.

    • 2007

      The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association

      Finalist for the Nebula Awards ("The Language of Moths")

      Award for speculative fiction, category of Best Novelette.

    • 2006

      The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association

      Finalist for the Locus Awards ("The Language of Moths")

      Award system for speculative fiction, category of Best Novelette.

    • 2004

      The James Tiptree Jr. Foundation

      Finalist for The James Tiptree Jr./Otherwise Award ("The Other Angelas")

      International award system for speculative fiction that explores gender.

  • Professional Positions
    • 2008 -

      Department of English and World Languages, Youngstown State University

      Professor of English

    • 2006 - 2023

      Shueisha Books

      Translator and Editorial Consultant

    • 2004 - 2006

      Edosaki School Systems, Edosaki, Japan

      English Language Teacher

  • Administrative Assignments
    • 2023 - present

      Director

    • 2011 - 2024

      Coordinator

  • Intellectual Contributions
    • 2011

      "The Closing WIndow"

      C. Barzak

      The New Labor Forum / The Murphy Institute of CUNY, issue Spring 2011, p. 6

    • 2009

      "Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing"

      C. Barzak

      The Interstitial Arts Foundation, volume 2, p. 296

    • 2006

      "Kant: For Eternal Peace"

      C. Barzak

      Shueisha Books, p. 120

    • 2002

      "A LIFE LESS ORDINARY: KATE BERNHEIMER'S THE COMPLETE TALES OF KETZIA GOLD"

      C. Barzak

      Strange Horizons, p. 2

    • 2001

      "Witnessing Magic: Kelly Link’s Stranger Things Happen"

      C. Barzak

      Strange Horizons, p. 2

  • Professional Service
    • 2015 - 2015

      Other
      International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts

    • 2013 - 2013

      Other
      The James Tiptree Jr. Award Foundation

    • 2012 - 2015

      Other
      Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

  • Public Service
    • 2021 - present

      Committee Member
      Lit Youngstown

    • 2014 - 2014

      Judge
      Youngstown Legal Creatives

    • 2014 - 2014

      Judge
      Mount Union College's Literary Magazine

    • 2013 - 2013

      Judge
      Youngstown Grey to Green Festival

    • 2006 - 2011

      Board of Directors
      The Oakland Center for the Arts