Jay Asher
| Jay Asher | |
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Jay Asher at the 2011 Texas Book Festival.
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| Born | September 30, 1975 Arcadia, California |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Young Adult |
| Notable works | Thirteen Reasons Why (2007) |
| Children | Isaiah Nathan born on December 11, 2010 |
| Website | |
| www |
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Jay Asher is an American writer of contemporary novels for teens. He has one major publication in the genre of young adult literature.
Biography
Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up with a family that encouraged him to do all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta Community College right after graduating from San Luis Obispo High School. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. After high school, he decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. He married Joan Marie on September 7, 2002. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including working as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores.[1] Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.
Career
He has published two books to date, Thirteen Reasons Why, a 2007 New York Times best-selling young-adult fiction novel, and The Future of Us, co written by Carolyn Mackler.
He has written several picture books and middle school humor novels. Thirteen Reasons Why has won several awards and has received five stars from Teen Book Review. It also has received high praise from fellow authors such as Ellen Hopkins, Sherman Alexie, and Chris Crutcher,[2] and Gordon Korman.
Asher is a fan of the TV series My So-Called Life.[3] He cites it as a major influence on his work.
It was announced that Netflix will create a miniseries based on Asher's novel Thirteen Reasons Why. The series will star Selena Gomez.[4]
Published works
- Thirteen Reasons Why (2007). This is the story of Hannah Baker, a girl who committed suicide. She reveals her thirteen reasons for her decision in a series of seven audio tapes mailed to a classmate with instructions to pass them from one student to another, in the style of a chain letter. Through Hannah's recorded voice, her classmates learn the reasons why Hannah decides to take her own life. Besides Hannah, the reader also sees the story through the eyes of Clay Jensen, one of the recipients of the tapes. Asher was inspired to write due to incidents that happened in his high school.
- The Future of Us (2011) This was co-written with Carolyn Mackler. This is the story of Josh and Emma, two teenagers who used to be best friends until a huge misunderstanding. In 1996, Josh helps Emma set up her internet, only to find Facebook - before it has been invented. There, they can see themselves 15 years in the future - status updates, information, friends, etc. Using Facebook, they are able to change their destinies.
References
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- ↑ Asher on Class of 2K7 web site
- ↑ Asher's myspace page
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External links
- Official web site of Thirteen Reasons Why, featuring an interactive map of the town
- Disco Mermaids, A blog of three authors Robin Mellom, Jay Asher and Eve Porinchak
- New York Times article on Thirteen Reasons Why
- Play review in Daily Herald
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