John Green’s Biography
(For contact info, click here.)
John Green is the New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns. He is also the coauthor, with David Levithan, of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. He was 2006 recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award, a 2009 Edgar Award winner, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Green’s books have been published in more than a dozen languages.
In 2007, Green and his brother Hank ceased textual communication and began to talk primarily through videoblogs posted to youtube. The videos spawned a community of people called nerdfighters who fight for intellectualism and to decrease the overall worldwide level of suck. (Decreasing suck takes many forms: Nerdfighters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight poverty in the developing world; they also planted thousands of trees around the world in May of 2010 to celebrate Hank’s 30th birthday.) Although they have long since resumed textual communication, John and Hank continue to upload three videos a week to their youtube channel, vlogbrothers. Their videos have been viewed more than 75 million times, and their channel is one of the most popular in the history of online video. He is also an active (if reluctant) Twitter user with more than 1.1 million followers.
Green’s book reviews have appeared in The New York Times Book Review and Booklist, a wonderful book review journal where he worked as a publishing assistant and production editor while writing Looking for Alaska. Green grew up in Orlando, Florida before attending Indian Springs School and then Kenyon College.
You can find more information (so, so much more) over at the FAQ.
For information about contacting John, click here to visit the contact page.
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So, I’ve noticed some similarities in Looking for Alaska and some songs from the Velvet Underground? Anyone else notice this?
what songs?
Hootie and the Blow Fish song, Let Her Cry. It’s talking all about how, he doesn’t understand her, but he loves her so he’ll let her cry and sing if it makes her happy, and he’ll just be there and drink.
Dear John,
from the heart: I’m a German journalist and I love you and Paper Towns and Q and Margo (I actually think I AM Margo) and Ben and Radar and… you get the point.
I would love to help you to catch the attention of as many readers as possible. That’s why I will write an enthusiastic review for a German family-magazine. If you have anything to tell your German fanbase: Do. It. Now.
Love,
Laura
Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns changed the way I look at life.. you are an amazing writer. Absolutely amazing. Thank you for allowing the public to enjoy such novels. I just bought The Fault In Our Stars and I can’t wait to start reading.
Hey John Green! holy shit. your good. like, really good. I’m Austin Kreitler and I am missing your Tour de Nerdfighteria Tour 2012. I wish i could be there tonight, I have rehearsal tonight and couldn’t make it to the event. I love your works DFTBA!!
Hi john green, i literally love you a bit more than my mother. I just became a nerdfighter. DFTBA!!! LOVE YOU! I’m missing your tour for rehearsal for a show. Basically this email had no point but I came to tell you how AWESOME you are! DFTBA!
Hi.
You are a very cool person, John Green. Thanks.
DFTBA!,
Maya W.
Alabama Public Libraries are currently working on implementing a statewide awareness program called Geek the Library. Geek the Library is simple and bold—and lots of fun. It gets noticed and gets people talking about libraries. Geek the Library was created by OCLC, a nonprofit library cooperative, and Leo Burnett USA in June 2009 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Alabama program will run April to December 2012.
We are not asking for money. We do need your help to spread the good news about Alabama public libraries. We are creating posters of actors, athletes, writers, etc., connected to Alabama. All we are asking for is a photo we can use and one or two words for something you are passionate about. For example, my poster would read, “I geek Italian cooking.” These posters will be used across Alabama, showing that no matter what you geek, the library supports you.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Sorry, I thought the box was an email form.
I just finished An Abundance of Katherines, which was recommended by my grad student niece Catherine. I seem to be into fantasy books lately but I wanted you to know I really enjoyed this book. I was/am in my head all the time worrying and I liked being brought back to my teen years in my mind. Thank you, you did good. Sincerely a middle aged house wife.
I just finished Paper Towns. I have nothing much to say, but that it was an amazing book written by an ultra amazing and talented author.
Now I can tell the world that John Green is my new inspiration.
John,
Thank you for all that you do, all that you’ve written, and all that you are. I’ve learned so much from you, your brother, my fellow nerdfighters, and your books. I think we all have a little bit of Margo and Alaska, or Q and Pudge, or even Augustus and Hazel. Maybe we don’t all embrace each part of ourselves, but I think we all try. If we didn’t maybe all of our strings would break at once, and then what?
You are an amazing man. Keep doing what you do best, inspiring your followers. Tell the Yeti hi for me, and Henry, too.
With much admiration,
Maryl C, Age 17
Just finished The Fault in Our Stars and LOVED IT!! Just keep ‘em coming John Green!!
Dear John,
I’m a new fan. I’m a HUGE fan. I just read and fell in love with The Fault in Our Stars. Just thought you should know I’ll be telling everyone I talk to in the next 24 hours about it, including classrooms full of teenagers.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for those beautiful characters!
Jeri Kozak
Jeri — we must be JohnGreenSoulmates. I, too, am a new fan. HUGE fan after Fault of Our Stars. I, too, teach and have been raving to my 10th and 11th graders about it. I just laughed reading your post. Could’ve been mine.
Hi John. So I had this thought while watching your video on the Agricultural Revolution when you mentioned how elephants have a 22 month long pregnancy, and that got me thinking about their puppy-sized cousins. How long would THEIR pregnancy last? And would that set back their evolutionary advantage of being adorable? (You may have covered this already of course and I just haven’t seen it yet!)
Keep up the awesomeness,
Em
Hah! Student chaplain at a children’s hospital 12 years ago you say? CPE? I believe it. You got the cancer scene truer than any non-fiction book I have read. I’m pushing TFiOS in tomorrow’s sermon. Already I tried to get a bunch of older ladies to read it. I bought a copy for my youth director (signed, thank you!) and another for my Mom as well as a Nook download for my wife (metastatic breast cancer, 4 years and still living) and me. Blessings to you, Sarah, Hank, Katherine, and the kid. You’re already awesome.
John- You’ve done it again. I’m not one to cry in a book, but some days it’s hard. Some days, I am Hazel Grace. Some days I wish I could find my Gus. You’re an inspiration. You may not believe it some times, but you really do change lives. Keep doing what you do, you’re a fantastic writer and a heck of a nerdfighter :)
Hank- I’m fairly disappointed, I didn’t receive a Hankler fish :(
Hey John!
In my Pre-AP English class (which is twice the work as AP for no college credit – yay?), we finally got to choose ANY book we wanted, and I chose Looking For Alaska. I absolutely-positively-without-a-doubt-beyond-expression loved it! I’m excited to commence work on the project portion: a song, a biography on the author, and a stage plan for a scene from the book! Just thought I’d let you know how much I loved it. Perhaps I will post the song, if it’s any good.
DFTBA ^_^
DO A MOVIE OUT OF THE BOOK WILL GRAYSON WILL GRAYSON
I’m reading The Hunger Games, and I saw your name on the back. Did you review it? Or did some other guy named John Green?
I must say Mr Green you are one of my favorite writers. I’m 17 and for most teenagers in my town they don’t really like to read but I must say if they read some of your books like Will Grayson, Will Grayson they will be hooked for life like I’m. And I think that I will be hooked FO EVEA (for ever)! I’m so happy that I can have another writer that interests me in their writers, and I can relate to characters in your books. Thank you for your creativeness, and poetic beauty, and flow of your books!!!
NEW YORK CITY :D DFTBA :D
I just finished reading “An Abundance of Katherines” and I loved it so much! I loved Hassan’s sense of humor, and the way Colin anagrammed and semi-overanalyzed almost everything.. and even the way the word “dingleberries” was used. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, and you are an amazing and inspiring author. I’m SO looking forward to reading your other books.
Keep writing, please!
- Sincerely, Laylaa in Chicago
We would love to invite you to be a guest author at our Utah Council of Teachers of English in October. I am currently planning our conference and you were recommend as an author who would be wonderful to have. Do you ever do author visits? Would we be able to talk to you more about the logistics? Thanks, Britney Davis.
Dear John Green,
I just wanted to say that you are, without a doubt, one of my favorite authors. I love the way you make your characters come alive and I find myself thinking about them long after I’ve finished the book. When I started Looking For Alaska, I couldn’t put it down. I usually highlight quotes that I find while reading books and I was literally highlighting every other page. Some of my favorite quotes are from your books. I really just wanted to thank you for becoming an author. I can relate to so many subjects in your books and it truly feels like you understand these topics in a way that not many other writers do. Thank you for the honestly that you incorporate into your novels. Please never stop writing!
-Haley in California
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