Receiving numerous favorable reviews and a series of awards, Alexander Chee ’89, author of the book “Edinburgh,” won the Whiting Writers Award on Oct. 30.
The names of all of the ten winners of the award appeared on the second page of Monday’s Arts section of The New York Times. Each winner received $35,000.
Chee, who is a visiting writer in the English Department, said it took him about two and a half years before he found a publisher for his first novel, ‘Edinburgh.’ Since this early struggle, “Edinburgh” has been well received.
Chee said that he was in his office when he first received an email from the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation asking that he give them a call. Knowing that the recipient selection process is secretive and that there are no runners-up, Chee said he knew that he had won the $35,000 award. “I closed the door to my office and then I shouted,” he said.
Chee said that the award was particularly meaningful to him as many of his favorite authors, including fiction writer Denis Johnson, had received it in the past.
“It’s a process of germination in some sense,” he said. “It’s kind of like arriving in the place where your heroes have passed through.”
Pulitzer-prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner won the award in 1990 and novelist Jonathon Franzen received it in 1988. The award, according to its website, has honored “ten emerging writers” annually since 1985, including authors of fiction, nonfiction, plays, and poetry. The nominators and members of the selection committee are anonymous, but are said to be experts in the field.
“This is a major reward for young writers,” said Chair of the English Department William Stowe in an email.Stowe added that the award was particularly remarkable considering the subject matter of Chee’s first novel.
“First novels are hard to place,” Stowe said. “Edinburgh’s subject matter is…disturbing.”
Chee agreed that his subject matter had a lot to do with publishers’ early unwillingness. His novel deals with pedophilia and suicide and features a queer and biracial protagonist.
“It’s a very angry book in some ways. It’s about the intense fury you can live with after being victimized,” Chee said. “[But] there was a particular vision that I feel that the book communicates that I didn’t see in the world and I wanted to pass that along.”
After stellar write-ups in both Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, Chee’s novel gained acceptance and he attracted a bigger name publisher, Picador, for the paperback. He also received positive reviews from a number of major newspapers including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post and New York Newsday.
“Chee skillfully interweaves his story with scientific imagery, Korean mythology and spirituality, and Western literary allusions,” wrote Ann Abel in the New York Times last January. “Chee frequently says volumes with just a few incendiary words.”
Chee said that a brief ceremony for the winners was held at the Celeste Bartos Forum of the New York Public Library. John Guare, author of “Six Degrees of Separation,” spoke at the reception where Chee and the other winners were presented with a plaque, selected works of particular authors chosen specifically for each recipient, and the check for $35,000.
“That was a funny moment because then I thought I should have brought a body guard,” Chee said.
Stowe was Chee’s thesis advisor when Chee was an English major at Wesleyan.
“I have [taught] several fiction writers over the years. I had the most confidence in Alex. I was pleased to catch echoes of the stories he wrote in those days in his novel,” Stowe said.
Chee said that Stowe, as well as Kit Reed and Phyllis Rose were a few of the Wesleyan professors he found particularly helpful in developing his writing. Chee himself is now in the midst of applying for a more permanent position at the University. Such a position would put him on a tenure track.
“I had great teachers when I was here,” he said. “As an alum I have a lot of love for the school and it’s a great place to work.”
Stowe said that Chee is one of an expected 150 to 300 applicants who will be given equal consideration.
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