American · b. 1975
Nathan Hill writes big American novels about people searching for something they can't name. Born in 1975, he grew up in Iowa and studied writing at the graduate level, then spent a decade on his debut. The Nix (2016) was that debut—a sprawling story of a mother who throws a rock at a presidential candidate, running from the 1968 Chicago protests to present-day gaming addiction. It was a bestseller and earned comparisons to Franzen and Irving. Wellness (2023) followed: another maximalist novel, this time about marriage, placebos, and what we'll believe to be happy. Hill takes his time between books, and each book takes its time with the reader.