Big Swiss

Jen Beagin holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of California, Irvine, and is a recipient of a Whiting Award in fiction. Her first novel Pretend I'm Dead was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize and Vacuum in the Dark was shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction. She is also the author of Big Swiss. She lives in Hudson, New York.

PRAISE FOR JEN BEAGIN:

For Pretend I'm Dead

"Rib-ticklingly funny-sad. . . . [Beagin] works magic in the space between hilarity and heartbreak. . . . Absurdly affecting." -O Magazine, a Best Book of 2018

"One of the most anticipated literary debuts of the year. . . . Pretend I'm Dead traces a cleaning woman's journey to self-acceptance in alternately warm, sharp, and deeply wise fashion. . . . Scathingly funny." -Entertainment Weekly

"With her droll humor and hilarious (but also earnest) observations, the 24-year-old narrator of Pretend I'm Dead had us hooked from page one. . . . Glide through Mona's series of bad decisions with her - she's a good companion." -Refinery 29, a Best Book of 2018

"[A] smart, funny, darkly profound debut." -Nylon

For Vacuum in the Dark

"This novel is a joy: truly laugh-out-loud funny, while staying grounded and dignified, even as Mona capsizes again and again." -Stephanie Danler, The New York Times Book Review

"A wildly exuberant novel that doesn't shy away from the weirder and more disgusting parts of life. . . . Beagin is unafraid to take risks, and they all pay off here-Vacuum in the Dark is an excellent book by a writer with a singular voice." -NPR

"Piquantly amusing. . . . Weird, darkly funny . . . sharply drawn, sexually charged, wry with Mona's deadpan wit." -Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Revels in both order and transgression. . . . Stands alone beautifully. . . . Mona's unforgettably wry voice remains throughout." -Vulture