Sarah Smarsh Books In Order

Publication Order of It Happened Books

Publication Order of Memoirs Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

About Sarah Smarsh

Hailing from Kansas, the American novelist Sarah Smarsh was a gifted writer from an early age, something which she has developed throughout her life. Gaining large amounts of critical acclaim, she has written for a number of highly regarded publications and outlets, including the Guardian and The New York Times amongst others. This has lead to her becoming one of the most prominent voices currently working within her field to date, showing a clear love and passion for her craft. A speaker as well, she has managed to talk on a variety of different subjects, one notably being that of the socio-economic inequalities present in society. Regularly commentating throughout the media, her voice has gone on to become one of the most prominent currently speaking on the subject.

All of this has lead to her writing fiction as well, much of which also deals with these themes that she has returned to time and time again. With a clear eye for authenticity and realism, she really knows how to draw her core themes and ideas out, making them accessible and engaging for the reader in the process. Reaching a wide audience worldwide, she really manages to make her voice heard by all sections throughout society, within readers enjoying her work both nationally and internationally. Documenting the history of her homelands through her stories, she really has a deeper insight into what she is writing about, showing a highly refined level of research into her subject matter. With more books set to come from her in the near future, it appears that she isn’t stopping any time soon either, as her writing career is set to continue on into the foreseeable future.

Early and Personal Life

Growing up in rural Kansas, she would come to spend a lot of time on her grandparents’ farm there, something which would come to shape much of her work in the years to follow. Raised in a working class environment, she would come to gain a first hand level of experience and insight, which would also come to inform her later material too. Over time she would really take to surrounding herself with everything literature, as she quickly developed a keen passion for both reading and writing from a very early age. Later moving to the city of Wichita with her parents at the age of nine, she would be encouraged to pursue this particular passion by her impressed teachers. Quickly she would develop her love of writing, as her teachers responded positively to what she was doing, seeing that she clearly had a talent for it.

Later on she would go on to pursue her passion for writing through further education, taking her love of the written word in to university. Teaching creative writing herself, she has sought to impart her skill-set herself on to other young and aspiring writers looking to break into the industry. Pursuing journalism as well, she is a clear advocate for both the political aspects of writing and speaking, along with the creative outlet it provides too. Coming a long way from her initial upbringing in Kansas, she’s found herself chairing numerous events on the importance of education and all the benefits that it has to offer. Still writing to this very day, she continues to put out work at a regular and consistent pace, something which will continue for some time to come.

Writing Career

Bringing out her first debut solo title in 2010 she would arrive on the literary scene with the book titled ‘Outlaws of Kansas’. A book of true stories based on the real-life escapades of some of the American Midwest’s most notorious criminals, she would quickly follow this up with ‘It Happened in Kansas’, which looked at the historical events that shaped the state. Whilst both of these were non-fiction, she would introduce readers to her own style of writing in long-form for the first time. Prior to this she had already built herself a strong reputation writing for a number of different publications, generating a lot of interest around her work. Speaking on politics and public policy, she really is someone with a strong and essential point-of-view that grabs peoples’ attention immediately.

Documenting her environment and the world she sees around her, she really is a gifted novelist with a lot to say. Contributing to books such as ‘Tales of Two Americas’ in 2017, she seeks to bring light to the many inequalities that many feel throughout society. Dealing with these inequalities in an economic context, she definitely manages to show them for what they really are at their core. Writing about this from and intersectional perspective too, she studies it from a feminist angle too, taking her own experiences and putting them back into her work. Maintaining a highly prominent position both online as well as off, she will carry on writing about this, as there’s plenty more planned on the horizon.

Heartland

Initially brought out in 2018 on the 18th of September, this would provide a debut stand-alone biographical title for Sarah Smarsh as an author. Released through the Scribner publishing outlet, it sought to take a look at the many issues that surrounded her own upbringing during the 1980s and the 1990s. Looking at the poverty of rural life in Kansas, she has managed to bring to life what it was really like living there, bringing to light an extremely serious and important issue.

Other Writing

Producing work for publications such as the prestigious McSweeney’s and The Baffler, she really has managed to create a strong name for herself. This work includes various non-fiction essays, along with fictional short stories too, creating a vast quantity of material for her readers to explore and enjoy. Along with this she also has commentary for outlets such as The New Yorker, all of which has helped her to develop and evolve her voice over the years.

Contributing to various other books too, she has worked alongside a number of other authors too. These include titles such as ‘Scratch’, which looked at how to make a living from writing. Knowing and understanding her craft, she will continue develop as an author, marking her as one to watch for a long time yet.