Portal
Mr. Christopher Barzak
Professor
English & World Languages
DeBartolo Hall 245
phone: (330) 941-2327
Bio
Christopher Barzak is the author of the Crawford Fantasy Award winning novel One for Sorrow which has been made into the Sundance feature film Jamie Marks is Dead. His second novel, The Love We Share Without Knowing, was a finalist for the Nebula Award and the James Tiptree Jr. Award. His third novel, Wonders of the Invisible World, received the Stonewall Honor from the American Library Association and most recently was selected for inclusion on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of books for libraries in LGBTQ welcoming schools. He is also the author of three short story collections: Birds and Birthdays, a collection of surrealist fantasy stories, Before and Afterlives, a collection of supernatural fantasies, which won Best Collection in the 2013 Shirley Jackson Awards, and Monstrous Alterations. His most recent novel, The Gone Away Place, received the inaugural Whippoorwill Award, and was selected for the Choose to Read Ohio program by the State Library of Ohio, the Ohioana Library Association, and the Ohio Center for the Book.
Research Interests
Revisionist and adaptive writing, writing about place, fabulist literature, mythology, and folklore.
Teaching Interests
Creative writing, fiction writing, poetry writing, creative nonfiction, speculative fiction, magical realism, fantasy, surrealism, the fairy tale, gothic fiction, nature and environmental writing.
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2010
MFA, Creative Writing
Chatham University
Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Wonders of the Invisible World: A Novel"
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2003
MA, English
Youngstown State University
Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Birds and Birthdays: Reconstructing the Body in Surrealism"
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1998
BA, English
Youngstown State University
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2024
CNN
Selected for CNN's Honor List of Books for Pride Month 2024
My novel, Wonders of the Invisible World, was selected by CNN for their Honor List of Books for Pride Month 2024.
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2021
State Library of Ohio and the Ohio Center for the Book
Selected for the Choose to Read Ohio Program (The Gone Away Place)
My novel, The Gone Away Place, was selected for 2020-22 as a featured book for young adults throughout Ohio to read.
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2021
The Human Rights Campaign
Selected for Human Rights Campaign's Required Reading List (Wonders of the Invisible World)
My novel, Wonders of the Invisible World, was selected by the Human Rights Campaign for its list of thirty books every LGBTQ welcoming high school should have in their libraries.
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2020
National Council of Teachers of English
Winner of The Whippoorwhill Award
Award for my novel The Gone Away place, celebrating rural life in young adult literature.
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2019
Locus Magazine
Finalist for the Locus Award (Best YA Novel)
My novel, The Gone away Place, was selected by editors and publishers for Locus Magazine's publishing industry awards.
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2016
The American Library Association
The Stonewall Honor
Award given to Wonders of the Invisible World for exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQ experience.
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2014
The Shirley Jackson Awards
Winner of The Shirley Jackson Award (Before and Afterlives)
Award for Best Short Story Collection for Before and Afterlives. The awards celebrate the literature of the gothic and the fantastic, at which the authors whose name it brandishes excelled.
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2014
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association
Finalist for The Nebula Awards ("Paranormal Romance")
Finalist of Five for Award Category of Best Novelette
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2014
Locus Magazine
Finalist for the Locus Awards (Before and Afterlives)
Publishing industry awards selection for best short story collection,
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2014
Locus Magazine
Finalist for Locus Awards ("Paranormal Romance")
Publishing Industry award in the category of Best Novelette.
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2013
Story South
Finalist for the Million Writers Award ("Invisible Men")
Award system for best digital fiction publications in a given year.
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2013
Locus Magazine
Finalist for Locus Awards (Birds and Birthdays)
Publishing Industry trade awards, category of Best Short Story Collection)
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2011
Youngstown State University
Distinguished Professor in Service to University and Community
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2010
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association
Finalist for the Nebula Award ("Map of Seventeen")
National award system, in the category of Best Novelette.
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2009
The Otherwise Awards
Honor List for The James Tiptree Jr. Award/Otherwise Award (The Love We Share Without Knowing)
Award exploring gender and diversity within speculative fiction.
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2009
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association
Finalist for the Nebula Awards (The Love We Share Without Knowing)
National awards system, in the category of Best Novel.
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2009
Locus Magazine
Finalist for the Locus Awards (The Love We Share Without Knowing)
Publishing Industry Award, category of Best Novel.
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2008
The Spectrum Awards Foundation
Winner of the Spectrum Award ("The Language of Moths")
Award exploring LGBTQ experience in speculative fiction, for Best Novelette category.
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2008
The Crawford Awards
Winner of the Crawford Award (One for Sorrow)
Award given at The International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts for Best first book.
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2008
Indiebound.org
Indiebound Notable Book of the Year (The Love We Share Without Knowing)
Honor list selected by independent Booksellers annually.
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2008
The Logo Channel
Finalist for the Logo Channel's New Now Next Awards (One for Sorrow)
Award from LGBTQ television channel, category of Author on the Verge (Best New Author)
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2008
Michigan Reading Awards
Finalist for the Great Lakes Book Award (One for Sorrow)
Award for writers of literature of the Great Lakes Region, category novel.
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2008
Locus Magazine
Finalist for Locus Award (One for Sorrow
Publishing Industry award system, category Best First Novel.
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2007
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association
Finalist for the Nebula Awards ("The Language of Moths")
Award for speculative fiction, category of Best Novelette.
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2006
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association
Finalist for the Locus Awards ("The Language of Moths")
Award system for speculative fiction, category of Best Novelette.
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2004
The James Tiptree Jr. Foundation
Finalist for The James Tiptree Jr./Otherwise Award ("The Other Angelas")
International award system for speculative fiction that explores gender.
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2008 -
Department of English and World Languages, Youngstown State University
Professor of English
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2006 - 2023
Shueisha Books
Translator and Editorial Consultant
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2004 - 2006
Edosaki School Systems, Edosaki, Japan
English Language Teacher
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2023 - present
Director
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2011 - 2024
Coordinator
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2011
"The Closing WIndow"
C. Barzak
The New Labor Forum / The Murphy Institute of CUNY, issue Spring 2011, p. 6 -
2009
"Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing"
C. Barzak
The Interstitial Arts Foundation, volume 2, p. 296 -
2007
"Kant: For Eternal Peace"
C. Barzak
Shueisha Books, p. 120 -
2002
"A LIFE LESS ORDINARY: KATE BERNHEIMER'S THE COMPLETE TALES OF KETZIA GOLD"
C. Barzak
Strange Horizons, p. 2 -
2001
"Witnessing Magic: Kelly Link’s Stranger Things Happen"
C. Barzak
Strange Horizons, p. 2
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2025 - 2025
Committee Member
The Clarion Foundation -
2024 - 2024
Committee Member
The Clarion Foundation -
2023 - 2023
Committee Member
The Clarion Foundation -
2015 - 2015
Other
International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts -
2013 - 2013
Other
The James Tiptree Jr. Award Foundation -
2012 - 2015
Other
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
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2025 - 2025
Guest Speaker
American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio -
2024 - 2024
Guest Speaker
Bristol Local Schools -
2022 - 2022
Guest Speaker
The Youngstown Playhouse -
2021 - present
Committee Member
Lit Youngstown -
2014 - 2014
Judge
Youngstown Legal Creatives -
2014 - 2014
Judge
Mount Union College's Literary Magazine -
2013 - 2013
Judge
Youngstown Grey to Green Festival -
2006 - 2011
Board of Directors
The Oakland Center for the Arts