Ryan Smernoff is a writer who has worked as an assistant editor at Henry Holt, Knopf, and Norton. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University.
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLES
Only the Fools: The Fable of Identity and Convention in Catherine Lacey’s “Pew”
A review of “Pew,” the latest novel from Catherine Lacey....
Kicking Down Doors: On Timothy J. Hillegonds’s “The Distance Between”
Ryan Smernoff reviews Timothy J. Hillegonds’s debut memoir, “The Distance Between.”...
Voices Against the Wall: The Hilarious Terror of Karen Russell’s “Orange World and Other Stories”
Ryan Smernoff appreciates the many gems of Karen Russell’s “Orange World and Other Stories.”...
Home Is Where the Heart Breaks: Abbigail N. Rosewood’s “If I Had Two Lives”
One of the grand illusions of great writing is the appearance of effortlessness, a quality that Abbigail Rosewood often achieves in "If I Had Two Lives."...
Pamphlets for Sale: How Sam Lipsyte’s “Hark” Will Save Us All
Ryan Smernoff listens in on Sam Lipsyte’s new satirical novel “Hark,” “a work of profane enchantment that comes with a full set of teeth.”...
Fraught with Peril: On Lucia Berlin’s “Evening in Paradise” and “Welcome Home”
Ryan Smernoff greets the publication of “Evening in Paradise: More Stories” and “Welcome Home” by Lucia Berlin....
