David Means

David Means is a Visiting Associate Professor of English at Vassar College, where he has taught since 2001. He holds a BA from The College of Wooster and an MFA in poetry from Columbia University. His academic work centers on creative writing, modern and contemporary fiction and poetry, and American culture.

Education:

• BA, The College of Wooster
• MFA, Columbia University in the City of New York

Means is a celebrated author of short fiction and novels, known for his lyrical prose, experimental narrative structures, and deep exploration of trauma, memory, and redemption. His work frequently appears in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Paris Review, and other prestigious literary journals. His writing often returns to themes of violence, loss, and the quiet grace that emerges in their aftermath, drawing comparisons to Flannery O’Connor and Denis Johnson. His stories are marked by a nonlinear sense of time and a profound empathy for marginalized or broken characters.

His recent publications include the story collection Instructions for a Funeral (2019) and Two Nurses, Smoking, with his novel Hystopia longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. His forthcoming non-fiction book, Pivot: Ruminations in the Shadow of Death, reflects on mortality and personal reflection.

Selected Awards and Honors:

• Guggenheim Fellowship (2013)
• Three O. Henry Prizes
• Three Pushcart Prizes
• Los Angeles Book Prize for Fiction
• Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award
• Finalist, Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize
• Longlisted, Man Booker Prize

Means has advised and influenced many emerging writers through his teaching and public readings. While specific students are not named in the sources, his role as a mentor is evident in his sustained presence in creative writing programs. He has no known research grants or lab affiliations, as his work is primarily literary and individual. He continues to publish and engage in public discourse on the nature of storytelling, including critiques of AI-generated fiction.