Gabriel Brownstein

Gabriel Brownstein is a Professor of English at St. John's University, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He holds an M.F.A. from Columbia University (1992) and a B.A. in English from Oberlin College (1988). His work bridges literary fiction, historical analysis, and medical humanities. Key publications include The Secret Mind of Bertha Pappenheim (2024), The Open Heart Club (2018), and the PEN/Hemingway Award-winning The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Apt. 3W (2002).

Research interests include 20th/21st-century American literature, medical humanities, and narrative techniques. His writing explores intersections between biography, history, and fiction. He has contributed to journals like The Harvard Review and Zoetrope: All Stories, and his short story No Time Like the Present won a Pushcart Prize (2018).

Academic service includes teaching creative writing, essay writing, and contemporary U.S. literature at St. John's since 2005. He has held fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Ucross colonies. Awards include the PEN/Hemingway Award and a New York Foundation for the Arts grant.