Jennifer Finney Boylan

Jennifer Finney Boylan is the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence and Professor of English at Barnard College of Columbia University, where she teaches creative writing and gender studies. She is the author of 19 books including the groundbreaking memoir She's Not There and the recent Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us (2025). She served as a 2022-2023 Fellow at Harvard's Radcliffe Center for Advanced Study and currently serves as President of PEN America.

Education:

• B.A. English, Wesleyan University (1980)
• M.A. (terminal fine arts degree), Johns Hopkins University (1986)
• M.A. (honorary degree), Colby College (2001)

Her research and creative work center on transgender narratives, gender identity, and the intersection of personal experience with broader social issues. Through memoirs, novels, and op-eds, she explores how gender shapes human experience and challenges societal norms.

Her recent publications focus on transgender rights and visibility, with Cleavage examining the evolution of gender discourse over 25 years since her own transition. Her New York Times op-eds consistently address current issues facing the transgender community.

Major Awards:

• Lambda Literary Award for She's Not There (2004)
• Stonewall Legacy Award (2009)
• Maryann Hartmann Award (2012)
• Charles Bassett Faculty Alumni Award (2014)

She serves on the faculty of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference at Middlebury College and has held leadership roles with GLAAD (2010-2017, including 4 years as co-chair) and PEN America (current President). Her advocacy work extends through numerous keynote speeches and commencement addresses nationwide.