Andrew Solomon is a world-famous American writer, doctor of philosophy and lecturer in politics, culture and psychology. Much of his work has focused on a complex topic in psychology, such as depression. He has also studied in detail the issues faced by deaf individuals and those with hearing impairments. The works of this well-known publicist have also addressed the politics of Afghanistan and Libya. Learn more at i-manhattan.
Solomon gained global popularity after writing the book “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression.” He is a recipient of the National Book Award and an activist for LGBTQ rights, mental health and the arts. Additionally, Solomon is a professor of clinical medical psychology in psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, a lecturer in psychiatry at Yale University, and has previously served as president of PEN Center.
Brief biography of the world-famous writer
He was born on October 30, 1963, in Manhattan, New York. Due to a diagnosis of dyslexia (issues with mastering reading and writing skills while retaining overall learning abilities), young Andrew was not accepted into any school. They were concerned that he would not be able to grasp basic knowledge. Only the principal of Horace Mann School agreed to accept Solomon, which he completed with honors in 1981.
Andrew continued his studies in the humanities at Yale University, where he earned a BA in English in 1985. He graduated with honors. He then furthered his education at Jesus College, Cambridge. He became the only foreign student in the history of the institution to receive the highest degree in English in his course. Furthermore, while studying at Cambridge, Solomon was awarded the university’s writing prize.
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In 1988, Andrew Solomon was tasked with studying one of the most well-known auctions in the USSR, Sotheby’s. He had to present his findings in his own work for a popular British publication. The result of his hard work was the publication of a book titled “The Irony Tower: Soviet Artists in a Time of Glasnost,” published by Knopf in 1991.
In 1993, Andrew Solomon was invited to meet with members of the U.S. National Security Council regarding Russia for consulting services.
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In 1994, his new novel “A Stone Boat” was released, which explores the psychological issues of a person. In this novel, the author describes how personality changes in the context of stress, depicting the main character as a young gay man whose mother is terminally ill with cancer.
The novel “A Stone Boat” (Faber Publishing House, 1994) became a national bestseller. It was published in five languages after securing second place at the Los Angeles Times First Fiction Prize.
The bestseller “Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity'”
In this book, he tells the story of a family raising special kids who not only learn to cope with the challenges they face but also derive deep meaning from their experiences.
This book has won numerous awards
- The J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
- The National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction
- The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
- The Wellcome Book Prize
- The Book for a Better Life Award from the National MS Society
- The Green Carnation Prize
- The National Council on Crime and Delinquency Award in nonfiction
- The Book of the Year Award from the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association in Nonfiction.
After the release of “Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity,” Solomon received an award for promoting behavioral health news, the Felix Awar, the Phoenix Award, the Elizabeth Boggs Leadership Award, the Thompson Hine Award for achievements in diversity, and the Media Award from ACNP.
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In addition, this book was named one of the ten best books of 2012 by The New York Times and the top book of 2012 by such prestigious publications as Publishers Weekly, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Salon.com, Kirkus Reviews, TIME and Amazon.com. The magazines Economist, Cleveland Plain Dealer and BuzzFeed called it the Book of the Year.
The above-mentioned book has been translated into Chinese, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Romanian, Turkish, Dutch, Hungarian and Portuguese. There will be even more translations in the future.
The book inspired a documentary film of the same name, which premiered at DOC NYC in November 2017. The company Sundance Selects acquired the rights to the film in North America.
Solomon’s memoir “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression” was published in 2001 (by Scribner). In June 2015, a second edition was released with a new chapter detailing recent advances in science as well as advanced treatments for depression.
The New York Times included “Far and Away: How Travel Can Change the World” in its list of 100 great books in 2016. From 1993 to 2001, Andrew worked for this newspaper and also wrote for many other outlets, including ArtForum, The New Yorker and Travel + Leisure. He also created essays for anthologies and exhibition catalogs.
In his journalistic work, Solomon covered topics such as Chinese art, Libyan politics, the cultural revival of Afghanistan, puppetry and interior design.
In August 2013, Andrew Solomon was awarded a PhD in psychology from Jesus College, Cambridge. Additionally, Solomon is engaged in issues of maternal identity under the supervision of Professor Juliet Mitchell.
Solomon frequently appears on television and radio, and media representatives often approach him on family, mental health and disability issues.
Personal life of the renowned writer
In one interview, Solomon revealed that he is gay and no longer wishes to hide or lie about this aspect of his life. He lives with his husband, John Habich, and their son, George Solomon, in New York and London. The writer holds dual citizenship. Solomon also has a daughter from a close college friend.
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In his book, “The Noonday Demon,” Solomon confessed that he used drugs, experienced a suicidal-depressive period and also tried sexual surrogacy with a girl.