Adam Ross, the novelist and editor credited with revitalizing the more-than-a-century-old Sewanee Review literary quarterly at The University of the South, joins the Vanderbilt University Department of English this fall as writer in residence.
Ross, author of the widely praised novels Playworld (2025) and Mr. Peanut (2010) and the short story collection Ladies and Gentlemen (2011), will lead an advanced fiction workshop for Vanderbilt’s creative writing students.
“I’m so excited to be joining the Vanderbilt Department of English and Creative Writing this fall,” Ross said. “I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned as a writer and editor with the undergraduates.”
Ross’ work has received recognition from multiple notable publications. Playworld, a novel chronicling the life of fictional ’80s child star Griffin Hurt as he navigates Manhattan, was named one of the best books of 2025 by People magazine and Town & Country. The New York Times and The Washington Post named Playworld a Notable Book. The novel also won the 2025 Christopher Isherwood Prize and was a finalist for the 2025 Gotham Book Prize.
Mr. Peanut, Ross’s debut novel about a husband at the center of an investigation into his wife’s sudden death, was named a 2010 New York Times Notable Book and one of the best books of the year by the New Yorker, New Republic and Economist.
As Vanderbilt writer in residence, Ross joins a roster of award-winning essayists, poets and fiction writers over the years that includes Peter Guralnick, Amanda Little, Margaret Renkl, Beth Bachmann, Philip Levine, Jamie Quatro, Lydia Peelle and the late Randall Kenan.
“Adam is an exceptional writer of remarkable passion and a renowned editor of one of the oldest literary journals in the country. Our students stand to benefit greatly from him,” said Major Jackson, who holds a Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities. “He’s an avid and knowledgeable literary citizen and a tireless advocate of contemporary writing. In recent years, he has published and mentored successful graduates of Vanderbilt’s MFA program. So, in a way, we are formalizing a relationship that evolved naturally from a shared passion in supporting and guiding emergent writers. We are fortunate that he lives right here in Nashville.”
