Brooks Hansen
An American novelist and illustrator who crafts meticulously researched historical and philosophical fables, most famously in the cult classic 'The Chess Garden'.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American novelist·Birthday: March 29·Generation X
Biography
Brooks Hansen is a storyteller who operates like a skilled cartographer, drawing intricate maps of historical, spiritual, and imaginative landscapes. He first captured literary attention with 'The Chess Garden,' a novel that defies easy categorization, blending a Victorian narrative with the surreal allegory of a sentient chess set. This book established his signature style: deep research worn lightly, a patient narrative pace, and a fascination with the points where history, faith, and human psychology intersect. His subsequent work, whether exploring the dawn of psychiatry in 'The Brotherhood of Joseph' or the life of a saint in 'John the Baptizer,' continues this tradition of thoughtful, layered storytelling. Beyond writing, Hansen is also an illustrator for his own books and a dedicated teacher, having made his home at the Cate School in California where he instructs in English and Humanities, passing on his passion for narrative craft to a new generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brooks was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brooks Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Brooks's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote the acclaimed novel 'The Chess Garden,' a work of magical realism that gained a devoted following.
- Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2005 for his creative work in fiction.
- Authored and illustrated multiple novels that blend historical detail with philosophical inquiry.
- Has worked as a screenwriter, adapting literary material for film.
Did You Know?
He both wrote and illustrated 'The Chess Garden' and several of his other books.
He has lived and worked on the campus of the Cate School, a boarding school in Carpinteria, California, since 2010.
His novel 'The Brotherhood of Joseph' reimagines the story of Freud and Jung.
He is the son of novelist and historian John Haas.
“A story is a map drawn to get you lost in the right way.”
