Steve Almond
A sharp, funny, and deeply human writer who explores the messy truths of desire, family, and the American psyche with unflinching candor.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American short-story writer, essayist, and author·Birthday: October 27·Generation X
Biography
Steve Almond built his literary career from the ground up, armed with a keen ear for dialogue and a willingness to stare directly at life's uncomfortable moments. After cutting his teeth as a newspaper reporter in Texas and Florida, he turned to fiction and essays, developing a voice that is both confessional and critical. He gained a devoted following not just through traditional publishing but by embracing the DIY ethos, self-publishing several of his books to maintain creative control. Almond's work, whether the short story collection 'My Life in Heavy Metal' or the bestselling 'Candyfreak,' blends personal narrative with cultural critique, often focusing on the intersection of politics, pop culture, and the human heart. He is also a dedicated teacher of writing, known for his passionate, no-nonsense advice to aspiring authors.
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.
Steve was born in 1966, 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 Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Published the bestselling nonfiction book 'Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America,' a blend of memoir and reportage.
- His short story collection 'God Bless America' won the Paterson Prize for Fiction.
- Taught creative writing at various institutions including Boston College and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard.
Did You Know?
He worked as a newspaper reporter at the El Paso Times and the Miami New Times.
Almond resigned from a teaching position at Boston College in 2004 to protest the hiring of Condoleezza Rice as commencement speaker.
He is a co-host of the popular 'Dear Sugars' advice podcast, originally with Cheryl Strayed.
He is an avid fan of the New England Patriots and has written about football.
“Writing is an act of courage. It’s a way of saying, 'My experience matters.'”
