Claire Zulkey

{{short description|American writer}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Claire Zulkey

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|04|15}}

| birth_place = Evanston, Illinois

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| alma_mater = Georgetown University, Northwestern University

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| notable_works = An Off Year

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| years_active = 2002-present

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Claire Zulkey (born April 15, 1979 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American writer, a 2001 graduate of Georgetown University,{{cite web|title=Flak Magazine|url=http://www.flakmag.com/misc/claire.html}} and the Northwestern University Creative Writing Masters program.{{cite web|title=Northwestern University: Grad Profiles|url=http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad/profiles.cfm?ProfileID=1|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106003020/http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad/profiles.cfm?ProfileID=1|archivedate=2011-11-06}} She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

She is the author of the young adult book An Off Year published by Dutton in 2009 and selected by Indie Booksellers for the Autumn 2009 Kids' Indie Next List{{cite web|title=An Off Year|work=IndieBound|accessdate=October 2, 2012|url=http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780525421597}} and cited as one of the ALA's 2010 Best Books for Young Adults.{{cite web|title=2010 Best Books for Young Adults|work=Young Adult Library Services Association|date=13 January 2010 |accessdate=October 2, 2012|url=http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists/bestbooksya/bbya2010}}{{Cite news|last=Kloberdanz|first=Kristin|title=Review: "An Off Year" by Claire Zulkey|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/books/chi-books-review-an-off-year-zulkey,0,2398892.story|accessdate=3 March 2011|work=Chicago Tribune}} It was received positively, with Kirkus Reviews writing "Teens who have doubted the high-school–college-life progression for even a moment will recognize themselves in Cecily, perhaps to their parents’ dismay."{{cite web |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/claire-zulkey/an-off-year/ |website=www.kirkusreviews.com |title=An Off Year |date=1 August 2009 | publisher=Kirkus Media LLC |accessdate=18 July 2015 }} and Publishers Weekly describing it as "a candid first novel filled with funny-smart, true-to-life observations and dialogue"{{cite web |url=http://publishersweekly.com/978-0-525-42159-7 |website=www.publishersweekly.com |title=An Off Year |publisher=PWxyz LLC |accessdate=18 July 2015 }} She states that the book, based loosely on her own experiences, took over 10 years to write.{{cite web|title=Chicago Author Spotlight: Claire Zulkey|work=Chicagoist|accessdate=October 2, 2012|url=http://chicagoist.com/2010/04/19/chicago_author_spotlight_claire_zul.php|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403035932/http://chicagoist.com/2010/04/19/chicago_author_spotlight_claire_zul.php|archivedate=April 3, 2012}}

Zulkey has published the blog Zulkey.com since 2002. In 2011 NPR affiliate WBEZ began producing the site.{{cite web|title=WBEZ to add new writers to blog network|author=Justin Kaufmann|url=http://www.wbez.org/blog/justin-kaufmann/2011-06-30/wbez-add-new-writers-blog-network-88582}} The blog features humor writing and interviews with performers and authors. In 2006, The Smoking Gun cited Zulkey's interview{{cite web|title=Zulkey.com::Diary|url=http://www.zulkey.com/diary_archive_041103.html|accessdate=December 1, 2011}} with James Frey in its report A Million Little Lies.{{cite web|title=A Million Little Lies|work=The Smoking Gun|date=23 July 2010 |accessdate=October 2, 2012|url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/celebrity/million-little-lies?page=0,1}} Zulkey is also a contributor at The A.V. Club{{cite web|last=Phipps|first=Keith|title=A.V. Club contributor Claire Zulkey publishes first novel |website=The A.V. Club |date=3 September 2009 |url=https://www.avclub.com/a-v-club-contributor-claire-zulkey-publishes-first-nov-1798217626|access-date=July 13, 2010}} and the Los Angeles Times.{{cite web|title=Claire Zulkey - The Daily Beast|website=The Daily Beast |date=13 September 2009 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/author/claire-zulkey/|accessdate=March 3, 2011}} Zulkey produces the Chicago literary humor reading series Funny Ha-Ha,{{cite web|author=Luke Wilusz|title=Chicago literary humor reading series Funny Ha-Ha|work=The Columbia Chronicle|accessdate=October 2, 2012|url=http://columbiachronicle.com/%E2%80%98funny-ha-ha%E2%80%99-brings-writers-together-just-for-laughs/|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130119180349/http://columbiachronicle.com/%E2%80%98funny-ha-ha%E2%80%99-brings-writers-together-just-for-laughs/|archivedate=January 19, 2013}} which describes itself as "The Best Reading in Chicago. Ever." Chicago Magazine has rated it one of the 10 best literary salons in Chicago.{{cite web |last1=Obaro |first1=Tom |title=10 Great Literary Salons to Check Out in Chicago |url=https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/October-2014/10-Great-Literary-Salons-to-Check-Out-in-Chicago/ |website=Chicago Magazine |accessdate=17 March 2019}}