Ann Hood

State: Rhode Island

Ann Hood (born December 9, 1956, in West Warwick, Rhode Island) is a New York Times bestselling novelist, memoirist, short-story writer, and creative writing educator. She earned a BA in English from the University of Rhode Island and later attended NYU for graduate studies. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a flight attendant—a job that provided inspiration for her debut novel, Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine (1987). Hood is the author of fourteen novels (The Knitting Circle, The Obituary Writer, The Book That Matters Most), four memoirs (Comfort: A Journey Through Grief, Kitchen Yarns, Morningstar), a YA novel (She Loves You (yeah, yeah, yeah)), a short story collection, and a ten-book middle-grade series. Her work often centers on themes of grief, family, healing, and personal growth. A recipient of Pushcart Prizes and the Paul Bowles Prize, she teaches in the Creative Writing MFA program at The New School and contributes regularly to The New York Times.

Genres: Contemporary, Memoir, Picture Book

Audiences: Adult, Middle Grade, Young Adult