Warren Alexander

Warren Alexander is an American novelist, short story writer, photographer, and poet known for his sharp satire. He gained recognition for his novel Cousins' Club (2017), a semi-finalist for the Book Life General Fiction Award. His latest work, Success Is Not an Option (2024), is a satirical take on the business world.

Alexander was born and raised in New York City. His upbringing in a standard two-parent household gave him an early cynicism. He remarked, "My kindergarten teacher in Brooklyn said I was the first five-year-old cynic she ever met. And I worked hard to confirm her observation".

He attended Baruch College, where he met his wife, a relationship sparked by his humorous mishaps in economics class. Despite his initial disinterest in overachievement, his passion for writing emerged during his time as content editor of the college newspaper. His tenure was short-lived, however, due to creative differences with the administration.

After Baruch, Alexander continued his studies in the Creative Writing Program at New York University, working with notable writers such as Thomas Keneally and E. L. Doctorow. Reflecting on this time, he said, "I was kicked off the graduate school literary magazine because I lacked the gravitas for that elevated status".

Alexander's writing career blossomed slowly, with his first novel taking years to complete. Originally titled The Dead Are Annoying, Cousins' Club tells the story of the least successful Jewish family in America. It was well received, and has since been translated into Italian and Spanish and has been published in several editions, including an audiobook read by T.J. Clark in 2020.

Success Is Not an Option (2024) follows the misadventures of Rob Stone, a graphic artist-turned-CEO, as he navigates corporate life at Remora Insurance. The novel includes humorous incidents such as a cafeteria being transformed into an event space and the misfortune of the head of marketing being paralysed from the waist up after being hit by a bagel.

In addition to his novels, Alexander has published numerous short stories and poems in various literary journals. His short story Wrong Train won the 2016 Rick DeMarinis Short Story Award, and his poems, like Mere Inches and Defund the Grammar Police, have appeared in publications such as Spillwords and Clarendon Press.

Photo credit: nextchapter.pub