Kirsten Menger-Anderson (born December 6, 1969 in Santa Cruz, California) is an American fiction writer. Her first book, a collection of linked short stories titled Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain, was published by Algonquin Books in 2008. A number of the collected stories have also appeared in literary journals, such as Ploughshares and the Southwest Review. Menger-Anderson has a degree in Economics from Haverford College and an MA in English and creative writing from San Francisco State University. She previously held positions at Salon.com and Wired.com. Menger-Anderson currently lives in an old Victorian house in San Francisco with her husband and children. Her grandfather is the mathematician Karl Menger.
Publications
Doctor Olaf van Schuler’s Brain, a collection of linked short stories, Algonquin, September, 2008 Salk and Sabin, a short story, Ploughshares, Issue #106 Vol. 34/2&3 Fall 2008 The Doctors, a short story, Post Road, Issue 16 Fall/Winter 2008 The Baquet, a short story, Southwest Review, Volume 89, Number 2 & 3, 2004 Reading Grandpa’s Head, a short story, Maryland Review, Volume 1 Fall 2004 The Story of Her Breasts, a short story, Plaztik Press, 2004 Kathleen, a short story, Pindeldyboz, 2003 Blue Glow, a short story, Lynx Eye, Volume X Number 4 Fall 2003 Gretle, a short story, Wascana Review, Volume 36, Number 2 Fall, 2001
Critical acclaim
Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. It was selected as one of 2008’s best books by the Sun Sentinel Books editor, Chauncey Mabe and was included in Chicago Time Out’s “Top 10 for 2008” as well as SEED Magazine’s top picks for 2008. Several of her short stories have been short-listed for awards, including the Richard Yates Award, the Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers, the Iowa Review Story Contest, and the Andre Dubus Award.
References
External links
Author's website
Author's brain blog
Podcast of author from “Writers on Writing” Podcast of author from Rick Kleffel’s “Bookotron” radio show: Part One; Part Two
Reviews of Doctor Olaf van Schuler’s Brain
“Mental Health, With Strings Attached,” a review by Carolyn See for the Washington Post “Odd, intriguing stories of quacks and cures,” a review by Eric Grunwald for the Boston Globe “Annals of Malpractice,” a review by Francesca Mari for the New York Times “Gadzooks! The human brain!” a review by Jack Booch for the Vancouver Voice “Hysteria, insanity--it's all in the family,” a review by Vanessa Hua for the San Francisco Chronicle “Book Review: Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain,” a review by Robert Duffer for Chicago Time Out