An Open Letter from Gary Shteyngart

Dear Everyone,

During the past ten years, it has been my pleasure and honor to blurb over a hundred and fifty books. It is with deep sadness that I announce that the volume of requests has exceeded my abilities, and I will be throwing my “blurbing pen” into the Hudson River during a future ceremony, time and place to be determined.

However, I will continue to blurb the following individuals: all former, present, and future students of mine at Columbia University; authors of my Random House editor, David Ebershoff; authors of my agent, Denise Shannon; my B.F.F.s; authors who can prove they own a long-haired dachshund and are taking good care of same; all authors with Ukrainian citizenship (out of sympathy for the sad new political realities); anyone who has held my hand while I’ve freaked out for some reason; anyone with the first name Daria or the last name Lipschitz.

Literature can and will go on without my mass blurbing. Perhaps it may even improve.

Godspeed, Writers!

Love,

Gary

Illustration by Luke Gray.