My Dark Vanessa
Russell's debut and only separately published book-length work identified in the principal bibliographies.
Author guide
Kate Elizabeth Russell Books in Order
Kate Elizabeth Russell is an American writer originally from eastern Maine. She holds an MFA from Indiana University and a PhD from the University of Kansas. Her debut novel, My Dark Vanessa, explores grooming, sexual abuse, memory, agency, consent, and victimhood through the story of a woman reckoning with a relationship begun with her English teacher when she was fifteen.
literary fictionpsychological fictioncontemporary fiction
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Novels (1)
- My Dark Vanessa
novel · 2020
"2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an…
Frequently asked questions about Kate Elizabeth Russell
Who is Kate Elizabeth Russell, and where is she from?
Kate Elizabeth Russell is an American writer originally from eastern Maine who now lives in the Pacific Northwest.
What is Kate Elizabeth Russell’s educational background?
She earned an MFA from Indiana University and a PhD in creative writing from the University of Kansas.
Sources: kateelizabethrussell.com (opens in a new tab)swansea.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)
What influenced Kate Elizabeth Russell’s writing?
Reading Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita at age 14 strongly influenced her, and she has also cited a Maine news story about an accused abuser as an influence on her fiction.
What themes is Kate Elizabeth Russell known for exploring?
Her work examines abuse, consent, coercion, memory, agency, victimhood, and the social systems that enable abuse.
Sources: theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)swansea.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)
What major recognition has Kate Elizabeth Russell received?
Her debut novel became a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, was translated into more than 30 languages, and was shortlisted for the 2021 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize.
Sources: kateelizabethrussell.com (opens in a new tab)swansea.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)