66 ratings | 29 reviews | avg rating:4.47

Brian Platzer’s Followers (61)

Brian’s Bookshelves

to-read (40)
currently-reading (0)
read (66)

Brian’s Friends (19)

Gary Holtzman

2,002 books | 65 friends

Topher Nichols

572 books | 166 friends

James Davidson

573 books | 16 friends

Matthew Buckley Smith

32 books | 4 friends

Duane

841 books | 109 friends

Florica

262 books | 168 friends

Sara

153 books | 32 friends

Bodine

49 books | 33 friends

More friends…

Brian Platzer

Goodreads Author

Born

in New York City, The United States

Website

http://www.brianplatzer.com/

Twitter

bplatzer

Genre

Fiction, Nonfiction

Influences

James Baldwin, Dave Eggers, Alice McDermott, Philip Roth, Paul Auster

Member Since

December 2016

edit data

Brian Platzer is the author of BED-STUY IS BURNING ('17) and THE BODY POLITIC ('20) from Atria/Simon & Schuster, and THE TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF HOMEWORK ('20) from Avery/Penguin Random House. Brian has an MFA from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and a BA from Columbia University. His writing has appeared often in the New Yorker’s Shouts and Murmurs and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, as well as in the New York Times, The New Republic, Salon, and elsewhere. He lives with his wife and two young sons in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, teaches middle school English in Manhattan, and suffers from chronic dizziness. ...more

Combine Editions
Brian Platzer’s books

Average rating: 3.32 · 856 ratings · 210 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	Bed-Stuy Is Burning 3.12 avg rating — 492 ratings — published 2017 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Body Politic 3.51 avg rating — 311 ratings — published 2020 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Taking the Stress Out of Homework: Organizational, Content-Specific, and Test-Prep Strategies to Help Your ChildrenHelp Themselves by Abby Freireich, Brian Platzer (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 2020 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Optimists 4.89 avg rating — 18 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

rss
Brian’s Recent Updates

Brian Platzer liked Hana Duckworth's review of The Optimists: "Quietly beautiful. "
Nov 05, 2025 04:52AM · see review
Brian Platzer liked Genevieve Hogan's review of The Optimists: "“The Optimists” by Brian Platzer is a multi-layered and complex novel. It is the story of the life of a middle-school teacher. The format implies a memoir, though one that skips around in time, reports information learned through others and uses a va" Read more of this review »
Nov 03, 2025 12:17PM · see review
Brian Platzer and 1 other person liked Sheri's review of The Optimists: "“The Optimists” by Brian Platzer is a rare and profound novel that will stay with you well after you finish the last page. It’s the chronicle of a gifted English teacher who is seriously ill while writing this narrative. He is both brilliant and flawe" Read more of this review »
Oct 27, 2025 04:45AM · see review
Brian Platzer liked Katie's review of The Optimists: "This was my first book by this author (Brian Platzer) and I was hooked in the story and his writing style almost immediately. We have all had a teacher at some point or another that managed to sink their claws into a bit of our soul, but the main cha" Read more of this review »
Oct 21, 2025 11:07AM · see review
Brian Platzer rated a book it was amazing This Is My Office and Notes on My Mother’s Decline: Two Plays by Andy Bragen	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I saw Notes on My Mother's Decline in the theater and was thrilled to find out it existed in book form. With it, in combination with This Is My Office, Bragen articulates a vision of the world that is unique: funny, moving, insightful, at times claus ...more
Sep 25, 2025 02:59PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of This Is My Office and Notes on My Mother’s Decline by Andy Bragen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — This Is My Office and Notes on My Mother’s Decline by Andy Bragen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brian Platzer is now following Joanna Pearson's reviews
Sep 24, 2025 12:46PM · like
Brian Platzer finished reading The Optimists by Brian Platzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 24, 2025 11:32AM · like
Brian Platzer rated a book it was amazing The Optimists by Brian Platzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 16, 2025 04:33PM · 1 like · like
Brian Platzer wants to read The Optimists by Brian Platzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 10, 2025 10:22AM · like
Brian Platzer rated a book it was amazing Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Rarely do I pick up a book and savor every page. So much fun, so smart, so honest about what it means to be human!
Jun 07, 2024 11:59AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Brian's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Busy as a Bee Books: 3/3/20: Book News	7	11	Mar 11, 2020 09:02AM
All About Books: What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations, reviews Part 2	10004	1059	Feb 23, 2023 07:22PM