Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Jonathan Vatner's books

106 ratings | 68 reviews | avg rating:4.83

Jonathan Vatner’s Followers (111)

Jonathan’s Bookshelves

to-read (15)
currently-reading (5)
read (106)
did-not-finish (0)
classics (3)
guilty-pleasures (2)

Jonathan’s Friends (223)

David Slayton

844 books | 690 friends

Angie Mason

169 books | 14 friends

Melissa Faliveno

224 books | 142 friends

Blas

43 books | 848 friends

Jim Olearchik

309 books | 62 friends

1,264 books | 920 friends

Shay

11,299 books | 988 friends

Eva

941 books | 180 friends

More friends…

Jonathan Vatner

Goodreads Author

Born

in Boston, MA, The United States

Website

http://www.JonathanVatner.com

Twitter

jvatner

Genre

Fiction, Contemporary

Member Since

July 2017

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jonathanvatner

edit data

JONATHAN VATNER is the author of THE BRIDESMAIDS UNION (St. Martin's Press, 2022) and CARNEGIE HILL (Thomas Dunne Books, 2019). His fiction has earned praise from People, Town & Country, The New York Post, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. He is the managing editor of Hue, the magazine of the Fashion Institute of Technology and teaches fiction writing at New York University and the Hudson Valley Writers Center. ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Jonathan Vatner questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Jonathan Vatner A good writer needs both a powerful inner creator and an razor-sharp inner critic. When writing the first draft, the creator needs to be fully present…moreA good writer needs both a powerful inner creator and an razor-sharp inner critic. When writing the first draft, the creator needs to be fully present, and the critic should be kept at bay. When revising, those roles should be reversed. I think writer's block is the result of an oppressive inner critic, who has grown so strong that the inner creator cannot squeeze out a single sentence without being censored.
So how to fix this? One way is just to write aimlessly -- a diary, or a silly story that doesn't matter, or morning pages (a la The Artist's Way). That revs up the creative engine and is often enough to quiet the critic. Another is to examine the critical voice and figure out what lies it's telling you, in the hope of dismantling them.
I've noticed that if I haven't written for a few days, the first day back is torture. I give myself permission for the writing not to be good, but I force myself to put in an hour or two. The next day, my writing always flows.
(less)

flag

1 like · like
Comment

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

Jonathan Vatner I would guess that every writer has the same answer: It's the high you get when the writing seems to create itself, when the characters surprise you a…moreI would guess that every writer has the same answer: It's the high you get when the writing seems to create itself, when the characters surprise you as you're writing them, when you write a sentence that's better than you, and when the world around you has dissolved, leaving nothing but the world you're creating, line by line.
The magic of it is, every writer can reach this high. And the more I write, the better it gets.(less)

flag

like
Comment

See all 3 answers from Jonathan Vatner…

Combine Editions
Jonathan Vatner’s books

Average rating: 3.23 · 1,760 ratings · 434 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Carnegie Hill 3.25 avg rating — 1,318 ratings — published 2019 — 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 Bridesmaids Union 3.13 avg rating — 426 ratings — published 2022 — 4 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
	Best Gay Stories 2012 by Peter Dubé (Editor), Felice Picano, Matthew J. Trafford 4.33 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 2012 — 6 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 Bridesmaids Union: A Novel 3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings	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
	Carnegie Hill it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	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 Bridesmaids Union Lib/E by Jonathan Vatner (Goodreads Author), Kimberly M. Wetherell (Reading) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	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

More books by Jonathan Vatner…

0 posts
Jonathan Vatner's Blog

Jonathan Vatner hasn't written any blog posts yet.

Jonathan is Currently Reading

Jonathan Vatner is currently reading

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Oct 10, 2022 05:46AM

Jonathan Vatner is currently reading

This Body I Wore: A Memoir

by Diana Goetsch (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Jun 08, 2022 07:28AM

Jonathan Vatner is currently reading

Virology: Essays for the Living, the Dead, and the Small Things in Between

by Joseph Osmundson

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Jun 08, 2022 07:28AM

Quotes by Jonathan Vatner (?)

“I think he has a deep sensitivity that others don’t understand, and they hate it. They hate his sensitivity so much they would rather destroy him than understand it.”
― Jonathan Vatner, Carnegie Hill

0 likes

“I think he has a dee sensitivity that others don’t understand, and they hate it. They hate his sensitivity so much they would rather destroy him than understand it.”
― Jonathan Vatner, Carnegie Hill

0 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Busy as a Bee Books: 8/20/19: Book News	6	18	Aug 22, 2019 06:51PM
Book Nook Cafe: The Book Salon ~~ December 2019	136	46	Jan 02, 2020 07:35AM
Book Nook Cafe: What did you read in ~~ March	32	34	Apr 13, 2020 05:48PM
Book Nook Cafe: Deb’s 2020 Determination List	114	39	Jan 01, 2021 06:04PM

More…

Jonathan’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.