Thomas Coraghessan Boyle was born on December 2, 1948. Boyle grew up in the town of Peekskill in Upstate New York, a place explored in much of his writing, including World’s End, a novel that earned him the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1988. Coming of age in the 1960s, Boyle was deeply influenced by the short stories of Flannery O’Conner and John Updike. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and English in 1968 at the State University of New York at Potsdam. In 1974, he earned a master of fine arts at the University of Iowa Writers Workshop, where he also earned his doctorate.

It was at this time that Boyle befriended Raymond Carver, whose sparse writing style he hoped to emulate. Ultimately, however, Boyle would become known for his satirical approach to fiction, his penchant for dark comedy, and his rich and energetic prose. A sense of place also permeates Boyle’s work. One recurring theme across his novels and short fiction is nature and the environment. The Tortilla Curtain (1995), which was published to wide acclaim and controversy, centers on immigration in Southern California. A later novel, Drop City (2003), is set in 1970 and takes a critical look at the “back-to-earth” movement.