Lee Cole (writer)
Lee Cole | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | |
| Period | 2020–present |
| Notable works |
|
| Website | |
| leecolebooks | |
Lee Cole is an American author. His debut novel, Groundskeeping, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2022. His second novel, Fulfillment, was published by Knopf in 2025.[1]
Early life and education
Cole was born to Amanda Orr and Hal Cole in Paducah, Kentucky, and raised in the area. He has a sister, Madelyn Carpenter. He lived for a time in Louisville.[2] He started out at the University of Kentucky, transferred to the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and graduated from the University of Louisville.[2] He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he studied from 2017 to 2019.[2][3]
Career
Cole's first novel, Groundskeeping, about an aspiring writer who moves back to his home state of Kentucky, where he works as a groundskeeper at a local college and enrolls in a creative writing workshop, was published by Knopf on March 1, 2022.[4] It was a Read with Jenna pick by Jenna Bush Hager.[5] His second novel, Fulfillment, about two half-brothers, one an academic, the other dreaming of becoming a screenwriter, was published by Knopf on June 17, 2025. The novel was inspired in part by the three years Cole spent working nights at a UPS hub, imagining his life if he had stayed at that type of job.[6][7][8]
Bibliography
Novels
- Groundskeeping (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022)
- Fulfillment (Alfred A. Knopf, 2025)
References
- ^ Cain, Hamilton (17 June 2025). "'Fulfillment' is a splendid novel by a rising literary star". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Runyon, Keith (24 March 2022). "Kentucky's new literary star Lee Cole is taking the world by storm with his debut novel". Courier Journal. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ Gopal, Kevin (18 March 2022). "Author Q&A: Lee Cole". Big Issue North. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ Cain, Hamilton (1 March 2022). "When Relationship Problems Mirror the Struggles of a Nation". New York Times. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
- ^ Larratt, Stephanie (1 March 2022). "Jenna Bush Hager selects Kentucky-based love story for March 2022 book club pick". Today. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
- ^ Tabb, Asia (10 June 2025). "'Fulfillment': Author Lee Cole Explores Work, Identity, and the American Search for Meaning". WITF. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
- ^ Self, John (11 June 2025). "The secret desires of a warehouse worker". The Times. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
- ^ Cole, Lee (17 June 2025). "What Does It Mean To Be a Working Class Writer at Iowa Writers' Workshop?". Lit Hub. Retrieved 3 September 2025.