Jay Asher

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Jay Asher
Born	September 30, 1975 (1975-09-30) (age 32) Arcadia, California, United States
Occupation	Novelist
Genres	Young Adult

Influences Chris Crutcher

Official website http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com

Jay Asher is an American writer who writes contemporary novels for teens. He has one major publication in the genre of Young Adult Literature.

1 Biography
2 Published Works
3 Awards and Recognition
4 References

[edit] Biography

Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. At this point in his life, he had decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores.^[1] Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.

He has only published only one book to date, Thirteen Reasons Why, which was published in October of 2007. He is currently working on his second Young Adult novel, and has written several picture books, middle grade Humor Novels, and even written several screenplays. Thirteen Reasons Why has won several awards and has received five stars from Teen Book Review. It also has received high reviews from fellow authors such as Ellen Hopkins, Chris Crutcher,^[2] and Gordon Kormon.

Asher is a fan of the TV series My So-Called Life.^[3] He cites it as a major influence on his writing.

[edit] Published Works

Thirteen Reasons Why is Asher's first published novel. It tells the story of Hannah Baker, a girl who committed suicide. She reveals her reasons for her decision in a series of audio tapes mailed to a classmate with instructions to pass them from one student to another, in the style of a chain letter. Through Hannah's recorded voice, her classmates learn the reasons that Hannah decided to take her own life. Besides Hannah, the reader also sees the story through the eyes of Clay Jensen, one of the recipients of the tapes. Asher was inspired to write in this style after taking an audio tour of a museum.^[1]

"Writing this book made me realize how fascinated I am by the way people interact...and the obstacles that keep us from understanding each other better."^[1]