Alumnus Aaron Hamburger '01 Publishes New Novel 'Nirvana is Here'

By
Zoe Contros Kearl
May 15, 2019
'Nirvana is Here' book cover

Fiction alumnus Aaron Hamburger '01 has a new novel, Nirvana is Here, available through Three Rooms Press. An honest story about recovery and coping with both past and present, framed by the meteoric rise and fall of the band Nirvana and the wide-reaching scope of the #metoo movement, Nirvana is Here, explores issues of identity, race, sex, and family with both poignancy and unexpected humor. Intertwining stories are reminiscent of the tenderness and haunting nostalgia of André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name blended with the raw emotion of Kurt Cobain’s lyrics.

“In language that’s both understated and visceral, Hamburger skillfully distills those moments when his characters experience crucial identity shifts, not just in wild, foreign encounters but more often while eating, bathing, and tending to the animal needs of love and safety that link us all.”—Booklist

Nirvana is Here is a beautiful, sad, coming-of-age story that is a heartily welcome addition to the LGBTQ literature pantheon.”—I Like to Read

Hamburger's first book, a story collection titled The View from Stalin’s Head, was published by Random House and was awarded the Rome Prize by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His novel Faith for Beginners was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. His fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in The New York TimesThe Washington PostThe Chicago TribuneThe Village VoiceTin House, and elsewhere. In addition, he has also received fellowships from the Edward F. Albee Foundation and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation as well as residencies from Yaddo and Djerassi Artists Program. He has taught creative writing at Columbia University, NYU, the Stonecoast MFA Program, and the George Washington University.