Hilton Als

Hilton Als (born 1960) is a renowned American writer, theater critic, educationist, and editor. He has a deep-rooted history in the literary industry that has spanned multiple decades, being an influential figure in numerous education and writing platforms. His career is highlighted by his tenure as a teaching professor at the University of California, Berkeley, an associate professor of writing at Columbia University, and a staff writer and theater critic for The New Yorker. Als' background and careers extend to his role as a former staff writer for The Village Voice and editor at Vibe magazine. His impact in writing became internationally acknowledged when he was named an inaugural Presidential Visiting Scholar at Princeton University for the 2020–2021 academic year. Als was born in New York City, with roots traced back to Barbados. Brought up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, his familial background consists of four older sisters and one younger brother. He worked towards earning a Bachelor's degree in art history from Columbia University. His work, like the book 'The Women' released in 1996, focuses mainly on his mother, his mentor, lover, and his identification of his ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. A recipient of the Guggenheim fellowship in 2000, the Berlin Prize of the American Academy in 2000, and the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2017, he continued to serve the writing and art industry as an art curator responsible for various exhibitions.