Philipp Meyer grew up in a working class neighborhood in Baltimore, where he dropped out of high school and got a GED when he was sixteen. After spending several years working as a bike mechanic and volunteering at a trauma center in downtown Baltimore, he attended Cornell University, where he studied English. Since graduating, Meyer has worked as a derivatives trader at UBS, a construction worker, and an EMT, among other jobs. His writing has been published in McSweeney's, The Iowa Review, Salon.com, and New Stories from the South. From 2005 to 2008 Meyer was a fellow at the Michener Center for Writers in Austin, Texas. He splits his time between Texas and upstate New York.
Advance Praise for American Rust:
“A novel as splendidly crafted and original as any written in recent decades, American Rust is both darkly disturbing and richly compelling. Philipp Meyer’s first novel signals the arrival of a new voice in American letters.”
—Patricia Cornwell, author of Scarpetta
“With its strong narrative engine and understated social insight, American Rust is reminiscent of the best of Robert Stone and Russell Banks. Author Philipp Meyer locates the heart of his working class characters without false sentiment or condescension, and their world is artfully described. An extraordinary, compelling novel from a major talent.”
—George Pelecanos, author of The Turnaround
“This is strong, clean stuff.”
—Pete Dexter, author of Paper Trails
“Philipp Meyer's American Rust is written with considerable dramatic intensity and pace. It manages an emotional accuracy, a deep and detailed conviction in its depiction of character. It also captures a sense of a menacing society, a wider world in the throes of decay and self-destruction.”
—Colm Tóibín, author of The Master
“Meyer has a thrilling eye for failed dreams and writes uncommonly tense scenes of violence . . . Fans of Cormac McCarthy or Dennis Lehane will find in Meyer an author worth watching.”
—Publishers Weekly
"an engrossing drama..."
—Marie Claire
"Meyer's greatest strength as a novelist lies in his poignantly well-rounded characters…strongly recommended for all…fiction collections."
—Library Journal
"Meyer does a terrific job capturing the tone and ethos of his setting…the alternating narrators are compellingly drawn…a grimly powerful hybrid: provocative literary fiction crossed with a propulsive thriller."
—Kirkus
"In a third-person narrative that moves round-robin style from one character to the next, Meyer deftly captures individual speech patterns...never ceases to display a gift for evoking setting…."
—Bookforum
