John Read

John Michael Green, born in 1977, is an American author and prominent figure in online video content. His literary career gained significant traction with his young adult novels, which have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. Green's debut novel, *Looking for Alaska* (2005), earned the prestigious Michael L. Printz Award. His work, including the best-selling *The Fault in Our Stars* (2012), has been credited with reshaping the young adult fiction landscape. Beyond his writing, Green, alongside his brother Hank, co-created the popular Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, fostering a large online community and initiatives like Project for Awesome.

Green's early life included attending boarding school and graduating from Kenyon College with degrees in English and religious studies. He initially considered a career as a chaplain, working in a children's hospital, an experience that profoundly influenced his writing. His career began in editorial roles at publications like *Booklist* before he transitioned to full-time writing. He has also explored themes of mental health, particularly anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, in later works such as *Turtles All the Way Down* and *The Anthropocene Reviewed*. Green has also become an advocate for global health causes.

Born in Indianapolis in 1977, John Michael Green spent his formative years in various locations, including Florida and Alabama, where he attended boarding school. His education at Kenyon College culminated in a double major in English and religious studies. A significant period of reflection followed his graduation when he served as a student chaplain at a children's hospital. The profound experiences during this time, witnessing children with life-threatening illnesses, led him to reconsider his career path and ultimately inspired him to pursue writing. Green has openly discussed his lifelong struggles with severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which have informed his personal reflections and literary themes. His high school experiences, including being bullied, also contributed to his perspective on adolescent challenges.

Green's professional journey began in the editorial world, working at *Booklist* magazine, where he reviewed numerous books and honed his writing skills through essays for NPR and WBEZ. His debut novel, *Looking for Alaska*, published in 2005, was a coming-of-age story drawing from his boarding school experiences and was recognized with the Michael L. Printz Award, significantly boosting its sales and his profile. This was followed by *An Abundance of Katherines* (2006), which explored similar themes with a more comedic tone. His novel *The Fault in Our Stars* (2012) achieved massive commercial and critical success, solidifying his status as a leading author in young adult fiction and leading to multiple adaptations of his work.

Parallel to his literary career, John Green established a significant presence in online video. In 2007, he and his brother Hank launched the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, which quickly cultivated a dedicated community known as Nerdfighteria. This platform evolved into various projects, including the online video convention VidCon and the educational channel Crash Course. These digital initiatives demonstrate Green's engagement with new media and his ability to connect with a broad audience beyond traditional publishing, fostering a sense of community and shared intellectual curiosity.

In more recent years, Green's writing has delved into personal struggles with mental health. His novel *Turtles All the Way Down* (2017) and the podcast-turned-book *The Anthropocene Reviewed* (2021) directly address his experiences with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Beyond his creative output, Green has become a dedicated advocate for global health initiatives, serving as a trustee for Partners In Health and actively supporting efforts to reduce maternal mortality and combat tuberculosis worldwide. His upcoming adult novel, *Hollywood*, is slated for release in 2026.

“I saw that real people like Ilene wrote books; they weren't written in ivory towers.”

“In a publishing world that maybe doesn't have as many long-term relationships as it used to, she invested a lot of time in me before I ever earned a profit. I've never written a book without Julie. I wouldn't know how to do it.”

“probably the purest moment of joy I've experienced. Even when my children were born it wasn't as raw and surprising.”