Lori Reid

John Michael Green, born in 1977, is an American author and YouTuber whose work has significantly influenced the young adult fiction landscape. His novels, including the best-selling 'The Fault in Our Stars,' have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. Beyond his literary achievements, Green co-created the popular Vlogbrothers YouTube channel with his brother Hank, fostering a large online community known as Nerdfighteria and initiating projects like the annual fundraiser Project for Awesome. His career began with the critically acclaimed debut novel 'Looking for Alaska,' which earned him the Michael L. Printz Award. Green has since published numerous successful novels, often collaborating with other authors, and has expanded into educational online content with channels like Crash Course. His later works, such as 'Turtles All the Way Down,' have explored personal themes of anxiety and OCD, with 'The Anthropocene Reviewed' adapting his podcast into a non-fiction book. Green is also a dedicated advocate for global health initiatives.

Born in Indianapolis in 1977, John Green's childhood included moves to Michigan, Alabama, and finally Orlando, Florida. He attended boarding school in Alabama, where he developed friendships that would later connect to his writing career. Green has spoken about experiencing a happy childhood but also struggling with significant anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder from a young age, alongside experiences of bullying in high school. He pursued higher education at Kenyon College, graduating with degrees in English and religious studies. Following his studies, Green worked briefly as a student chaplain at a children's hospital, an experience that profoundly impacted him, leading him to reconsider his path and ultimately inspiring his writing, particularly 'The Fault in Our Stars.'

Green's professional writing career began in 2001 when he joined Booklist magazine as an editorial assistant. During his time there, he reviewed numerous books and contributed essays to public radio. His first novel, 'Looking for Alaska,' published in 2005, was a coming-of-age story inspired partly by his boarding school experiences. Despite initial modest sales, the novel received critical acclaim, winning the prestigious Michael L. Printz Award, which significantly boosted its popularity. This award marked a pivotal moment, leading Green to leave his job at Booklist. His second novel, 'An Abundance of Katherines,' released in 2006, showcased a more comedic tone and was also recognized with award nominations.

In 2007, John Green, alongside his brother Hank, launched the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, a project that quickly cultivated a dedicated online community known as Nerdfighteria. This initiative expanded into various online projects, including the annual VidCon conference for online video creators and the educational channel Crash Course. Green's 2012 novel, 'The Fault in Our Stars,' achieved immense commercial and critical success, leading to film adaptations and cementing his status as a major figure in young adult literature. His inclusion in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in 2014 further underscored his broad cultural impact.

Green's later literary works, such as 'Turtles All the Way Down' (2017), delved more directly into his personal struggles with anxiety and OCD. He adapted his podcast 'The Anthropocene Reviewed,' where he rated aspects of the human-dominated geological epoch, into his first non-fiction book in 2021. Beyond his writing, Green has become a prominent advocate for global health causes, serving as a trustee for Partners In Health and actively supporting efforts to combat maternal mortality and tuberculosis worldwide. His forthcoming works include a second non-fiction book and his first novel aimed at adult readers.