“Why was "plain" a euphemism for "ugly," when the very hallmark of human beauty was its plainness, the symmetry and simplicity that always seemed so young and so innocent. It was impossible not to think that here beauty was one of the most important things about her - something having to do with who she really was.”

American author, academic, and journalist

Elif Batuman is an American author, academic, and journalist. She writes fiction and nonfiction, and is known for The Possessed, The Idiot, and Either/Or. Her work spans memoir, the novel, and magazine journalism. She is a staff writer for The New Yorker, and her books include The Possessed (2010), The Idiot (2017), a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and Either/Or (2022).