Masha Gessen

Masha Gessen is a prominent Russian-American journalist, author, and political activist. Known for their incisive and critical writings on Russia, authoritarianism, and LGBT rights, Gessen has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 2017. Their work, which includes the National Book Award-winning The Future Is History, often examines the erosion of democracy and the personal costs of life under regimes like that of Vladimir Putin.

Early life and education

Masha Gessen was born into a Jewish family in Moscow when it was part of the Soviet Union. In 1981, their family emigrated to the United States, settling in the Boston area to escape Soviet antisemitism. Gessen attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City before enrolling at New York University, though they left before completing a degree. The family returned to Moscow in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, where Gessen began to immerse themself in the nascent Russian media landscape, contributing to publications like the magazine Itogi.

Journalism and writing career

Gessen's journalism career flourished in the post-Soviet era, with them serving as a correspondent for several major Western outlets including U.S. News & World Report and The New Statesman. They gained significant prominence as the Russia editor for U.S. News & World Report and later as a contributor to Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Gessen's first major book, Dead Again: The Russian Intelligentsia After Communism, was published in 1997. They became a vocal critic of the Kremlin, particularly after the rise of Vladimir Putin, which they analyzed in the influential 2012 biography The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. Their 2017 work, The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia, won the National Book Award for Nonfiction and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. As a staff writer for The New Yorker, Gessen frequently covers topics ranging from Russian opposition to global authoritarianism and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activism and political views

A committed activist, Gessen has been a staunch defender of LGBT rights in Russia and internationally. They co-founded the Russian LGBT Network and served as the director of the LGBT program at the Moscow office of the Open Society Foundations, an organization founded by George Soros. Gessen's political views are explicitly anti-authoritarian and critical of Vladimir Putin, whom they have described as leading a mafia state. Their activism and writing led to significant controversy, including the cancellation of a 2013 award ceremony in Moscow after their public criticism of laws like the Russian gay propaganda law. Gessen has also been a critic of Donald Trump, drawing parallels between his administration and autocratic regimes in their 2020 book Surviving Autocracy.

Awards and recognition

Gessen has received numerous prestigious awards for their journalism and literary work. In 2017, they won the National Book Award for Nonfiction for The Future Is History. That same year, they were also awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction from the American Library Association. Gessen has been a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Humboldt Prize, and the Hitchens Prize, which recognizes contributions to free expression. Their work has been supported by fellowships from institutions like the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Personal life

Gessen is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They have five children and have been open about their family life, which includes navigating the complexities of being a transgender parent. Gessen became a American citizen in 2013, a process they have written about in the context of their identity and exile. They have lived in New York City but spent significant periods in Moscow before facing increased personal risk, which influenced their decision to reside primarily in the United States. Gessen's sibling is the noted translator and writer Keith Gessen.

Category:American journalists Category:American non-fiction writers Category:LGBTQ+ activists Category:National Book Award winners