bios I prefer you use
Pretty please, do use these.
Official headshots and other photos available below.
short and sweet
Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist, producer, and host of “CRAFT: Authors in Conversation.” Her new young reader’s book, We Gather Together: Stories of Thanksgiving from then to now, arrived September 2023, and is a companion title to the popular adult nonfiction book, We Gather Together, and children’s picture book, Giving Thanks. Her book The Last Castle was an instant New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback and was also a Wall Street Journal bestseller. She is also the author of The Girls of Atomic City, which is a New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and NPR bestseller and has been published in multiple languages. She lives in North Carolina.
long-ish
Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist, producer, and host of “CRAFT: Authors in Conversation.” Her new young reader’s book, We Gather Together: Stories of Thanksgiving from then to now, arrived September 2023, and is a companion title to the popular adult nonfiction book, We Gather Together, and children’s picture book, Giving Thanks. Her titles The Last Castle and The Girls of Atomic City were both instant New York Times bestsellers in both hardcover and paperback. The Last Castle was also a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a finalist for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. The Girls of Atomic City was also a Los Angeles Times and NPR bestseller, was named one of Amazon's “Top 100 Best Books of 2013,” and is now available in multiple languages. It was also awarded the 2014 American Political Science Association's Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book published in the United States on government, politics, or international affairs.
Kiernan has also co-authored several popular history titles including Signing Their Lives Away, Signing Their Rights Away, and Stuff Every American Should Know. She has been published in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Time, Ms. Magazine, Saveur, Reader's Digest, Discover and many more publications. She has also worked in television, serving as head writer for ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" during its Emmy award-winning first season and has produced for media outlets such as ESPN and MSNBC. Throughout her career, Kiernan has been a featured guest on many radio and television shows, including NPR's "Weekend Edition," PBS NewsHour, MSNBC Morning Joe and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. She lives in North Carolina.
Awards, kudos
Finalist, 2018 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award
Finalist, 2018 Southern Book Prize
Winner, 2014 American Political Science Association Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book published in the United States on government, politics, or international affairs.
Winner, 2013 Colonial Dames of America Annual Citation
Winner, Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award from General Federation of Woman’s Clubs of North Carolina
Winner, Women of Achievement Award from General Federation of Woman’s Clubs of North Carolina
Finalist, SIBA Book of the Year 2014
Runner-up, GoodReads Choice Awards: Best History and Biography of 2013
Invited Scholar, Manhattan Project National Historic Park Scholar's Forum
Selected as 2014 Common reading selection for the University of Mississippi
Other
Certificate of Leader Development in National Security and Strategy, U.S. Army War College
Board Member, American Museum of Science and Energy
National Park Service Scholars’ Forum, Manhattan Project National Historic Park
Former Board President, Atomic Heritage Foundation
Educational Press Association Award for original children's magazine writing
Education
BA from New York University
MA from New York University