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WORK TITLE: Post Grad
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://carolinekitchener.com/
CITY: Washington
STATE: DC
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-kitchener-83860967/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Attended East China Normal University, 2013; Princeton University, B.A. (magna cum laude), 2014.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China, coach and Public Speaking Institute coordinator/founder, 2014.
AWARDS:All-American Witness Award, American Mock Trial Association, 2014; All American Attorney Award, American Mock Trial Association, 2014; Suzanne Huffman Thesis Prize, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, Princeton University, 2014.
WRITINGS
Associate editor of the Atlantic, 2017—. Also contributor to the Atlantic.
SIDELIGHTS
Prior to launching her literary career, Caroline Kitchener studied at Princeton University. It was there that she received her bachelor’s degree. She has also studied and worked in China, having attended East China Normal University in the year 2013. In addition to her work as a writer, Kitchener has also devoted her time to volunteering with various human and women’s rights associations, such as WomanSpace and DC SAFE. Kitchener works with the Atlantic as their associate editor.
Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year Out of College is Kitchener’s debut book. As the title describes, Kitchener closely examines the lives of five individual women as they attempt to start their lives after graduating from college. Kitchener’s experience is part of this documentation. The remaining women are fellow students she knew throughout her time in university. Like Kitchener, each of the other four women attended Princeton University, but left school with an assortment of different degrees.
Kitchener finds herself facing considerable conflict after her graduation, as her romantic and familial relationships collide. Kitchener wants to be with her boyfriend, who is bound for Washington, DC in pursuit of his own ambitions. However, Kitchener’s mother disagrees with her decision, and their mother-daughter bond becomes rife with conflict as a result of their clashing ideals. In the meantime, Kitchener must also sketch out a trajectory for her own life.
Another woman, Denise, faces a more internal set of struggles. Denise dreams of heading to medical school. However, she is filled with uncertainty over her path. She spends her time after graduation developing her love life while also building her career experience by working in a hospital.
Michelle also finds her love life and professional life blossoming at once. Her interest lie in music, and this is what she studied during her time in Princeton. Now she must figure out where this interest will take her, and what path will make her happiest. At the same time, she finds love with another, younger student. Life eventually leads Michelle into pursuing a career in jazz which, while it won’t provide her with the highest level of income, gives her the fulfillment she’s been looking for.
Olivia is of Malaysian descent, but her ambitions and pursuits root her within the United States. She is from a family of successful business people, who have already secured work for her in Malaysia. However, Olivia’s ultimate dream is to create a documentary following the lives of college students, just like she once was, who make a living by selling drugs. In order to give this film the funding it needs to get off the ground, Olivia takes up life of sugar dating.
Finally, Alex also finds herself trying to balance her career ambitions with romance. Alex fell out with her family long ago, after revealing to them that she is a lesbian. While there is still contention between her and her family, she and her brother remain close enough to try and enter the business world together using Alex’s programming skills. At the same time, Alex is dating her girlfriend, who lives several miles away, and the distance is beginning to wear on them both.
Kitchener delves fully into the lives, dreams, and hopes of each woman profiled in her book in order to demonstrate the flurry of change and growth that comes with graduating college and entering a new phase of life. Booklist contributor Kristine Huntly remarked: “YAs curious about what life in the real world has to offer them might find Kitchener’s narrative intriguing.” Mary Jennings, a writer in an issue of Library Journal, commented that Post Grad “will strike a chord with young adults and those interested in future women of action.” School Library Journal reviewer Mahnaz Dar said: “Teens curious about what the future will bring will appreciate this thought-provoking look at the first year out of college.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2017, Kristine Huntly, review of Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year Out of College, p. 5.
Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2017, review of Post Grad.
Library Journal, December 1, 2016, Mary Jennings, review of Post Grad, p. 110.
School Library Journal, June 1, 2017, Mahnaz Dar, review of Post Grad, p. 118.
ONLINE
Caroline Kitchener Website, https://www.carolinekitchener.com (February 6, 2018), author profile.
Caroline Kitchener
Associate Editor at The Atlantic
The Atlantic Princeton University
Washington D.C. Metro Area 500+ 500+ connections
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Publish date April 15, 2017
April 15, 2017
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Experience
The Atlantic
Associate Editor
Company NameThe Atlantic
Dates EmployedJul 2017 – Present Employment Duration7 mos
LocationWashington D.C. Metro Area
HarperCollins Publishers
Author
Company NameHarperCollins Publishers
Dates EmployedFeb 2015 – Present Employment Duration3 yrs
LocationGreater New York City Area
Jiangxi Normal University
English Teacher and Public Speaking Coach
Company NameJiangxi Normal University
Dates EmployedAug 2015 – Present Employment Duration2 yrs 6 mos
LocationNanchang, Jiangxi, China
The Atlantic
Freelance Writer
Company NameThe Atlantic
Dates EmployedJul 2013 – Present Employment Duration4 yrs 7 mos
LocationWashington D.C.
Media (5)This position has 5 media
The Rise of the Single Dad
The Rise of the Single Dad
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'There Is No Pressure for a Girl to Be a Girl'
'There Is No Pressure for a Girl to Be a Girl'
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When Helping Rape Victims Hurts a College's Reputation
When Helping Rape Victims Hurts a College's Reputation
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How to Encourage More College Sexual Assault Victims to Speak Up
How to Encourage More College Sexual Assault Victims to Speak
Up
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How Sugar Daddies Are Financing College Education
How Sugar Daddies Are Financing College Education
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Penguin Group USA
Author
Company NamePenguin Group USA
Dates EmployedOct 2013 – Feb 2015 Employment Duration1 yr 5 mos
LocationGreater New York City Area
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Education
Princeton University
Princeton University
Degree NameBachelor of Arts (B.A.) Field Of StudyHistory/ Gender and Sexuality Studies GradeMagna Cum Laude
Dates attended or expected graduation 2010 – 2014
Activities and Societies: Mock Trial Team, Princeton Women's Mentorship Program
East China Normal University
East China Normal University
Field Of StudyChinese Language
Dates attended or expected graduation 2013 – 2013
Convent of the Sacred Heart
Convent of the Sacred Heart
Dates attended or expected graduation 2006 – 2010
Volunteer Experience
DC SAFE (Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment)
Domestic Violence Response Line Advocate
Company NameDC SAFE (Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment)
Dates volunteeredSep 2014 – Sep 2014 Volunteer duration1 mo
Cause Human Rights
WomanSpace
Domestic Violence/ Sexual Assault Response Team Member
Company NameWomanSpace
Dates volunteeredFeb 2012 – May 2014 Volunteer duration2 yrs 4 mos
Cause Human Rights
Accomplishments
Caroline has 4 honors4
Expand honors & awards section
Honors & Awards
Suzanne Huffman Thesis Prize All American Attorney All-American Witness National Championship Runner-Up
About
Hey! I'm glad you're here. A little background on me: I'm an associate editor at The Atlantic. I graduated from Princeton in 2014 with a degree in History and Gender and Sexuality Studies. My first book, Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year Out of College, was published Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins. Now I live in Washington, D.C. with my fiancé and my two Chinese cats, 包子 and 烧卖.
I'm represented by Amanda Urban at ICM Partners.
To get in touch with me, click the button below. For publicity and press inquiries about POST GRAD, please contact Sonya Cheuse, Ecco publicist. For other book inquiries, contact my agent, Amanda Urban. For article inquiries, contact Liz Farrell at ICM Partners.
Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year
out of the Ivy League
Kristine Huntly
Booklist.
113.14 (Mar. 15, 2017): p5+.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year out of the Ivy League.
By Caroline Kitchener.
Apr. 2017. 320p. Ecco, $24.99 (9780062429490); e-book (9780062429537). 378.742.
Kitchener chronicles her own life and those of four of her female classmates in the year following their
graduation from Princeton. Denise applies to medical school while working in the child-psychology
department at a hospital and balancing a new relationship. Alex grapples with a long-distance relationship
with her serious girlfriend while she and her brother launch a business in Seattle. Michelle opts for music
school and romances an undergrad. Olivia becomes a "sugar baby," dating wealthy men for money, while
she attempts to get financing for her documentary about collegiate drug runners. As for Kitchener, she
struggles with her relationship with her mother after she chooses to follow her boyfriend to Washington,
D.C. Though it's by no means representative of the majority of college graduates--Kitchener and her ilk are
Ivy Leaguers after all, and three of the five young women are at some point subsidized by their parents--this
book offers an absorbing and introspective look at the challenges facing young women today as they
attempt to find their footing on individual paths.--Kristine Huntley
YA: YAs curious about what life in the real world has to offer them might find Kitchener's narrative
intriguing. KH.
YA RECOMMENDATIONS
* Young adult recommendations for adult, audio, and reference titles reviewed in this issue have been
contributed by the Booklist staff and by reviewers Poornima Apte, Diego Baez, Brenda Barrera, Laura
Chanoux, Deborah Donovan, Kristine Huntley, Wes Lukowsky, Colleen Mondor, Shelley Mosley, and Stacy
Shaw.
* Adult titles recommended for teens are marked with the following symbols: YA, for books of general YA
interest; YA/C, for books with particular curriculum value; YA/S, for books that will appeal most to teens
with a special interest in a specific subject; and YA/M, for books best suited to mature teens.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
1/28/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1517180442444 2/5
Huntly, Kristine. "Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year out of the Ivy League." Booklist, 15 Mar.
2017, p. 5+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A490998343/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=9a699371. Accessed 28 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A490998343
1/28/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1517180442444 3/5
Kitchener, Caroline: POST GRAD
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Kitchener, Caroline POST GRAD Ecco/HarperCollins (Adult Nonfiction) $24.99 4, 11 ISBN: 978-0-06-
242949-0
Five women face emptiness and stress after they leave college.Kitchener graduated from Princeton in 2014
with no clear plans for her future. In her literary debut, she reflects on the first lonely and disorienting year
after college based on her own experiences and those of four female classmates. Two are daughters of
hugely wealthy parents; one has an extended family in Cameroon; one has been disowned by her father, a
Southern Baptist minister, because she is gay; and Kitchener was raised in a Connecticut suburb. Although
she is aiming at diversity, the women are privileged simply by virtue of their Ivy League degrees, and it is
that privilege, and the oppressive, competitive "Princeton ladder mentality," that comes across strongly as
Kitchener follows their lives from commencement to their first class reunion. All felt driven to climb ever
higher on the ladder of success, and all felt wrenched from their community of peers and from the
professors who praised and guided them. Suddenly, needing to make their own decisions, they felt woefully
unprepared. "No one talks about the isolation, the identity crisis, or the all-consuming panic that sets in
when you realize you have no idea what you want to do with the rest of your life and no one around to point
you in the right direction," writes the author, who admits that her book "won't resonate with everyone," such
as graduates who need to support themselves and those who are unconcerned about how classmates will
judge their life choices. When one woman decided to go to medical school at Emory, she was desperately
afraid Princetonians would criticize her "for not going to a more well-known school." Eventually, Kitchener
sought psychological help. One woman found community in a church; another, who earned money by
dating sugar daddies, tried psychedelic drugs. Love relationships for each were fraught, and Kitchener
returns repeatedly to several women's attraction to polyamory: a primary lover along with less serious
sexual relationships. Candid revelations that fail to inspire much empathy.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Kitchener, Caroline: POST GRAD." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A482911515/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=cbb3e127.
Accessed 28 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A482911515
1/28/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Kitchener, Caroline. Post Grad: Five Women
and Their First Year out of the Ivy League
Mary Jennings
Library Journal.
141.20 (Dec. 1, 2016): p110.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
Kitchener, Caroline. Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year out of the Ivy League. Ecco:
HarperCollins. Apr. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780062429490. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062429537. SOC
Recent college graduate Kitchener provides candid accounts of five women, including herself, as they
navigate life after Princeton University. The author documents the trials and successes that this diverse
group of individuals encounter during their first year away from the relative security and certainty of
campus existence. Insights are provided on issues they face such as overcoming eating disorders, the
implications of online hookups, and the pros and cons of pursuing graduate school. Particularly fascinating
are the polyamorous relationships that are reported as commonplace among those interviewed. The author
forthrightly details the ease with which couples welcome other sexual participants into their relationships.
Also examined is the role of parents in each of these women's lives. Particularly, the grads struggle with
how accepting continued family financial support affects their perceived growth and independence.
Millennial are a hot topic, from HBO's Girls to works such as Alida Nugent's Don't Worry, It Gets Worse.
VERDICT Kitchener's addition is an intelligent and thoughtful exploration of postcollege life that will
strike a chord with young adults and those interested in future women of action. [See Prepub Alert,
10/31/16.]--Mary Jennings, Camano Island Lib., WA
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Jennings, Mary. "Kitchener, Caroline. Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year out of the Ivy League."
Library Journal, 1 Dec. 2016, p. 110. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A472371269/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=0cba310f.
Accessed 28 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A472371269
1/28/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1517180442444 5/5
Kitchener, Caroline. Post Grad: Five Women
and Their First Year Out of College
Mahnaz Dar
School Library Journal.
63.6 (June 1, 2017): p118.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
KITCHENER, Caroline. Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year Out of College. 320p.
HarperCollins/Ecco. Apr. 2017. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9780062429490.
Princeton graduate Kitchener turns a sociologist's eye on herself and four classmates, documenting their
first year after college. The author, who is white, with well-off parents, occupies a somewhat privileged
existence, which occasionally is reflected in her prose (for instance, she wistfully compares herself with
feminist friends who are "heading out for a year alone to save orphans or trafficked women in rural
Malaysia or Bangladesh"). However, she has made a laudable effort to follow a diverse group of women:
Denise, the daughter of Cameroonian immigrants, who aspires to attend medical school despite doubts;
Alex, a computer programmer whose Baptist parents refuse to accept that she is gay; Olivia, who forges her
own path instead of taking over the lucrative family business back in Malaysia; and Michelle, a musician
discovering that her true passion lies in the less than profitable but wholly fulfilling area of improvisational
jazz. Blending her personal musings with more general observations about the experiences of
twentysomethings, Kitchener unpacks a variety of issues faced by those making their first forays into
adulthood: the struggle to break free from parents, the need to manage expectations (both one's own and
others'), and the rewards and challenges of romantic relationships. Though lucid and accessible, the book
feels more like long-form journalism than a more intimate memoir. However, its tendency to move quickly
among the different individuals results in easy, absorbing reading. VERDICT Teens curious about what the
future will bring will appreciate this thought-provoking look at the first year out of college.--Mahnaz Dar,
School Library Journal
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Dar, Mahnaz. "Kitchener, Caroline. Post Grad: Five Women and Their First Year Out of College." School
Library Journal, 1 June 2017, p. 118. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493916166/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ac2df7ff.
Accessed 28 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A493916166