Benjamin S. Lerner is an American poet, novelist, essayist, and critic born in Topeka, Kansas in 1979. He is a recipient of prestigious fellowships from the Fulbright, Guggenheim, and MacArthur Foundations, recognizing his significant contributions to contemporary literature. Lerner's work has achieved major recognition within the literary establishment. His poetry has been a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry, while his fiction has been a finalist for both the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Lerner teaches at Brooklyn College, where he was named a Distinguished Professor of English in 2016.