Faculty Bio

Patrick Wensink

Assistant Professor in the Department of English; Director of Creative Writing

Education

• B.A., communication, University of Dayton
• M.F.A., creative writing, Portland State University

About

Patrick Wensink is the bestselling author of several novels, nonfiction books, and children's books. His most recent book, The Great Black Swamp: Toxic Algae, Toxic Relationships, and the Most Interesting Place in America Nobody's Ever Heard Of (Belt Publishing) received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and was featured on NPR, among other outlets. His most recent novel, Fake Fruit Factory (Curbside Splendor Publishing) was named one of the best books of the year by NPR. In addition, his journalism has appeared in New York Times, Esquire, Oxford American, Men's Health, Salon, and others. The New Yorker once wrote one entire sentence about him, which he plans to have inscribed on his tombstone someday. 

Publications

Fiction

• Nine Times Out of Ten You Don't Die (Propeller Books) 2027
• Fake Fruit Factory (Curbside Splendor Publishing) 2015
  • Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR
• Broken Piano for President (Lazy Fascist Press) 2012
  • Amazon Bestseller List, August 2012
  • Audio Edition: (Recorded Books) 2012
• Black Hole Blues (Lazy Fascist Press) 2011

Creative Nonfiction

• The Great Black Swamp: Toxic Algae, Toxic Relationships, and the Most Interesting Place in America Nobody's Ever Heard Of (Belt Publishing) 2026
  • Publisher's Weekly starred review
• Everything Was Great Until It Sucked (Lazy Fascist Press) 2012

Children's

• Gorillas Go Bananas (HarperCollins) 2018
• Go Go Gorillas (HarperCollins) 2017
  • Scholastic Book Fair Selection