I’m an American biographer and book critic and the author of The Baby on the Fire
Escape: Creativity, Mothering, and the Mind-Baby Problem (Norton, 2022). My previous book is James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, which received several honors including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Hugo and Locus Awards, and the Washington State Book Award. I’m also working on a biography of Ursula K. Le Guin.

I have written for The New Yorker, Ms., The Village Voice, and many other publications. Currently I review books for 4Columns.org and write about English literature for the Dutch daily newspaper Trouw, where many of the reviews, essays, and interviews posted on this website originally appeared. I’m the fortunate recipient of a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and residencies at Hedgebrook and Willapa Bay AiR.

I live in Amsterdam with my partner, translator and subtitler Jan van Houten, and our two children.

E-mail: jp@julie-phillips.com
Instagram: @julievanphillips
Facebook: @JuliePhillips
Bluesky: @jcfphillips

Media inquiries, The Baby on the Fire Escape: Erin Sinesky Lovett, W.W. Norton, ELovett@wwnorton.com.
All rights inquiries: Melissa Flashman, MFlashman@Janklow.com. Film rights to James Tiptree, Jr., are not currently available.

Photo: Chris van Houts