Melissa Broder is the author of the novels Milk Fed, The Pisces, and Death Valley, the essay collection So Sad Today, and five poetry collections, including Superdoom: Selected Poems and Last Sext.
Melissa Broder was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Growing up with her sister Hayley, Broder developed an early interest in poetry. Her father was a tax lawyer, and her mother owned a stationery store. Broder attended the Baldwin School, where she began writing poetry.
She pursued higher education at Tufts University, editing a literary magazine. Broder graduated in 2001 with an English degree. She then moved to San Francisco and later to New York City. She worked at Penguin Books and earned an MFA in poetry from City College of New York.
Broder's Twitter presence began with the anonymous account So Sad Today in 2012. She revealed her identity in 2015. The account, which has more than a million followers, inspired her 2016 collection of essays, So Sad Today.
Broder has published five poetry collections, including Superdoom (2021). Her poem"Forgotten Sound from Last Sext won a Pushcart Prize. Her other lyrics have appeared in Poetry, The Iowa Review, Tin House, Guernica, Fence, and The Missouri Review.
Her novel The Pisces (2018) received praise from various publications. Broder is adapting The Pisces for Lionsgate Films and writes the Beauty and Death column for Elle.
Broder also hosts a podcast, Eating Alone in My Car, discussing various topics since 2018.
Her other novel, Milk Fed (2021), was also critically acclaimed. It was announced in 2020 that Milk Fed would be turned into a TV show.
Her latest novel, Death Valley (2023), explores themes of grief and survival. It tells the story of a woman seeking solace in a California desert motel. The novel combines elements of humour and poignancy, leading the protagonist on a mystical journey.
Melissa Broder has been sober since age 25. She is married and resides in Los Angeles.
Photo credit: Petra Collins / www.melissabroder.com
