Alissa Quart

Alissa Quart is a multifaceted nonfiction writer, critic, journalist, editor, and poet. She is the author of five acclaimed books of nonfiction, including "Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream" (Ecco, 2023), "Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America," "Republic of Outsiders: The Power of Amateurs, Dreamers and Rebels," "Hothouse Kids: The Dilemma of the Gifted Child," and "Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers." Additionally, she has authored two books of poetry, "Thoughts and Prayers" and "Monetized."

Quart is the Executive Director and co-founder, along with the late Barbara Ehrenreich, of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. Her journalistic contributions have been featured in prominent publications such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, TIME, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Nation, Newsweek, Mother Jones, and Marie Claire. She has been recognized with an Emmy, an SPJ award, and a Nieman fellowship. Quart was also a finalist for a National Magazine Award and named Columbia University Journalism School Alumni of the Year.

In addition to her writing and editorial work, Quart is an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She frequently speaks on topics such as poverty, economic inequality, and the myth of the “American Dream.” Her insights have been featured on media platforms like Nightline, 20/20, the Today Show, CNN, CBC, and C-Span. Notably, she coined the term "hyperlink cinema" in 2005 and popularized the term "hipster sexism."