Andre Dubus III (born September 11, 1959) is an American novelist and short story writer. He is a member of the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Early life and education Born in Oceanside, California, to Patricia (née Lowe) and Louisiana-born writer Andre Dubus, Dubus grew up in mill towns in the Merrimack River valley along the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border with his three siblings: Suzanne, Jeb, and Nicole. He began writing fiction at age 22, a few months after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in sociology. To support himself, Dubus worked as a carpenter, bartender, office cleaner, personal investigator, corrections counselor, and halfway house counselor. Career His first published short story, "Forky," was published by Playboy when Dubus was 23. Dubus's novel, House of Sand and Fog (1999), was a finalist for the National Book Award and was adapted for an Academy Award-nominated film of the same name. The book was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. His 2011 memoir Townie tells of growing up poor in Haverhill after his parents' divorce, street fighting, and eventually boxing, and deals extensively with his relationship with his father. The novel Gone So Long was published in 2018. Daniel Ahearn committed a violent act that changed the lives of many, including members of his own family. Forty years older and sick, he aims to set things right. He is especially set on visiting his estranged daughter, whom he has not seen in decades. His novel Such Kindness was scheduled to be published in June of 2023, to be followed by a collection of personal essays titled Ghost Dogs, which will be published in 2024. Affiliations A member of PEN American Center, Dubus has served as a panelist for the National Book Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. He has taught writing at Harvard University, Tufts University, Emerson College, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he is a full-time faculty member. In November 2018 Oprah Winfrey was a guest at UMass Lowell, which is considered the results of an over three-year effort made by Dubus. He met Winfrey in 2000 when appearing on her show, after the release of his novel House of Sand and Fog. Honors Dubus's work has been included in The Best American Essays 1994, The Best Spiritual Writing 1999, and The Best of Hope Magazine. He has been