Emily Nussbaum

Emily Nussbaum writes about art and shows. She works for a big magazine. She used to write about TV shows. She loved a show about a hero. Now she writes about plays. She won a very special prize. It is called the Pulitzer Prize. She also won a magazine award. She studied poems in school. It is fun to read her work.

Emily Nussbaum is a writer. She writes about art and shows. She works for a magazine called The New Yorker. For many years, she was a TV critic. This means she watched shows and wrote about them. She loved the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This love led her to write reviews. She also worked for New York magazine. There, she made a tool called the Approval Matrix. It helped people think about culture.

Emily has won big awards for her work. In 2014, she won a National Magazine Award. In 2016, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This is a very special prize for writers. Now, she is a theater critic. She writes about plays and stage shows.

Emily went to school at Oberlin College. She also studied poetry at New York University. She is Jewish. She is married to Clive Thompson. They have two children. Her work helps us see the art around us.

Emily Nussbaum is a writer who studies art. She is a critic and an arts journalist. A critic is someone who watches or reads art. Then they write about what they think. She works for a famous magazine called The New Yorker. For a long time, she was a television critic. This means she watched many TV shows. Now, she is a theater critic. She writes about plays on a stage.

Writing reviews is a special way to work. Emily began by writing about TV shows she loved. She really liked a show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She posted her thoughts on a website. Later, she worked for many different places. She wrote for Lingua Franca and Slate. She also wrote for The New York Times. At New York magazine, she created the Approval Matrix. This was a tool to help people talk about culture.

Emily grew up in the United States. Her parents are Toby and Bernard Nussbaum. Her father worked for President Bill Clinton. Emily grew up in Scarsdale, New York. She went to Oberlin College in 1988. After that, she went to New York University. She earned a master's degree in poetry. She even started a doctoral program in literature. She decided not to become a teacher.

Many people have given Emily big awards. In 2014, she won a National Magazine Award. This was for her columns and her commentary. In 2016, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This is a very important prize for writers. She has worked at The New Yorker since 2011. She was the television critic there until 2019. In 2025, she became the theater critic.

Emily's life is full of stories and art. She is Jewish and lives with her family. She is married to a journalist named Clive Thompson. They have two children together. Her work helps us understand the things we watch. She looks closely at the stories on our screens. She also looks at the stories on stage. We can learn a lot from her reviews.

Emily Nussbaum is a prominent American critic and arts journalist. A critic is a professional who observes art and shares their analysis. They help audiences understand the meaning behind what they see or hear. Nussbaum has spent her career exploring culture through writing. She is best known for her work at The New Yorker. This famous magazine has employed her since 2011. Her writing focuses on how media shapes our world. She helps readers connect more deeply with television and theater.

Her journey into professional criticism began with a personal passion. Nussbaum developed a strong interest in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She began sharing her thoughts on this show online. She posted her reviews on a website called Television Without Pity. This was an early step in her career as a critic. From there, she moved into professional journalism. She learned how to turn her observations into structured, thoughtful essays. This process allows her to share her unique perspective with a wide audience.

Nussbaum has worked for several important publications throughout her career. She wrote for Lingua Franca and served as the editor-in-chief of Nerve. She also contributed writing to Slate and The New York Times. Later, she joined New York magazine for seven years. During her time there, she served as the culture editor. She also created a unique feature called the Approval Matrix. This tool helped readers navigate the complex world of modern culture. Her career shows how one can move through many different parts of the media landscape.

Her academic background provided a strong foundation for her writing. Nussbaum was raised in Scarsdale, New York. She attended Oberlin College and graduated in 1988. She then moved on to New York University. There, she earned a master's degree in poetry. She even began a doctoral program in literature. However, she eventually decided not to pursue a career in teaching. Instead, she chose to apply her deep knowledge of literature to journalism. This transition allowed her to use her academic skills in a fast-paced professional setting.

Nussbaum has received some of the highest honors in her field. In 2014, she won a National Magazine Award. This award recognized her work in Columns and Commentary. This category honors political and social commentary, news analysis, and criticism. In 2016, she achieved a major milestone by winning the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. The Pulitzer Prize is a very prestigious award for excellence in journalism. These honors demonstrate the high quality and impact of her analytical writing. They mark her as a leader in American arts journalism.

Her roles at The New Yorker have evolved over many years. She joined the staff as a writer in 2011. From 2011 until 2019, she served as the magazine's television critic. In this role, she analyzed the stories told on our screens. In 2025, her focus shifted to a new medium. She was named the theater critic for The New Yorker. This means she now examines plays and performances on stage. Her career reflects a deep, ongoing commitment to studying the arts in all their forms.

Beyond her professional achievements, Nussbaum has a rich personal life. She is Jewish and comes from a family with significant history. Her father, Bernard Nussbaum, served as White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton. She is married to the journalist Clive Thompson. Together, they have two children. Her life combines a high-level career in the arts with a deep connection to her family and heritage. Through her work, she continues to guide us through the evolving world of culture.