List of Northwestern University Alumni - Music, Literature and The Arts

Music, Literature and The Arts

• Steve Albini, recording engineer, musician
• Jack Anderson, dance critic, The New York Times
• Marie Arana, editor of Washington Post Book World, author of National Book Award-finalist American Chica and the novel Cellophane
• Steven Bach (B.A. 1961), former film executive and author of "Final Cut" and biographies including "Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl"
• Ernst Bacon, composer
• Mary Jo Bang (B.A., M.A.), 2007 National Book Critics Circle award winner for poetry collection entitled "Elegy;" professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis
• Saul Bellow (B.A. 1937), Nobel Prize-winning novelist
• Andrew Bird (B.M. 1995), singer-songwriter
• Chris Bliss, juggler
• Anthony Bozza, music journalist, author of Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem and Tommyland.
• Grace Bumbry, mezzo-soprano
• Robert Olen Butler (B.S. 1967), Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
• William Butler (B.A. 2005), member of indie rock band Arcade Fire
• Mark Camphouse, composer, notably of symphonic wind pieces, and conductor
• Dan Chaon, author of You Remind Me of Me and Among the Missing
• Andrew Clements, author
• Julia Davids, founding member and Artistic Director of the Canadian Chamber Choir
• Lydia R. Diamond (B.S. 1992), playwright and professor at Boston University
• Cynthia Dobrinski, handbell composer and clinician
• Ivan Doig (B.S.J., M.S.J.), novelist
• Tananarive Due, novelist and journalist, The Living Blood
• Andy Duncan, former member of OK Go
• Mary Dunleavy, soprano
• Wilma Dykeman, writer
• Timothy Ferris, science author
• William R. Ferris (M.A. 1965), former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities
• Gillian Flynn (M.S.), author of mystery novels and former television critic at Entertainment Weekly
• Kyle Gann, composer, microtonalist
• Chester Gould, cartoonist
• Shari Goldhagen, author
• James Green (B.A. 1966), author
• Ayun Halliday, columnist and author of No Touch Monkey!
• Amir Hamed, Uruguaya writer
• Howard Hanson, composer
• Aleksandar Hemon (M.A. 1996), author and MacArthur Fellow, The Lazarus Project, Nowhere Man, The Question of Bruno
• Sheldon Harnick, lyricist
• Myron Hunt, architect
• Brendan Kelly, member of The Lawrence Arms
• Ardis Krainik (B.S. 1951), former General Manager of the Lyric Opera of Chicago
• Jay Krush, tubist
• William Lava, composer
• Laura Lippman (B.S.J.), mystery novelist
• Margaret Lloyd, soprano
• George R.R. Martin (B.S.J. 1970, M.S.J. 1971), author, A Game of Thrones
• Luke Matheny (B.S.J. 1997), director and star of 2011 Academy Award-winning short film God of Love
• Sherrill Milnes, baritone
• Robert McHenry, encyclopedist and author
• Audrey Niffenegger (M.F.A. 1991), novelist and artist; author of The Time Traveller's Wife
• Bruce Norris (B.A. 1982), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Clybourne Park
• Tawni O'Dell (B.S.J. 1986), novelist, Sister Mine, Coal Run, Back Roads
• Karen A. Page, writer
• Marge Piercy, novelist and poet
• Leslie Pietrzyk, writer
• Neal Pollack (B.S.J. 1992), satirical author and journalist
• Joshua Radin, singer-songwriter
• Kathy Reichs, author
• Steve Rodby, jazz bassist
• Ned Rorem, composer
• Tina Rosenberg (B.A. 1981, M.S.J.), Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist
• Veronica Roth, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Divergent
• William M. Runyan, Christian songwriter who composed Great Is Thy Faithfulness
• Karen Russell (B.A. 2003), author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and Swamplandia!
• Thom Russo ( B.A 1988), Grammy winning record producer, mixer, musician
• David Sanborn, saxophonist
• Joseph Schwantner, composer
• Sidney Sheldon, author (never graduated)
• Philip Skinner, opera singer
• Jon Solomon, DJ / record label owner
• Warren Spector, game designer
• Michael Sprinker, late literary theorist
• Peter Stuart (B.A. Film, 1989), singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of Dog's Eye View
• Frederick Swann, organist and President of the American Guild of Organists
• Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, composer
• Augusta Read Thomas (B.M. 1987), composer
• Trevanian, author
• Thomas Tyra (B.A. 1954, M.A. 1955), composer, music educator, bandmaster
• Walter Wager, author
• Nike Wagner, author
• Kate Walbert (B.A. 1983), National Book Award-nominated writer, author of A Short History of Women
• Margaret Walker (B.A. 1935), poet and author
• Doug Wamble (M.M. 1997), musician and composer
• Joshua Weiner (B.A. 1985), poet, author of The World's Room
• Paul Winter, musician
• Rachael Yamagata (B.S. 1997), musician
• Claire Zulkey, author