Books by Anelise Chen
Clam Down: A Metamorphosis
by Anelise Chen
☆ Finalist for the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Memoir or Autobiography
In this inventive memoir, Anelise Chen imagines herself as a mollusc during her shattering divorce, after her mistyping mother repeatedly urges her by instant message to "clam down." In exploring past examples of hermits and extreme introverts—and speaking to her reclusive father about the years spent working alone on his mysterious 'Shell Computing' software—she examines the urge to close oneself off from the world.
Interviews where books by Anelise Chen were recommended
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Autobiographies and Memoirs
Since 2023, the Pulitzer Prize jury has awarded $15,000 annually to “a distinguished and factual memoir or autobiography by an American author.” We’ve put together a list of the exceptional books that have received this honour since the prize’s inauguration—plus the finalists who have been singled out for particular praise.
