Samuel Shem, author portrait
© Janet Surrey

Samuel Shem

Samuel Shem is a novelist, playwright, activist, Professor in Medical Humanities at NYU School of Medicine, and Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome. His novels include The House of God, FineMount Misery, In the Heart of the Universe, and The Spirit of the Place (winner of two national "Best Literary Novel" Awards). He is coauthor with his wife, Janet Surrey, of the award-winning Off-Broadway play Bill W. and Dr. Bob, about the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous,The Buddha's Wife and We Have to Talk: Healing Dialogues Between Men and Women.
Our Hospital
Man's 4th Best Hospital
The Spirit of the Place
The House of God
Mount Misery

Books

Our Hospital
Man's 4th Best Hospital
The Spirit of the Place
The House of God
Mount Misery

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

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Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

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