Ling Ma, an alumna of the University of Chicago and a distinguished fiction writer, has been awarded a 2024 MacArthur Fellowship. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation grants these fellowships annually to individuals across various disciplines who exhibit "exceptional originality in and dedication to their creative pursuits." Recipients are provided with $800,000 stipends for use at their discretion.
“I am amazed that strangers who have read my work decided to nominate or recommend my fiction,” Ma stated. “For someone who spends most of their days alone, that's pretty unbelievable.”
Ma's writing is noted for blending ordinary settings such as corporate offices and shopping malls with fantastical elements like zombies and yeti boyfriends. Her works explore themes of relationships, alienation, and identity through a surreal lens. Her notable publications include the novel "Severance" and the short story collection "Bliss Montage," which have earned accolades such as the Kirkus Prize, Whiting Award, Story Prize, and National Book Critics Circle Award.
Formerly an assistant professor in UChicago's Program of Creative Writing, Ma will return to the university as an associate professor in the Department of English and Literature in January 2025.
“I’m just thrilled that Ling Ma has won the MacArthur,” said Rachel Cohen, a colleague at UChicago’s Program of Creative Writing. “This is a terrific confirmation of what is already such a stellar career. Ling’s incredible rigor, determination, and unusual mind have always produced strikingly original work.”
Ma's debut novel "Severance" (2018) portrays an apocalyptic scenario where society collapses due to the "Shen Fever." The infected enter a zombie-like trance performing daily tasks repetitively until they waste away. The protagonist Candace Chen reflects on her childhood in Fujian, China while navigating this new reality with other survivors.
“I thought about how companies would react when these catastrophes happened,” Ma explained in a 2023 interview. “I thought about my jobs, how people interact in the workplace and the power hierarchies.”
During the pandemic's peak, Ma wrote her short story collection "Bliss Montage" (2022), which includes eight stories that blur genre lines and reality boundaries. Stories like “G” explore themes of invisibility through drug overdose effects while “Peking Duck” delves into immigrant experiences.
“I am interested in emotions and thought processes that don't fit idealogical narratives," Ma shared with the MacArthur Foundation. "I hope that my fiction makes readers feel recognized.”
At UChicago, Ma has taught various writing workshops inspired by her own writing challenges.
“Many of my students won’t believe me when I tell them this," she remarked about teaching at UChicago. "Their work often rivals or surpasses what I’ve seen in MFA programs."
Looking ahead, Ma plans to continue writing fiction but remains undecided on how to utilize her grant fully. “I will take my time to consider this so as not to waste it,” she said.
Ma holds an undergraduate degree from UChicago (2005) and an MFA from Cornell University (2015). Her writings have appeared in publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Granta, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Yale Review.
She joins other recent MacArthur Fellows from UChicago including Rina Foygel Barber (2023), Reuben Jonathan Miller (2022), and Jacqueline Stewart (2021).
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