Looking for Alaska Study Guide

Brief Biography of John Green

Green grew up in Orlando, FL, and then attended Indian Springs School in Birmingham, AL—the inspiration for the setting of

Looking for Alaska

. After graduating, Green attended Kenyon College, where he majored in English and Religion. Green began training to become an Episcopal priest, but then switched paths to focus on writing. While working on

Looking for Alaska

, his first book, Green reviewed books for

Booklist.

He has spoken about his own experiences with bullying, which he drew on to write

Looking for Alaska

. Green maintains a number of YouTube channels, of which “VlogBrothers” is most notable, and is thought by some to have ushered in a new era of young adult fiction. A. J. Jacobs of the New York Times has deemed his style of fiction “GreenLit,” which he describes as stories that rely on “sharp dialogue, defective authority figures, occasional boozing, unrequited crushes and one or more heartbreaking twists.” Green lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two children.