Becca Rothfeld

Becca Rothfeld
Born (1991-10-08) October 8, 1991
EducationDartmouth College
Occupations
  • Writer
  • critic

Becca Rothfeld (born October 8, 1991) is an American literary critic, and essayist. She won the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing, and the Silvers-Dudley Prize.[1]

Life

She attended Dartmouth College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. Rothfeld later pursued a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Harvard University, but as of 2024 has not completed a dissertation.[2][3]

In March 2023, she was hired by The Washington Post as its non-fiction book critic.[4]

In 2024, Rothfeld revealed on her blog that she has been undergoing treatment for early-stage thyroid cancer.[5]

On February 4, 2026, Rothfeld was laid off by The Washington Post when it reduced its staff by one-third and eliminated the newspaper's books and sports sections.[6][7] On February 10, 2026, The New Yorker announced that Rothfeld would be joining them as a staff writer later that month.[8]

Works

  • Rothfeld, Becca (April 2, 2024). All Things Are Too Small. New York: Metropolitan Books. ISBN 978-1-250-84991-5.[9][10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Winners of the Silvers-Dudley Prizes Revealed | Kirkus Reviews". January 7, 2022. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  2. ^ "Becca Rothfeld: "For the Sake of Argument"". The Yale Review. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "Becca Rothfeld - The Washington Post". Becca Rothfeld. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  4. ^ "Becca Rothfeld joins The Washington Post as a nonfiction book critic". The Washington Post. March 13, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  5. ^ Substack. "becca rothfeld | Substack". substack.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Bauder, David (February 4, 2026). "Washington Post cuts a third of its staff in a blow to a legendary news brand". Associated Press. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  7. ^ Spratford, Sam (February 4, 2026). "WashPo Shutters Books Section Amid Widespread Layoffs". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  8. ^ Rothfeld, Becca (February 10, 2026). "The End of Books Coverage at the Washington Post". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  9. ^ Gates, David (March 25, 2024). "A Critic's Plea for Maximalism: 'Crack Us Open Like Eggs'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Kellaway, Kate (March 25, 2024). "All Things Are Too Small by Becca Rothfeld review – bracing and brilliant essay collection". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  11. ^ "Review | In an age of minimalism, here's a celebration of more, more, more". The Washington Post. April 5, 2024. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 10, 2024.