Gary Shteyngart Gary Shteyngart is a New York Times best-selling author and journalist. Born in Leningrad in 1972, he moved to the United States at age seven. His debut novel, "The Russian Debutante’s Handbook," won the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction and the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction. His second novel, "Absurdistan," was named one of the 10 best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, as well as a best book of the year by Time, The Washington Post Book World, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, and many other publications. His memoir “Little Failure” was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, while his novel “Super Sad True Love Story” won a Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize. His work has also appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, GQ, and Travel + Leisure. He lives in New York City. About Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is a top travel media brand with a mission to inform and inspire passionate travelers. Our expert team includes a network of hundreds of writers and photographers across the globe, all providing a local eye on the best places to stay, eat, and explore. We reach an audience that takes 76 million round trips annually, offering valuable travel tips, ideas and inspiration, and products you need to get you to your destination — whether it’s a small town or big city, beach or lake, national park or theme park, road trip, cruise, or long-haul flight, and everything in between. Learn more about us and our editorial process