About Shalom Auslander:
Shalom Auslander is an American author and essayist. He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Monsey, New York where he describes himself as having been "raised like a veal", a reference to his strict religious upbringing, a phrase used also by Howard Stern in 1993 as a chapter title in Howard Stern's book Private Parts. His writing style is notable for its Jewish perspective, existentialist themes and black humor. His non-fiction often draws comparisons to David Sedaris, while his fiction has drawn comparisons to Franz Kafka, Samuel Beckett and Groucho Marx. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages and are published around the world.