The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Anne Fadiman (born August 7, 1953) is an American essayist, reporter, and teacher renowned for her work in literary journalism, essays, and memoir. Her most notable book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997), which explores cultural clashes between a Hmong family and American doctors, won the National Book Critics Circle Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest, and Salon Book Award; other key works include Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader (1998), At Large and At Small (2007), The Wine Lover's Daughter (2017), and Frog and Other Essays (2025). She has edited prestigious essay collections, served as editor of The American Scholar (winning three National Magazine Awards), and holds the Francis Writer in Residence position at Yale University.com, Yale English