Molly Jong-Fast

American author and pundit (born 1978)

Matthew Greenfield

(m. 2003)

Children3Parent(s)Erica Jong
Jonathan FastRelativesHoward Fast (grandfather)

Molly Jong-Fast (born August 19, 1978^[1]) is an American writer, journalist, author, political commentator, and podcaster.

Early life

Jong-Fast is the daughter of novelist Erica Jong^[2] and author Jonathan Fast, and the granddaughter of writer Howard Fast.^[3] She was raised in a Jewish family, though she has mentioned that her nanny "raised [her] Catholic," despite not partaking in the sacraments.^[4] Her parents divorced during her childhood, and she was raised as an only child.^[5]

Jong-Fast graduated from the Riverdale Country School and attended Barnard College before earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington College in 2004.^[6]^[7]

Career

Jong-Fast is the author of two novels, Normal Girl^[8] and The Social Climber's Handbook,^[9] and a memoir, Girl [Maladjusted],^[9] or The Sex Doctors in the Basement.^[10]^[11]

After the 2016 election, Jong-Fast began focusing her writing on politics.^[12] She became a regular contributor to The Forward,^[13] The Bulwark,^[14] Playboy,^[15] Glamour,^[16] and Vogue.^[17]

In December 2019, Jong-Fast became an editor-at-large at The Daily Beast, hosting the podcast The New Abnormal.^[18]^[7]

In November 2021, Jong-Fast became a contributing writer at The Atlantic,^[19] and the writer of The Atlantic's Wait, What? newsletter.^[20]

In 2022, Jong-Fast joined Vanity Fair as a special correspondent and began hosting the Fast Politics iHeart Media podcast.

In January 2024, Jong-Fast joined MSNBC as a political analyst.^[21]

Kirkus Reviews has described her as "the Joan Rivers for slackers".^[11]

Personal life

In 2003, Jong-Fast married CUNY professor Matthew Adlai Greenfield.^[22]^[23] They have three children.^[24] Jong-Fast is a cousin of Lebanese-American political strategist Peter Daou^[25] and has written about her experience with Alcoholics Anonymous.^[26]

Publications

Normal Girl (2000). ISBN 0-37-575759-7
The Sex Doctors in the Basement: True Stories from a Semi-Celebrity Childhood (2005). ISBN 1-40-006144-X.
Girl [Maladjusted]: True Stories from a Semi-Celebrity Childhood (2006). ISBN 0-81-297074-8
The Social Climber's Handbook: A novel (2011). ISBN 0-34-550189-6

References

^ Templin, Charlotte, ed. (2002). Conversations with Erica Jong. University Press of Mississippi. p. xxi. ISBN 978-1-57806-510-3.
^ Pressler, Jessica (June 3, 2011). "Fear of Talking About Sex". Intelligencer. New York Magazine. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
^ Jong-Fast, Molly (February 26, 2019). "My Mother's Daughter". New York Review of Books. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
^ Jong-Fast, Molly (2006). "Tell Me About Your Mother". In Ellenson, Ruth Andrew (ed.). The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt. New York: Plume. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-452-28748-8. I guess I should give you a little family history. We are Jews.
^ "Why Molly Jong-Fast wrote about the sex life of her famous mother, Erica Jong". The Current. CBC Radio. March 6, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
^ Roug, Louise (September 10, 2001). "She's Her Mother's Daughter, but Her Life's Plot Is All Her Own". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Molly Jong-Fast". LinkedIn. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^ Rosenfeld, Lucinda (July 16, 2000). "Sex, Drugs, Etc". Books. The New York Times.
^ ^a ^b Webster, Camilla (May 6, 2011). "The Social Climber's Handbook: The Murderous State of Womanhood". Forbes. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
^ "Nonfiction Book Review: The Sex Doctors in the Basement: True Stories from a Semi-Celebrity Childhood by Molly Jong-Fast". Publishers Weekly. April 1, 2005. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "The Sex Doctors in the Basement". Kirkus Reviews. January 1, 2005. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (November 6, 2022). "How Molly Jong-Fast Tweeted Her Way to Liberal Media Stardom". The New York Times.
^ "Molly Jong-Fast Archives".
^ "Articles by Molly Jong-Fast". The Bulwark. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
^ "Molly Jong-Fast: Playboy Contributing Editor". Playboy. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
^ "Molly Jong-Fast". Glamour. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
^ "Molly Jong-Fast". Vogue. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^ "'The New Abnormal' Hosts Molly Jong-Fast & Andy Levy Ask and Answer 20 Stupid Questions". The Daily Beast. December 26, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^ "All Stories By MOLLY JONG-FAST". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
^ "Wait, What?". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^ "MSNBC Author Molly Jong-Fast". MSNBC.
^ Grossman, Anna Jane (March 3, 2003). "Countdown to Bliss: Matthew Greenfield and Molly Jong-Fast". Observer. New York. Retrieved March 3, 2003.
^ "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Molly Jong-Fast, Matthew Greenfield". The New York Times. November 2, 2003. Retrieved November 2, 2003.
^ Richardson, Davis (June 6, 2019). "Molly Jong-Fast Throws the Perfect Dinner Party for Political Operatives, Pundits, and Upper East Side Princesses". Interview. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
^ Klion, David (December 3, 2019). "What Happened to Peter Daou?". The New Republic. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ Jong-Fast, Molly (August 26, 2020). "I Won't Drink Today, and I Won't Get the Virus Today". The Atlantic.