Jonathan Franzen is an American novelist, essayist, and environmentalist. He is best known for his novels The Corrections and Freedom, both of which were bestsellers and critically acclaimed. Franzen has also written several non-fiction works, including The Discomfort Zone and Farther Away. He is a recipient of the National Book Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Franzen is a passionate advocate for environmental causes, and his writing often reflects his concern for the environment. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the German Akademie der Künste.