Jonathan Safran Foer is an American novelist, essayist, and professor. He is best known for his novels Everything Is Illuminated (2002) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2005). Foer's work often explores themes of memory, family, and identity. He has also written several non-fiction works, including Eating Animals (2009), a book about vegetarianism. Foer has received numerous awards for his writing, including the National Jewish Book Award, the Guardian First Book Award, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Award. He currently teaches creative writing at New York University. Foer is a passionate advocate for animal rights and environmentalism, and his work often reflects these values.