Naima Coster
Asst Professor
Weissman School of Arts and Sciences
Department: Journalism & Writing Profess
Areas of expertise:
Email Address: naima.coster@baruch.cuny.edu
> View CV- Biography
- Teaching
- Research and Creative Activity
- Grants
- Honors and Awards
- Service
Naima Coster is a New York Times bestselling author of three novels and a recipient of the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 honor. Her forthcoming novel, Take What You Can, will be published in July 2026 by Viking. Her previous novel, What’s Mine and Yours, was a Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club pick, a Book of the Month Club pick, a statewide read for One Maryland One Book, and longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. It was named a best book of the year by Kirkus, Amazon, Esquire, Marie Claire, Ms. Magazine, The Millions, and Refinery29.
Naima’s debut novel, Halsey Street, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize for Fiction and a semifinalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. It was named a must-read by People, Essence, Well-Read Black Girl, The Skimm, and the Brooklyn Public Library. In 2018, Naima was named New Author of the Year by Go On Girl! Book Club, the largest national book club for Black women.
Naima’s nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, Elle, Time, The Cut, The Sunday Times, the Paris Review Daily, and Catapult, among other publications, and in numerous anthologies, most recently, Sing the Truth; Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women; and Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora.
Naima earned her MFA in Creative Writing at the Columbia University School of the Arts, her MA in English at Fordham University, and her BA in English and African American Studies at Yale. She has taught writing in community settings, youth programs, and universities, and she has mentored writers at Girls Write Now and the Periplus Fellowship.
Visit Naima's website at www.naimacoster.com
Education
M.F.A., Creative Writing, Columbia University New York United States
M.A., English, Fordham University Bronx United States
B.A., English, African American Studies, Yale University New Haven United States
| Semester | Course Prefix | Course Number | Course Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | JRN | 3610H | Honors-Fiction Writing |
| Spring 2025 | JRN | 3610 | Workshop: Fiction Writing |
| Spring 2025 | JRN | 4910 | Advanced Fiction-Writing Works |
| Fall 2024 | JRN | 3600H | Honors - Creative Journalism |
| Fall 2024 | JRN | 5050 | Media Internship I |
| Fall 2024 | JRN | 4920H | Honors Narrative Writing |
| Fall 2024 | JRN | 4920 | Narrative Writing |
| Fall 2024 | JRN | 3600 | Creative Nonfiction |
| Spring 2024 | JRN | 3610 | Workshop: Fiction Writing |
| Spring 2024 | JRN | 4920 | Narrative Writing |
| Spring 2024 | JRN | 3610H | Honors-Fiction Writing |
| Spring 2024 | JRN | 4920H | Honors Narrative Writing |
Books
Coster, N. (2024). Take What You Can. (p. 340). New York, New York , Viking (Penguin Random House) in the U.S., Trapeze (Orion Books) in the U.K. .
Coster, N. (2021). What's Mine and Yours. (p. 352). New York, New York, Grand Central Publishing (Hachette) in the U.S.; Trapeze (Orion Books) in the U.K., Corpus (AST) in Russia .
Coster, N. (2018). Halsey Street. (p. 337). New York, New York, Little A (Amazon Publishing).
Book Chapters
(2026). "Voice Memo". Notes to New Mothers W. W. Norton.
(2025). "Cold". Sing the Truth Authors Equity.
(2023). "Reorientation". Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women New York, New York. Amistad (Harper Collins).
(2019). "Lila", Book Seven of Seven. The One Amazon Original Stories / Brilliance Publishing Inc..
(2019). "The Price of Admission". Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed New York, NY. Flatiron Books (Macmillan).
(2017). "Subjunctive". This is the Place: Women Writing about Home New York, New York. Seal Press (Hachette).
(2017). "Cold". Best of Kweli: An Aster(ix) Anthology Blue Sketch Press.
Presentations
Coster, N. (2025, August 7). Book Launch: Cleyvis Natera's The Grand Paloma Resort with Angie Cruz & Naima Coster. Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center: NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, Dominican Writers Association, Word Up Community Bookshop.
Coster, N. Book Launch for Bridgett M. Davis: Celebrating 25 Years of the Harman Writer-in-Residence Program. Baruch College: Harman Writer-in-Residence Program.
Coster, N. (2025, June 7). An Evening with the Freya Project Featuring Naima Coster, Crystal Hana Kim, and Ada Calhoun. : The Freya Project.
Coster, N. (2025, May 7). Sing the Truth with Laura Pegram, Naima Coster & Nicole Dennis-Benn. Books Are Magic: Kweli.
Coster, N. (2025, August 7). Authors in Conversation with Summer Reading Ambassador Julia Phillips: Naima Coster and Melissa Rivero. Harrison Public Library Main Branch: Harrison Public Library.
Coster, N. (2025, March 7). On Mothers and Memory: A Discussion Between Naima Coster and Gabriela Garcia. National Antiracist Book Festival. : Boston University.
Coster, N. (2025, December 7). Commencement Address for Antioch University MFA Program in Creative Writing. : Antioch University - Los Angeles.
Coster, N. (2025, November 7). In Conversation: On "What’s Mine and Yours": Naima Coster and Jenna Bush Hager. Miami Book Fair. : Miami Book Fair, Miami Dade College.
Coster, N. (2025, September 7). Afro-Latina Voices and Visions: Naima Coster, Cleyvis Natera, Ivelisse Rodriguez, and Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa in Conversation. Kweli International Literary Festival. : Kweli.
Coster, N. (2025, September 7). Contemporary Latina Writers: National Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff . Live from NYPL. : The New York Public Library.
Coster, N. (2025, June 7). Unforgettable Characters. Bronx Book Festival. : Bronx Book Festival.
Coster, N. (2025, May 7). The Myth of Innocence: Coming of Age in America. PEN World Voices Festival. : PEN America.
Coster, N. (2025, September 7). Author's Note: In Conversation with Andre Bagoo, Naima Coster, Desmond Hall, and Tiphanie Yanique. Moderated by Saraciea Fennell. Brooklyn Caribbean Lit Festival.
Coster, N. (2025, November 7). Courtney Steel '87 Visiting Author Lecture. : The Spence School.
Coster, N. (2025, September 7). Latina Writers Panel with Naima Coster, Cherrie Moraga, Stephanie Jimenez, and Melissa Rivero. University of Albany: Albany Book Festival & New York State Writers Institute.
Coster, N. (2025, February 7). Immigrant Fiction: A Round Table. Beyond Borders Symposium. City of Asylum & University of Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Research Council's Research in Diversity Initiative, Center for African American Poetry & Poetics, City of Asylum.
Coster, N. (2025, April 7). Keynote. Fourth Annual Symposium on Latinx Culture. : LaGuardia Community College, English Department Latinx Literature Committee.
Coster, N. (2025, November 7). "Halsey Street: From Manuscript to Marketplace". Queens Public Library Central Branch: The Authors Guild Foundation, New York State Council of the Arts.
Coster, N. (2025, May 7). Keynote at Girls Write Now Chapters Reading featuring Meg Wolitzer and Naima Coster. New-York Historical Society: Girls Write Now.
Coster, N. (2025, February 7). Reading from "What's Mine and Yours". Dillion Johnston Writers Reading Series. : Wake Forest University.
Coster, N. (2025, September 7). The Intersection of Feminism and Great Writing: With Natalia Sylvester, Naima Coster, Hannah Howard, Katie Sise, Tanya Marquardt, and Carmen Johnson. Brooklyn Book Festival. Main Stage on Borough Hall Plaza: Brooklyn Book Festival.
Coster, N. (2025, October 7). "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother" & "Kirkus Prize Panel". Texas Book Festival. Austin, Texas
Coster, N. (2025, March 7). Reading as Featured Fiction Writer. Rosenberry Writers' Conference. : University of Northern Colorado - Greeley.
Coster, N. (2025, April 7). Duende District & PEN/Faulkner present Naima Coster, in conversation with Natalie Hopkinson. Mahogany Books: PEN/Faulker, Duende District Bookstore.
Other Scholarly Works
Coster, N. (2025). "Nice Place". O.Henry.
Coster, N. (2022). "Elizabeth Acevedo's Inheritance is a Searing Indictment of Colonized Beauty Standards". Elle. (October 2022),
Coster, N. (2021). "Becoming a Mother While Estranged from Your Own". Elle.
Coster, N. (2021). "I Didn't Consider My Marriage Interracial. But I Wasn't Being Totally Honest with Myself.". TIME Magazine.
Coster, N. (2021). "A Year in Reading: Naima Coster". The Millions.
Coster, N. (2020). "How to Write When You're Not Sure About Anything". New York Magazine (The Cut).
Coster, N. (2019). "Mad About the Curl: On Discovering My Natural Hair". The Sunday Times (U.K.).
Coster, N. (2018). "Who Gets to Write About Gentrification?". Literary Hub.
Coster, N. (2018). "Who Gets to Be 'Brooklyn Born'?". The Paris Review Daily.
Coster, N. (2018). "Naima Coster Recommends..." for Writers Recommend Series of Poets & Writers.
Coster, N. (2018). "Crystal Hana Kim Doesn't Want to Write the 'Perfect Korean'". Electric Lit.
Coster, N. (2017). "My Editor Was Black". Catapult.
Coster, N. (2015). "Albums of Our Lives: Nirvana's Nevermind". The Rumpus.
Coster, N. (2014). "Lyrical Impulse: An Interview with Stacey D'Erasmo". Guernica.
Coster, N. (2014). "More Than Its Parts". A Practical Wedding.
Coster, N. (2012). "Fire Escape". Arts & Letters. (Issue 26),
Coster, N. (2011). "Remembering When Brooklyn was Mine". The New York Times.
Reviews
Coster, N. (2025,October 7). "When Friends Find Themselves on Opposite Sides of a Tragedy". The New York Times Book Review.
| Honor / Award | Organization Sponsor | Date Received | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowland Writers Retreat | 2025-02-14 | I was a fellow at the Rowland Writers Retreat, a ten-day residency for women prose writers in Aurora, New York. Former fellows include Julia Glass, Suleika Jaouad, Lindy West, and Reyna Grande. | |
| Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, Longlist | The Mark Twain House & Museum | 2022-06-07 | What's Mine and Yours was longlisted for this award, which according to the Mark Twain House and Museum "honors a work of fiction from the previous calendar year that speaks with an 'American Voice' about American experiences." |
| One Maryland One Book Prize | Maryland Humanities | 2022-02-03 | One Maryland One Book is the flagship program of Maryland Humanities. They choose one book to be a statewide read each year. What's Mine and Yours was selected for 2022. |
| 5 Under 35 | The National Book Foundation | 2020-10-20 | Each year the National Book Foundation recognizes five outstanding debut fiction writers under the age of thirty-five. Previous honorees include Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Brit Bennett, Akwaeke Emezi, Angela Flournoy, Phil Klay, Valeria Luiselli, C.E. Morgan, Téa Obreht, ZZ Packer, Karen Russell, Justin Torres, Bryan Washington, Claire Vaye Watkins, Tiphanie Yanique, and Charles Yu. |
| Juno Grant | The Freya Project | 2020-04-26 | The Juno grant is an unrestricted $5,000 award given to one of the former readers in the live reading series, The Freya Project, who is also a parent. |
| New Author of the Year Award, 2018 | Go On Girl! Book Club | 2019-06-01 | The largest national book club for Black women, Go On Girl! presents an annual award to one debut author, based on a majority of membership votes. |
| VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, Semi-finalist | Virginia Commonwealth University | 2019-04-09 | HALSEY STREET was a semi-finalist, for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. |
| Kirkus Prize, Finalist | Kirkus Reviews | 2018-10-25 | In 2018, Halsey Street was one of six finalists for the Kirkus Prize, one of the richest literary awards, administered by Kirkus Reviews. |
| Cosmonauts Avenue Nonfiction Prize, judged by Roxane Gay | Cosmonauts Avenue | 2017-08-28 | The inaugural nonfiction prize of the literary magazine Cosmonauts Avenue was judged by the writer Roxane Gay. |
| Disquiet Literary Prize, Longlist | Disquiet International Literary Program | 2017-03-19 | This prize is administered by the Disquiet International Literary program, which exists due to a partnership between US-based Dzanc Books, the Portuguese Centro Nacional de Cultura, and the Luso-American Development Foundation. |
| Margaret Lamb/Writing to the Right-Hand Margin Prize for Fiction | Fordham University | 2012-04-05 | Named for English professor Margaret Lamb, these prizes recognize outstanding achievement in the fields of fiction and creative non-fiction writing. |
| Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize | Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival | 2011-12-16 | |
| Margaret Lamb/Writing to the Right-Hand Margin Prize for Fiction | Fordham University | 2011-04-05 | Named for English professor Margaret Lamb, these prizes recognize outstanding achievement in the fields of fiction and creative non-fiction writing. |
| Elmore A. Willets Prize for Fiction Writing, President and Fellows of Yale University | Yale University | 2008-05-26 | Awarded for the best entries in fiction writing, either novel or short story. Normally divided among at least three winners each year (e.g., one for a novel, two for short stories). Awarded by the English Department. |
| Yale Daily News Wallace Prize for Fiction, Second Place | Yale Daily News | 2007-05-01 | "The Wallace Prize is the most prestigious independently awarded undergraduate writing prize for fiction and nonfiction at Yale. Winners will receive a substantial cash prize, and winning submissions in each category will be published in the Yale Daily News Magazine." |
University
| Committee Name | Position Role | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harman Program Advisory Board | Committee Member | 1/17/2025 | Present |
| Baruch R.U.C.k.U.S. | Committee Member | 2/28/2025 | Present |
| Journalism Department Essay Contest | Judge & Co-Coordinator | 2/7/2025 | Present |
| Journalism Department Executive Committee | Committee Member | 9/20/2024 | Present |
Professional
| Organization | Position Role | Organization State | Organization Country | Start Date | End Date | Audience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Periplus Fellowship | Mentor | Virtual, National | United States | 1/1/2022 | 12/31/2022 | National |
| Hurston/Wright Foundation | Judge, Award for College Writers | United States | 2/25/2020 | 5/4/2020 | National | |
| CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action | Editor, Journal Editor | New York | 9/1/2011 | 5/25/2012 | International | |
| Girls Write Now | Mentor | New York | 11/2/2009 | 6/30/2011 | Local |