John Green Reveals The Author Who Changed His Life

Published Oct 20, 2026, 2:40 PM EDT Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Author John Green has been shaped by his favorite writers, making him the person and author he is today. Since the 2005 release of Looking for Alaska, Green has become one of the most popular YA authors, bringing emotional vulnerability and existential questions to teen stories. In the genre, he has written six solo books, co-written one novel, put out a novella, and contributed to an anthology. However, his literary reach has expanded over the past six years. Since 2020, he has published two nonfiction books. Now, he has released his first adult book, Hollywood, Ending. While promoting the new book, he gave a “The Books Of My Life” interview with The Guardian. When discussing formative reading experiences, John Green shared that authors Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, and Michael Chabon changed his life in major ways. At 16, Green read multiple Morrison books in a short period, which connected him to literature and taught him that books could be transformative. He credits Kurt Vonnegut as a writer who significantly impacted his values and beliefs about society. Lastly, he shared that The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon made him want to be a writer. Without that novel, readers may never have gotten the books and TV and movie adaptations they cherish. John Green has cited The Mysteries of Pittsburgh as the book that made him want to be a writer in the past, but he expands on the reason why in The Guardian's interview. He appreciated the book’s queer main characters, which he’d never encountered before, and the “vibrant sense of contemporary youth.” He says he wanted to tell stories like that, and the good news, for both him and readers, is that he has. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh provides the DNA for all of Green’s books. The writing includes lyrical, intellectual dialogue from eccentric teenage characters going through pivotal moments that change them as people. Both Chabon and Green paint coming of age as a messy process. What’s more, they have a nostalgic tone, but they don’t view growing up through rose-colored glasses. Meanwhile, Green’s admiration for Morrison and Vonnegut has been on clear display for a while. In the August 13, 2019 Vlogbrothers YouTube video, he said he barely passed 11th-grade English. Morrison’s books not only helped him pass the class but also helped him feel the cruelty of the world instead of just knowing it. Green has quoted her many times and lists Sula as a favorite coming-of-age book (The Week). Vonnegut’s humanism appears throughout the author’s novels, and Green’s philanthropy reflects the values as well. Green also mentioned Cat’s Cradle in Looking for Alaska and referenced Vonnegut’s views in his Indianapolis chapter of The Anthropocene Reviewed. Ultimately, John Green’s experiences reading these authors made him into the writer and person he is today, and he will inevitably have the same effect on folks who read his books. Purchase Hollywood, Ending here.