Education & Career
Born in 1984, Ben attended 'Deerfield Academy' (1999–2003). He then graduated from the 'College of Architecture, Art, and Planning' of 'Cornell University,' majoring in fine arts, English, and ornithology (2004–2008), and received 'The Michael Rapuano Memorial Award.' He earned his MFA degree from the 'Iowa Writers' Workshop' of the 'University of Iowa,' where he was a teaching–writing fellow (2012–2013).
Ben has written major articles such as 'Artists being Artists' and 'Old New England and the Big Hint,' both for 'The Cornell Daily Sun,' Ithaca, New York.
Ben lived in southern Norway, where he studied painting. While at the 'University of Iowa,' he interned as a research assistant at 'Rockefeller Consulting'/'Insight Capitalists' (4 months, 2009) and at the publishing company 'McSweeney's' (September 2010–February 2011). While working for the latter, he wrote for the humor and literature site ‘McSweeney's Internet Tendency' He then joined 'Once Magazine, Inc.' as a contributing editor and was promoted to the post of executive editor.
Additionally, Ben has taught fiction-writing courses at the 'University of Iowa' and the 'Victoria University of Wellington,' New Zealand. His writings have been featured in publications such as 'Harvard Review,' 'The New Republic,' 'Salon.com,' 'The Paris Review Daily,' and 'The Morning News.' Ben is all set to release his first novel.
Ben currently serves as the director of the 'Cuttyhunk Island Writers' Residency' and is the lead curator at the gallery owned by his mother, Dedee Shattuck. Moreover, he is a painter and has organized exhibitions at several galleries, such as 'Steven Amedee,' 'Sloane Merrill,' 'Greylock Gallery,' 'The Harrison Gallery,' and 'New Bedford Art Museum.'
Ben has a list of awards and residencies to his name, such as the 'PEN America Best Debut Short Story' award (2017), the 'Gates of the Arctic Artist-in-Residence' (2016, Alaska), 'Residency with Odd Nerdrum' (2009–2010, Norway), and the 'Rocky Neck Artist Colony Residency.' He received the 'Pushcart Prize' in 2019, for his short story 'The History of Sound.'
Ben has received 'The Lighthouse Works Fellowship' (2013), the 'Verny Fellowship’ from the 'Nantucket Historical Association' (2014), and a scholarship in fiction from the 'Bread Loaf Writers' Conferences' (2015). He has also received scholarships from the 'Bush Creek Center for the Arts' and 'The Arts Students' League of New York.' He was a ‘Writing Fellow’ at 'The Vermont Studio Center' (2013) and a ‘Nonfiction Fellow’ at the 'Tin House Writers' Workshop.'
Family & Personal Life
Ben was born to artist couple William and Dorothy (known as Dedee). His mother is the owner and director of the 'Dedee Shattuck Gallery' in Westport, Massachusetts. He has a brother named Will. William Shattuck serves as the president of the 'Rhode Island School of Design.' William is also a professor of furniture design and a studio furniture maker. His illustrated children's book 'Moonlight on the River' is all about his sons, Ben and Will.
In September 2019, actor and comedian Jenny Slate announced her engagement to Ben and stated that they would get married soon. Through an 'Instagram' post, she revealed that Ben had proposed marriage to her in France. She flaunted her antique gold band ring adorned with a prong-set sapphire and a halo of diamonds.
Ben also shared the happy news on his 'Instagram' page, through a collection of pictures from their romantic getaway in an abandoned castle in southern France.
Their relationship had become public when they had made their debut as a couple at the 'Sundance Film Festival' in early 2019. However, the two had already made regular appearances on each other's social-media pages much before that.
Prior to dating Ben, Jenny was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Chris Evans for about 2 years. She was also married to editor and director Dean Fleischer-Camp for 4 years, before separating in 2016.
