Let's make this birthday one to remember.

59 years old (Born on July 29, 1965)

Happy birthday, Chang-Rae Lee! Whether you're secretly observing us for novel-worthy plot twists or grading our social interactions like manuscripts, your brilliance never fails to entertain and enlighten. Your spy thriller "Native Speaker" had us all convinced you were writing from personal espionage experience—honestly, we're still not entirely sure you're not a double agent mastering disguise as a literary professor.

Your leadership at Princeton University's Creative Writing Program has shaped countless young writers’ minds (and kept them awake wondering if their lives will be referenced anonymously in your next masterpiece). Here's to another year of adventurous prose—and hopefully fewer tense edits and more leisurely chapters. Celebrate big—you've earned it!