Wikipedia

Bench Ansfield

Bench Ansfield is an American historian. Ansfield is an assistant professor at Temple University, where they teach history. They are best known for their 2025 book, Born in Flames, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, Francis Parkman Prize, Frederick Jackson Turner Award, and Athenaeum Literary Award.

Bench Ansfield
Awards
Academic background
Education
Joanne Meyerowitz and Michael Denning
Academic work
InstitutionsTemple University
Websitebenchansfield.com

Early life and education

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Ansfield grew up in Milwaukee[citation needed] and received a Bachelor of Arts in African American studies from Wesleyan University (2008).[1] They spent five years organizing with the transformative justice organization Philly Stands Up,[citation needed] after which they attended Yale University, earning a Master of Philosophy and Master of Arts in American studies (2016), followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in American studies (2021).[1] Their doctorate was supervised by American historians Joanne Meyerowitz and Michael Denning.[2]

Ansfield's doctoral dissertation received the 2022 Allan Nevin Prize from the Society of American Historians, the Zuckerman Prize in American Studies from the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, the Herman E. Krooss Prize from the Business History Conference, and the Theron Rockwell Field Prize from Yale University.[3] The dissertation has been adapted into Ansfield's 2025 nonfiction book, Born in Flames, with some parts being published in academic journals, through which Ansfield received the Louis Pelzer Award from the Organization of American Historians and the Arnold Hirsch Award from the Urban History Association.[3]

Career

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Ansfield started their career as an American American Democracy Fellow at Harvard University, after which they took a postdoctoral fellowship at Dartmouth College. In 2024, they became an assistant professor of history at Temple University.[1]

In 2025, Ansfield published their debut book, Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City, with W. W. Norton & Company. The book explores the history of landlords committing arson in The Bronx in the 1970s to file insurance claims.[4] Born in Flames was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.[4][5] The New York Times included it on their list of "100 Notable Books" for 2025,[6] and Kirkus Reviews named it one of the best non-fiction books of the year.[4] In 2025, it won the Athenaeum Literary Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for History.[7][8] The following year, it won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction and the Francis Parkman Prize.[9][10] It was also shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize,[11] J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize,[12] NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction,[13] and Pulitzer Prize for History.[14]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "CV". Bench Ansfield. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  2. ↑ "2022 Bench Ansfield (Yale University), Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City(Norton/Liveright, 2025)". Society of American Historians. Columbia University. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "About". Bench Ansfield. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Born in Flames". Kirkus Reviews. April 17, 2025. Archived from the original on August 22, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City by Bench Ansfield". Publishers Weekly. May 29, 2025. Archived from the original on May 5, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  6. ↑ "100 Notable Books of 2025". The New York Times. November 25, 2025. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Literary Award – Books". The Athenæum of Philadelphia. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ Schaub, Michael (April 20, 2026). "Winners of the 'LA Times' Book Prizes Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Awards: Anisfield-Wolf Winners; Walter Scott Historical Fiction Shortlist". Shelf Awareness . April 17, 2026. Archived from the original on April 18, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  10. ↑ "2026 Bench Ansfield, Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City (W.W. Norton)". Society of American Historians. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Awards: NBCC, Gotham Book Finalists". Shelf Awareness . January 22, 2026. Archived from the original on February 21, 2026. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  12. ↑ Schaub, Michael (February 20, 2026). "Shortlists for 2026 Lukas Prize Announced". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on March 5, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  13. ↑ "2026 NAACP Image Awards for Literature — a staff-created list from Chicago Public Library". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  14. ↑ "2026 Pulitzer Prize Winners". Shelf Awareness. May 5, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
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