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Kenneth Chanko

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Kenneth Chanko

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Born
in Manhattan, The United States
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May 2012

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Kenneth Chanko's debut novel, "Exit Tickets," was inspired by his ten years of teaching in Manhattan and South Bronx public schools. A former entertainment journalist whose byline has appeared in The New York Times, New York magazine and Entertainment Weekly, Chanko switched careers in 2005 to become a New York City public school teacher.

"Exit Tickets" has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a powerful, realistic portrayal of life in the American public education system," with the novel being awarded PW's "Editor's Pick" in its January 12th, 2026, issue. And Kirkus Reviews has praised it as "a masterful tapestry of strife and resiliency." Chanko is currently working on a sequel to "Exit Tickets."

Please visit: www.kennethchanko.com
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Average rating: 4.2 · 25 ratings · 15 reviews · 1 distinct workSimilar authors
Exit Tickets

4.20 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 2025 — 3 editions
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Rubber Room Writings

If I hadn’t been arrested on Valentine’s Day in 2014, you wouldn’t be reading this. There’d be no blog because there’d be no book.

Not that I want to spoil your reading of my debut novel—I know you’re eager to get your hands on "Exit Tickets" (pub date: Nov 18)—but that agonizing experience provided me with the time to start scribbling and informed the plot of "Exit Tickets."

Not, however, while I w Read more of this blog post »
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Published on November 14, 2025 04:41 Tags: the-origin-story-of-exit-tickets
The Doorman
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You Gotta Have Wa
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Kenneth Chanko entered a giveaway
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Flashlight
by Susan Choi (Goodreads Author)
5 copies available, ends on May 27, 2026 Enter to win »
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Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee
Native Speaker
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Genfærd - En kærlighedshistorie by Siri Hustvedt
"While I was reading this (highly anticipated) book, big changes took place in my life and left me with sorrow not unlike Siri Hustvedt after her husband’s death. Maybe that’s why I connected so well with it - even though I also did feel like some pas" Read more of this review »
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Ghost Stories by Siri Hustvedt
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Lives of the Saints by Nancy Lemann
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Kenneth Chanko is on page 164 of 400 of The Doorman
The Doorman by Chris  Pavone
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Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
Angel Down
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Kenneth Chanko and 3 other people liked AndiReads's review of Exit Tickets:
Exit Tickets by Kenneth Chanko
"Exit Tickets is a grounded and unflinching look at a school year that feels both specific to 2007 New York City and familiar to anyone who has worked inside a stressed public system. Chanko captures the emotional weight teachers carry and the complic" Read more of this review »
Exit Tickets by Kenneth Chanko
"I was quite intrigued when I heard about Kenneth Chanko's new novel Exit Tickets, which is about Mr. J from Indiana, a rookie teaching fellow in a tough, gritty NYC public school, because years ago I had been a young teacher in a NYC public school my" Read more of this review »
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