Michael Chabon (/ˈʃeɪbɒn/ SHAY-bon; born May 24, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in Washington, D.C., he studied at Carnegie Mellon University for one year before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1984. He subsequently received a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of California, Irvine.