After graduating college, Purkert worked as a copywriter for a branding agency. He has worked as a creative writing instructor at
Rutgers University and is currently teaching in the MFA program at
Sarah Lawrence College.
Four Way Books published Purkert's debut poetry collection,
For the Love of Endings, in 2018.
The Adroit Journal included
For the Love of Endings on its Adroit's Best of: Poetry 2018 list. About the book,
The Kenyon Review wrote: "Purkert corners the reader right at the tight intersection of anxiety and desire, illuminating how often the two can be mistaken for each other." A review from
Colorado State University's Center for Literary Publishing called it "an exciting, weird, and weirdly exciting book."
The Overlook Press, an imprint of
Abrams Books, published Purkert's debut novel, ''The Men Can't Be Saved
, in 2023. Kirkus Reviews called the book "Ironic, plangent, gritty, and, ultimately, spiritual." A review in Esquire
called it "a 21st-century Catcher in the Rye
," and The Washington Post described Purkert as "a sharply funny observer of male foibles, 20-something angst and the modern workplace." Publishers Weekly called the book "great fun" and wrote: "the finely wrought prose and spot-on descriptions are undeniable." Surrounding the publication of The Men Can't Be Saved
, Purkert was interviewed by NPR, Esquire
, Bomb
, Electric Literature'', and elsewhere. == Works ==