Benoit Denizet-Lewis
Encyclopedia
Benoit Denizet-Lewis is a narrative journalist and non-fiction
writer
living in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
. He is a writer with the New York Times Magazine, where he often writes about outcasts and those living on the fringes of American culture. He is the author of two books published by Simon & Schuster
. The first, America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life, is an account of three years in the lives of eight addicts--and a larger exploration of our culture of addiction. The second, "American Voyeur: Dispatches From the Far Reaches of Modern Life," is a collection of Denizet-Lewis's journalism and magazine writing about sex, sexuality, gender, and youth culture.
and the United States
, Denizet-Lewis was born and raised in San Francisco, California
. He graduated from the French American International High School, at which he co-founded the school newspaper, "The Exposer," played varsity basketball, and wrote plays that were produced by the school. Four years later, he obtained a bachelor's degree in journalism from Medill at Northwestern University
, where he was a columnist and sports editor for the Daily Northwestern and joined the Phi Delta Theta
fraternity.
His father is Dennis Lewis
.
, Details (magazine)
, Boston Magazine
, Spin (magazine)
, Salon.com
, JANE
, ESPN the Magazine, Radar (magazine)
, XY Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle
, and Slate.com.
Denizet-Lewis's non-fiction often takes the form of in-depth profiles or exposes, marked by embedded research. His work examines and explicates manifold aspects of what might loosely be called American culture. For instance, Denizet-Lewis spotlights trends, such as the emergence and implications of down-low culture and the increased prevalence of middle-schoolers coming out as gay or bisexual. He has also written about, among other things, addiction
, sports, religion
, sex
, fraternities, NAMBLA, Abercrombie & Fitch
, lipstick lesbians, and gender dysphoria. Denizet-Lewis is also often called upon to profile celebrities, including James Franco
, Jake Gyllenhaal
, Barry Bonds
, Brad Gilbert
, Perez Hilton
, Barney Frank
, and Dr. Drew.
In 2009, the Medill School of Journalism put Denizet-Lewis on the cover of its quarterly magazine under the headline, "American Voyeur: Benoit Denizet-Lewis Reports From The Fringes Of Our National Culture."
A non-fiction-writing instructor at Northeastern University and Emerson College
, Denizet-Lewis also serves as a commentator on TV, radio
, and in other public fora.
grant in 2004, studying and writing about teens and suicide. He has twice been a finalist for the Livingston Award
for journalists under 35. He has received the Excellence in Journalism Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
, the Maggie Award for magazine writing, and the Peninsula Press Club Award for sports writing and the GLAAD award for magazine writing. In 2010, Denizet-Lewis was the recipient of a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Magazine Article" ("Coming Out in Middle School", The New York Times Magazine).
Denizet-Lewis is included on a list of openly gay media professionals in The Advocate
's "Forty under 40" issue of June/July 2009.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
living in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Jamaica Plain is a historic neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by Boston Puritans seeking farm land to the south, it was originally part of the city of Roxbury...
. He is a writer with the New York Times Magazine, where he often writes about outcasts and those living on the fringes of American culture. He is the author of two books published by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
. The first, America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life, is an account of three years in the lives of eight addicts--and a larger exploration of our culture of addiction. The second, "American Voyeur: Dispatches From the Far Reaches of Modern Life," is a collection of Denizet-Lewis's journalism and magazine writing about sex, sexuality, gender, and youth culture.
Background
A citizen of both FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Denizet-Lewis was born and raised in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. He graduated from the French American International High School, at which he co-founded the school newspaper, "The Exposer," played varsity basketball, and wrote plays that were produced by the school. Four years later, he obtained a bachelor's degree in journalism from Medill at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, where he was a columnist and sports editor for the Daily Northwestern and joined the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity.
His father is Dennis Lewis
Dennis Lewis
Dennis Lewis is a non-fiction writer and teacher in the areas of breathing, qigong, meditation, and self-enquiry.In the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Taoism Lewis is recommended as a source of instruction in Taoism for people who don't have much time for study and practice...
.
Professional
In 2004, at the age of 28, Denizet-Lewis became the New York Times Magazine's youngest Contributing Writer. He has authored five cover stories and numerous features and profiles for the magazine. His work has also appeared in Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, Details (magazine)
Details (magazine)
Details is an American monthly men's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, founded in 1982. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, Details also features reports on relevant social and political issues.-History:...
, Boston Magazine
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
, Spin (magazine)
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, JANE
Jane
-Music:* Jane * Jane *Jane , an album by Jane McDonald* "Jane" * "Jane", a song by Ben Folds Five from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner...
, ESPN the Magazine, Radar (magazine)
Radar (magazine)
RadarOnline is an American online publication. It started as a magazine first printed in 2003 as a test issue, relaunched twice in 2005 and 2006, and ceased publication in 2008. The magazine published articles on entertainment, fashion, politics, and human interest...
, XY Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, and Slate.com.
Denizet-Lewis's non-fiction often takes the form of in-depth profiles or exposes, marked by embedded research. His work examines and explicates manifold aspects of what might loosely be called American culture. For instance, Denizet-Lewis spotlights trends, such as the emergence and implications of down-low culture and the increased prevalence of middle-schoolers coming out as gay or bisexual. He has also written about, among other things, addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, sports, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, fraternities, NAMBLA, Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
, lipstick lesbians, and gender dysphoria. Denizet-Lewis is also often called upon to profile celebrities, including James Franco
James Franco
James Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
, Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten...
, Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
, Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert , is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School ....
, Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
, Barney Frank
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
, and Dr. Drew.
In 2009, the Medill School of Journalism put Denizet-Lewis on the cover of its quarterly magazine under the headline, "American Voyeur: Benoit Denizet-Lewis Reports From The Fringes Of Our National Culture."
A non-fiction-writing instructor at Northeastern University and Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
, Denizet-Lewis also serves as a commentator on TV, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, and in other public fora.
Accolades
Denizet-Lewis received an Alicia Patterson FoundationAlicia Patterson Foundation
The Alicia Patterson Foundation Program was established in 1965 in memory of Alicia Patterson, who was editor and publisher of Newsday for nearly 23 years before her death in 1963.-AFP Fellowship:...
grant in 2004, studying and writing about teens and suicide. He has twice been a finalist for the Livingston Award
Livingston Award
The Livingston Awards are American journalism awards issued to media professionals under the age of 35 for local, national, and international reporting...
for journalists under 35. He has received the Excellence in Journalism Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association is an American professional association dedicated to unbiased coverage of gay/lesbian issues in the media...
, the Maggie Award for magazine writing, and the Peninsula Press Club Award for sports writing and the GLAAD award for magazine writing. In 2010, Denizet-Lewis was the recipient of a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Magazine Article" ("Coming Out in Middle School", The New York Times Magazine).
Denizet-Lewis is included on a list of openly gay media professionals in The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
's "Forty under 40" issue of June/July 2009.