Dave King (novelist)
Encyclopedia
Dave King is a novelist and poet
who lives in Brooklyn
, in New York City
. He was born in 1955 in Meriden
, Connecticut
. His father
, Henry T. King
, was a U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials
.
His first novel, The Ha-Ha, was published in 2005 and was named one of the best books of that year by the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
. The Ha-Ha was a
finalist for The Book of the Month Club's Best Literary Fiction Award and
the Quill Foundation's award for Best Debut Fiction and was named one
of Amazon's Best Books of the Year
(2005). The New York Times Book Review
wrote, "The Ha-Ha is full of emotional truth and establishes King as a
writer of consequence."
in painting and film from Cooper Union
(received 1980) and an MFA
in writing from Columbia University
(2000). At Cooper Union, he studied with Jim Dine
, Lee Krasner
, and Robert Breer
, among others. He was part of the East Village
art scene, then formed a company specializing in murals and trompe-l'œil painting. That company, with which King is no longer affiliated, still exists under the name Franklin Tartaglione, LLC. At Columbia, he worked with Michael Cunningham
, Fenton Johnson
, Richard Howard
, April Bernard
, Lucie Brock Broido and David Plante
. The Ha-Ha, in substantially different form, was his thesis project.
King was awarded the 2006-07 John Guare Writers Fund Rome Prize
Fellowship in Literature at the American Academy in Rome
. He has taught cultural studies at The School of Visual Arts and writing at Baruch College and New York University.
King's life partner is the painter Franklin Tartaglione. The two have been a couple since 1975.
.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who lives in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was born in 1955 in Meriden
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. His father
Henry T. King
Henry T. King Jr. was an attorney who served as a U.S. Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946-47. Late in his career, he became a law professor and an activist, writer, and lecturer working on international law and war crimes; David M...
, Henry T. King
Henry T. King
Henry T. King Jr. was an attorney who served as a U.S. Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946-47. Late in his career, he became a law professor and an activist, writer, and lecturer working on international law and war crimes; David M...
, was a U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
.
His first novel, The Ha-Ha, was published in 2005 and was named one of the best books of that year by the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. The Ha-Ha was a
finalist for The Book of the Month Club's Best Literary Fiction Award and
the Quill Foundation's award for Best Debut Fiction and was named one
of Amazon's Best Books of the Year
Amazon's Best Books of the Year
Amazon's Best Books of the Year is a list of best books created yearly by Amazon.com. It is a list of best books picked by Amazon editors and customers. It began in 2000. Customer favorites are ranked according to the number of sales made through October, for books published in that calender year...
(2005). The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...
wrote, "The Ha-Ha is full of emotional truth and establishes King as a
writer of consequence."
Life
King holds a BFABachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
in painting and film from Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
(received 1980) and an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
in writing from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(2000). At Cooper Union, he studied with Jim Dine
Jim Dine
Jim Dine is an American pop artist. He is sometimes considered to be a part of the Neo-Dada movement. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended Walnut Hills High School, the University of Cincinnati, and received a BFA from Ohio University in 1957. He first earned respect in the art world with...
, Lee Krasner
Lee Krasner
Lee Krasner was an influential abstract expressionist painter in the second half of the 20th century. On October 25, 1945, she married artist Jackson Pollock, who was also influential in the Abstract Expressionism movement....
, and Robert Breer
Robert Breer
Robert Carlton Breer was an experimental filmmaker, painter, and sculptor."A founding member of the American avant-garde," Breer was most well known for his films, which combine abstract and representational painting, hand-drawn rotoscoping, original 16mm and 8mm film footage, photographs, and...
, among others. He was part of the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
art scene, then formed a company specializing in murals and trompe-l'œil painting. That company, with which King is no longer affiliated, still exists under the name Franklin Tartaglione, LLC. At Columbia, he worked with Michael Cunningham
Michael Cunningham
Michael Cunningham is an American writer, best known for his 1998 novel The Hours, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999.-Early life and education:...
, Fenton Johnson
Fenton Johnson
John Fenton Johnson was born ninth of nine children into a Kentucky whiskey-making family with a strong storytelling tradition.-Life:His most recent book Keeping Faith: A Skeptic's Journey draws on time spent living as a member of the monastic communities of the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani in...
, Richard Howard
Richard Howard
Richard Howard is an American poet, literary critic, essayist, teacher, and translator. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and is a graduate of Columbia University, where he studied under Mark Van Doren, and where he now teaches...
, April Bernard
April Bernard
April Bernard is an American poet. She was born and raised in New England, and graduated from Harvard University. She has worked as a senior editor at Vanity Fair, Premiere, and Manhattan, inc. In the early 1990s, she taught at Amherst College. In Fall 2003, she was Sidney Harman...
, Lucie Brock Broido and David Plante
David Plante
David Robert Plante is an American novelist. The son of Albina Bisson and Aniclet Plante, he is of both French-Canadian and North American Indian descent. He is a graduate of Boston College and the Université catholique de Louvain...
. The Ha-Ha, in substantially different form, was his thesis project.
King was awarded the 2006-07 John Guare Writers Fund Rome Prize
Rome Prize
The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists and to 15 scholars The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists...
Fellowship in Literature at the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
. He has taught cultural studies at The School of Visual Arts and writing at Baruch College and New York University.
King's life partner is the painter Franklin Tartaglione. The two have been a couple since 1975.
Poetry
King’s poetry has been published in The Paris Review and Big City Lit, and he has been nominated for a Pushcart PrizePushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have featured....
.
Editorial Work
In 1998 and 1999, King was editor-in-chief of Columbia, Columbia University’s literary journal. While completing The Ha-Ha, he worked as an editor at The Little Bookroom, in New York.External links
- What is a ha-ha, anyway?Ha-ha (garden)Ha-ha is a term in garden design that refers to a trench, one side of which is concealed from view, designed to allow an unobstructed view from a garden, pleasure-ground, or park, while maintaining a physical barrier in one direction, usually to keep livestock out that are kept on an expansive...
- Interview with Dave King
- What Jane Austen has to say about a ha-ha