Dinty W. Moore
Encyclopedia
Dinty W. Moore is an American
essayist and writer of both fiction and non-fiction books.
, Pennsylvania
, the son of William P. "Buddy" Moore, an automotive mechanic, and Mary Catherine O'Brien, a former journalist. His name derives from a comic strip
character in Bringing Up Father
.
He was educated at the University of Pittsburgh
(B.A.
1977). After graduation he worked as a reporter for United Press International
until 1979. Next he worked at Falling Springs Films in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
. From 1980 to 1984 he was an actor and dancer for Danceteller of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Also he served as an editor at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania
from 1985-1987.
In 1990 Moore completed his M.F.A. in writing at the Louisiana State University
. He taught creative writing at Penn State Altoona
from 1990 to 2007, and he is currently a Professor of English at Ohio University
.
He wrote The Accidental Buddhist: Mindfulness, Meditation, and Sitting Still. Moore's essays and stories have appeared in The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harper's Magazine
, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Arts & Letters, The Gettysburg Review
, Utne Reader
, and Crazyhorse. He also edits Brevity, an online journal of creative nonfiction
and he is on the editorial board of Creative Nonfiction
magazine.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
essayist and writer of both fiction and non-fiction books.
Life and work
Dinty W. Moore was born August 11 in ErieErie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the son of William P. "Buddy" Moore, an automotive mechanic, and Mary Catherine O'Brien, a former journalist. His name derives from a comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
character in Bringing Up Father
Bringing up Father
Bringing Up Father was an influential American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus . Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 12, 1913 to May 28, 2000....
.
He was educated at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
(B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
1977). After graduation he worked as a reporter for United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
until 1979. Next he worked at Falling Springs Films in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
. From 1980 to 1984 he was an actor and dancer for Danceteller of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Also he served as an editor at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
from 1985-1987.
In 1990 Moore completed his M.F.A. in writing at the Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. He taught creative writing at Penn State Altoona
Penn State Altoona
Penn State Altoona is a commonwealth campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Logan Township, Pennsylvania, just outside of Altoona, Pennsylvania, although some of its buildings are located in the heart of Altoona's downtown.-History:...
from 1990 to 2007, and he is currently a Professor of English at Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
.
He wrote The Accidental Buddhist: Mindfulness, Meditation, and Sitting Still. Moore's essays and stories have appeared in The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Arts & Letters, The Gettysburg Review
The Gettysburg Review
The Gettysburg Review is a quarterly literary magazine featuring short stories, poetry, essays and reviews. Work appearing in the magazine often is reprinted in "best-of" anthologies and receives awards....
, Utne Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
, and Crazyhorse. He also edits Brevity, an online journal of creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other nonfiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service...
and he is on the editorial board of Creative Nonfiction
Creative Nonfiction (magazine)
Creative Nonfiction is a literary magazine based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The journal was founded by Lee Gutkind in 1993 making it the first literary magazine to publish, exclusively and on a regular basis, high quality nonfiction prose...
magazine.
Books
- The Emperor's Virtual Clothes, nonfiction (Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1995).
- The Accidental Buddhist: Mindfulness, Enlightenment, and Sitting Still, American Style, nonfiction (Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1997).
- Toothpick Men, short fiction (DuBois: Mammoth Books, 1998).
- The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction, textbook (New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007).
- "Between Panic and Desire", memoir (Lincoln: University of Nebraska PressUniversity of Nebraska PressThe University of Nebraska Press, founded in 1941, is a publisher of scholarly and popular-press books. It is the second-largest state university press in the United States and, including private institutions, ranks among the 10 largest university presses in the United States...
), 2008). - "Crafting the Personal Essay: A Guide to Writing and Publishing Creative Nonfiction", craft book, (Writers Digest Books, 2010)