Evan Wright
Encyclopedia
Evan Wright is an American writer, journalist, author and television writer and producer. He has reported extensively on subcultures for Rolling Stone
and Vanity Fair
. His latest work is American Desperado
, a book he co-wrote with Jon Roberts
, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine Cowboys
.
Though some compare Wright's writings to those of Hunter S. Thompson
, Wright claims his biggest literary influences were Mark Twain
and British-American author Christopher Isherwood
.
Wright studied at Johns Hopkins University
and at Vassar College
. He graduated from Vassar College with a degree in medieval history.
magazine. In 2000, he wrote about the experience and the issues surrounding the pornography industry and misogyny in an article for Salon
entitled 'Maxed Out' and for the LA Weekly
in a cover story entitled 'Scenes From my Life in Porn.'
In 2003 he was embedded with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
of the United States Marine Corps
during the early stages of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. Wright published a series of articles for Rolling Stone
magazine entitled The Killer Elite which, in 2004, received the National Magazine Award
for Reporting, the top prize in magazine writing. He then wrote a book entitled Generation Kill
about the experience.
In 2007 he returned to Iraq when the surge in U.S. forces was beginning. Wright interviewed General Petraeus and spent several weeks embedded with U.S. troops in Baghdad and in Ramadi and in Diwania. He later criticized American television media for promoting misperceptions of the war. He also criticized some U.S. political leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for calling the surge a failure before it had been fully implemented.
and former UFC Champion Tito Ortiz
. Many of these essays were collected in his book Hella Nation which he called a "sort of autobiography." His collected essays have been compared to Joan Didion
's writings.
by the HBO network and first aired in 2008. Wright served as a writer and consulting producer on the project. He collaborated closely with Emmy-winning David Simon
.
Wright was hired by Paramount
to write a script about Miami's "Cocaine Cowboys" Jon Roberts
and Mickey Munday for Peter Berg
to direct. The screenplay is based on a book Wright is writing about Roberts to be published by Crown Books. Actor Mark Wahlberg
is producing the film and plans to star in it.
In 2010 it was announced that director Ole Bornedal
was filming a movie inspired by an article Wright wrote for TIME magazine called "Death of Hostess." Wright's article was a profile of Japanese serial-rapist and killer Joji Obara
he wrote in Tokyo for TIME magazine.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
. His latest work is American Desperado
American Desperado
American Desperado is a 2011 book written by journalist Evan Wright and Jon Roberts, a subject of the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys.-Publisher's Book Description:...
, a book he co-wrote with Jon Roberts
Jon Roberts
Jon Pernell Roberts is a noted drug trafficker who operated in the Miami area and was an associate of Colombia's Medellín Cartel during the growth phase in cocaine trafficking, 1975-1985. After his arrest, he was able to avoid a lengthy prison sentence by becoming a cooperating witness and...
, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys is a 2006 documentary film directed by Billy Corben and produced by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben through their Miami-based media studio Rakontur. The film explores the rise of cocaine and resulting crime epidemic that swept the American city of Miami, Florida in the 1970s and...
.
Though some compare Wright's writings to those of Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
, Wright claims his biggest literary influences were Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
and British-American author Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood
Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was an English-American novelist.-Early life and work:Born at Wyberslegh Hall, High Lane, Cheshire in North West England, Isherwood spent his childhood in various towns where his father, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army, was stationed...
.
Wright studied at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and at Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
. He graduated from Vassar College with a degree in medieval history.
Hustler magazine
In 1995, he became the entertainment editor and chief pornographic film reviewer for HustlerHustler
Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
magazine. In 2000, he wrote about the experience and the issues surrounding the pornography industry and misogyny in an article for Salon
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...
entitled 'Maxed Out' and for the LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
in a cover story entitled 'Scenes From my Life in Porn.'
Military reporting
In 2002 he went to Afghanistan on assignment for Rolling Stone.In 2003 he was embedded with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion is a reconnaissance battalion in the United States Marine Corps. It falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force ....
of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during the early stages of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Wright published a series of articles for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine entitled The Killer Elite which, in 2004, received the National Magazine Award
National Magazine Award
The National Magazine Awards are a series of US awards that honor excellence in the magazine industry. They are administered by the American Society of Magazine Editors and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City...
for Reporting, the top prize in magazine writing. He then wrote a book entitled Generation Kill
Generation Kill (book)
Generation Kill is a 2004 book written by Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright chronicling his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. His account of life with the Marines was originally published...
about the experience.
In 2007 he returned to Iraq when the surge in U.S. forces was beginning. Wright interviewed General Petraeus and spent several weeks embedded with U.S. troops in Baghdad and in Ramadi and in Diwania. He later criticized American television media for promoting misperceptions of the war. He also criticized some U.S. political leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for calling the surge a failure before it had been fully implemented.
Immersion journalism
As a reporter, Wright wrote extended magazine features and profiles based on his immersion in subcultures ranging from radical environmentalists to neo-Nazis. He also profiled controversial athletes like skateboarder Jim GrecoJim Greco
Jim Greco is a professional skateboarder. He currently resides in downtown Los Angeles.Greco has appeared in videos such as Zero's "Misled Youth", "Baker Bootleg, "Baker 2G", "Baker 3" and "Baker Has A Deathwish"....
and former UFC Champion Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
. Many of these essays were collected in his book Hella Nation which he called a "sort of autobiography." His collected essays have been compared to Joan Didion
Joan Didion
Joan Didion is an American author best known for her novels and her literary journalism. Her novels and essays explore the disintegration of American morals and cultural chaos, where the overriding theme is individual and social fragmentation...
's writings.
Television and film
Generation Kill was adapted into a television miniseriesGeneration Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
by the HBO network and first aired in 2008. Wright served as a writer and consulting producer on the project. He collaborated closely with Emmy-winning David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
.
Wright was hired by Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
to write a script about Miami's "Cocaine Cowboys" Jon Roberts
Jon Roberts
Jon Pernell Roberts is a noted drug trafficker who operated in the Miami area and was an associate of Colombia's Medellín Cartel during the growth phase in cocaine trafficking, 1975-1985. After his arrest, he was able to avoid a lengthy prison sentence by becoming a cooperating witness and...
and Mickey Munday for Peter Berg
Peter Berg
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
to direct. The screenplay is based on a book Wright is writing about Roberts to be published by Crown Books. Actor Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
is producing the film and plans to star in it.
In 2010 it was announced that director Ole Bornedal
Ole Bornedal
Ole Bornedal is a Danish film director, actor and producer.He wrote and directed Nattevagten , a thriller about a law student who works in a morgue as a night-watchman, and becomes implicated in a series of murders of prostitutes...
was filming a movie inspired by an article Wright wrote for TIME magazine called "Death of Hostess." Wright's article was a profile of Japanese serial-rapist and killer Joji Obara
Joji Obara
is a convicted rapist who was accused of the rape and subsequent deaths of two women, British hostess Lucie Blackman in the summer of 2000 and Australian Carita Ridgway in 1992, and the rapes of six other women.-Background:...
he wrote in Tokyo for TIME magazine.
Controversies
- Several Marines Wright wrote about in Generation Kill were punished for the remarks he published.
- Wright has criticized college creative writing programs for producing bad writers.
- Wright wrote an op-ed in the New York Times critical of the U.S. military for allowing Iraq's insurgents to obtain weapons.
Published works
- Generation Kill
- Hella NationHella NationHella Nation is a 2009 book written by journalist Evan Wright who previously wrote Generation Kill.Hella Nation mostly chronicles different subcultures across America he encountered while working for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines...
- American DesperadoAmerican DesperadoAmerican Desperado is a 2011 book written by journalist Evan Wright and Jon Roberts, a subject of the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys.-Publisher's Book Description:...
- The Best American Crime Writing: 2003 Edition: The Year's Best True Crime Reporting ("Mad Dogs & Lawyers")
- The Best American Magazine Writing: 2004 (Best Reporting)
- The Best American Magazine Writing: 2008 (Best Profile Writing)
Awards
- 2004 – Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War.
- 2004 – National Magazine Award for Reporting, the top prize in magazine writing.
- 2005 – J. Anthony Lukas Book PrizeJ. Anthony Lukas Book PrizeThe J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize is an annual award in the amount of $10,000 given to a book that exemplifies, "literary grace, a commitment to serious research and social concern.” The prize is given by the Nieman Foundation and by the Columbia University School of Journalism. The prize is named...
from the Columbia University School of Journalism and the Nieman Foundation. - 2005 – PEN USA Literary Award in research nonfiction for Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War.
- 2005 – General Wallace M. Greene, Jr., Award from the U.S. Marine Corps Heritage Society for writing the Best History of the Marine Corps.
- 2008 – National Magazine Award for Profile Writing for his Vanity FairVanity Fair (magazine)Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
profile titled 'Pat Dollard's Hollywood.'