Jack Hitt
Encyclopedia
Jack Hitt is an American author
. He is a contributing editor to The New York Times Magazine
, Harper's, and This American Life
. He served previously as a contributing editor to the now-defunct magazine Lingua Franca. He also frequently appears in places like Rolling Stone
, Wired
, and Outside Magazine. In 1990, he received the Livingston Award
for national coverage. More recently, a piece on the anthropology of white Indians was selected for "Best American Science Writing," and another piece about dying languages appeared in "Best American Travel Writing." Another piece on the existential life of a superfund site was included in 2007 in Ira Glass’s
“The New Kings of Nonfiction."
, South Carolina
, where he attended the Porter-Gaud School
. He got his start in journalism as editor of the "Paper Clip," the literary magazine of Porter-Gaud's first through fifth grades. According to his biography, he published "some of the finest haiku penned by well-off pre-teens in all of South Carolina's lowcountry".
Since 1996, Hitt has also been a contributing editor to This American Life. He contributed a story about a production of Peter Pan in an episode entitled “Fiasco”. Other pieces include his life growing up with one of the earliest transgendered women (“Dawn”), an hour long program on a group of prisoners in a maximum security prison putting on a production of Hamlet (“Act V”, #218), another episode about his life in a New York apartment building in which his superintendent turned out to be the head of a death squad in Brazil (“The Super”, #323) and more recently a segment on the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay called “Habeas Schmabeas” (#331) This last program earned him the Peabody Award in 2007.
Since 2007, Hitt has been one of two regular US correspondents on Nine to Noon, hosted by Kathryn Ryan
on Radio New Zealand National. Jack is currently performing in a one man show he wrote called "Making Up The Truth" about his childhood and the outlandish characters he's met in his life.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is a contributing editor to The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
, Harper's, and This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
. He served previously as a contributing editor to the now-defunct magazine Lingua Franca. He also frequently appears in places like 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...
, Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
, and Outside Magazine. In 1990, he received 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 national coverage. More recently, a piece on the anthropology of white Indians was selected for "Best American Science Writing," and another piece about dying languages appeared in "Best American Travel Writing." Another piece on the existential life of a superfund site was included in 2007 in Ira Glass’s
Ira Glass
Ira Glass is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.- Early life :...
“The New Kings of Nonfiction."
Biography
Hitt was born and raised in CharlestonCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, where he attended the Porter-Gaud School
Porter-Gaud School
Porter-Gaud School is an independent coeducational college preparatory day school in Charleston, South Carolina. Porter-Gaud has an enrollment of some 870 students in grades 1–12 and located on the banks of the Ashley River...
. He got his start in journalism as editor of the "Paper Clip," the literary magazine of Porter-Gaud's first through fifth grades. According to his biography, he published "some of the finest haiku penned by well-off pre-teens in all of South Carolina's lowcountry".
Since 1996, Hitt has also been a contributing editor to This American Life. He contributed a story about a production of Peter Pan in an episode entitled “Fiasco”. Other pieces include his life growing up with one of the earliest transgendered women (“Dawn”), an hour long program on a group of prisoners in a maximum security prison putting on a production of Hamlet (“Act V”, #218), another episode about his life in a New York apartment building in which his superintendent turned out to be the head of a death squad in Brazil (“The Super”, #323) and more recently a segment on the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay called “Habeas Schmabeas” (#331) This last program earned him the Peabody Award in 2007.
Since 2007, Hitt has been one of two regular US correspondents on Nine to Noon, hosted by Kathryn Ryan
Kathryn Ryan
Kate Ryan is an American director and editor known mostly from her 2007 film Point of View: A Dogumentary which was featured on The Dog Whisperer and won a 2007 Student Emmy Award...
on Radio New Zealand National. Jack is currently performing in a one man show he wrote called "Making Up The Truth" about his childhood and the outlandish characters he's met in his life.
Books
- Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim’s Route into Spain (1994)
- In a Word: A Dictionary of Words That Don't Exist, But Ought To (1992) ISBN 0-440-50358-2
- The Harper’s Forum Book (editor, 1991)
- Perfect Murder: Five Great Mystery Writers Create the Perfect Crime (editor, 1991)