John Jeremiah Sullivan
Encyclopedia
John Jeremiah Sullivan is an American
writer and editor. He is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine
, a contributing editor of Harper's Magazine
, and southern editor of The Paris Review.
. His father was sportswriter Mike Sullivan. He earned his degree in 1997 from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee
.
His first book, Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter's Son was published in 2004. It is part personal reminiscence, part elegy for his father, and part investigation into the history and culture of the Thoroughbred racehorse.
His second book, Pulphead: Essays (2011) is an anthology of fourteen previously published magazine articles, with most of them "in substantially different form" for the book.
Sullivan's esssay "Mister Lytle. An Essay" won a number of awards and was anthologized in Pulphead. Sullivan recounts how he lived with Andrew Nelson Lytle
, when Lytle was in his 90s, helping him with house chores and learning some wisdom about writing and life.
GQ
New York Magazine
Harper's Magazine
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer and editor. He is a contributing writer 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...
, a contributing editor of 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...
, and southern editor of The Paris Review.
Biography
Sullivan was born in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. His father was sportswriter Mike Sullivan. He earned his degree in 1997 from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee is an unincorporated locality in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place . The population was 2,361 at the 2000 census...
.
His first book, Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter's Son was published in 2004. It is part personal reminiscence, part elegy for his father, and part investigation into the history and culture of the Thoroughbred racehorse.
His second book, Pulphead: Essays (2011) is an anthology of fourteen previously published magazine articles, with most of them "in substantially different form" for the book.
Sullivan's esssay "Mister Lytle. An Essay" won a number of awards and was anthologized in Pulphead. Sullivan recounts how he lived with Andrew Nelson Lytle
Andrew Nelson Lytle
Andrew Nelson Lytle was an American novelist, dramatist, essayist and professor of literature. He was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and early in his life planned to be an actor and playwright...
, when Lytle was in his 90s, helping him with house chores and learning some wisdom about writing and life.
Awards
- 2011: National Magazine AwardNational Magazine AwardThe 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...
, Essays and Criticism, "Mister Lytle. An Essay" (The Paris Review) - 2011: Pushcart PrizePushcart PrizeThe 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....
, Pushcart XXXV, "Mister Lytle. An Essay" (The Paris Review) - 2004: Whiting Writers' AwardWhiting Writers' AwardThe Whiting Writers' Award is an American award presented annually to ten emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and plays. The award is sponsored by the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation and has been presented since 1985. As of 2007, winners receive US $50,000.-External links:**...
, Nonfiction - 2003: Eclipse AwardEclipse AwardThe Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
, Blood Horses - 2003: National Magazine AwardNational Magazine AwardThe 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...
, Feature Writing
Books
- Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter's Son, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004.
- Pulphead: Essays, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2011.
Select articles
The Paris Review- "Mister Lytle", an essay
- "Unnamed Caves", on American cave art
GQ
- "Too Much Information", on David Foster WallaceDavid Foster WallaceDavid Foster Wallace was an American author of novels, essays, and short stories, and a professor at Pomona College in Claremont, California...
- "The Last Wailer", on Bunny WailerBunny WailerBunny Wailer, , also known as Bunny Livingston and affectionately as Jah B, is a singer songwriter and percussionist and was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh...
- "Back in the Day", on Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- "The Final Comeback of Axl Rose", on Axl RoseAxl RoseW. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
- "Upon This Rock", on a visit to a Christian rockChristian rockChristian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
festival - "Good-Bye to All That", on a visit to the Gulf Coast, post-Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
- "He Shall Be Levi", on a visit to Alaska, to meet Levi JohnstonLevi JohnstonLevi Keith Johnston is the former fiancé of Bristol Palin. He first received media attention in August 2008 when U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin announced that her daughter Bristol was five months pregnant with Johnston's baby and that the two were engaged...
- "American Grotesque". on the Tea Party movementTea Party movementThe Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
- "Violence of the Lambs". on the coming war between animals and humans
New York Magazine
- "Art-Shaped Box", on NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
- "Dear Heather', on Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
- "My Front Pages", on Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
Harper's Magazine
- "Horseman, Pass By: Glory, grief, and the race for the Triple Crown"
- http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/10/0081748"A Rawness of Seeing: Denis JohnsonDenis JohnsonDenis Hale Johnson is an American author who is known for his short-story collection Jesus' Son and his novel Tree of Smoke , which won the National Book Award. He also writes plays, poetry and non-fiction.- Biography :...
writes the big novel"] - "Unknown Bards: The blues becomes transparent about itself"