John Wray (novelist)
Encyclopedia
John Henderson better known by his pen name
John Wray, is a novelist and regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine
. Born in Washington, D.C.
, of an American
father and Austria
n mother, he is a citizen of both countries. He grew up in Buffalo, New York
, attended the Nichols School
for his high school education, and currently lives in Brooklyn
.
Wray's first novel, The Right Hand of Sleep, was published in 2001 and received a Whiting Writers' Award. In connection with his second novel, Canaan’s Tongue, he did a 600-mile tour by raft on the Mississippi River
in 2005. In 2007 Wray was chosen by Granta
magazine as one of the "Best of Young American Novelists". His third novel, Lowboy, was published in 2009.
Wray was also frontman of the Brooklyn band Marmalade, which released the album Beautiful Soup in 2003. As part of the promotional activities surrounding the release of Lowboy, he recorded subway musicians for a Lowboy MP3 soundtrack.
He is a recipient of the 2010/2011 Berlin Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Berlin
.
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
John Wray, is a novelist and regular contributor 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...
. Born in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, of an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
father and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n mother, he is a citizen of both countries. He grew up in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, attended the Nichols School
Nichols School
Nichols School is a private, non-denominational, co-educational college-preparatory day school located in Buffalo, New York, USA. The average enrollment is 570 students with an average Upper School grade/class size of 98 students...
for his high school education, and currently 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...
.
Wray's first novel, The Right Hand of Sleep, was published in 2001 and received a Whiting Writers' Award. In connection with his second novel, Canaan’s Tongue, he did a 600-mile tour by raft on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in 2005. In 2007 Wray was chosen by Granta
Granta
Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
magazine as one of the "Best of Young American Novelists". His third novel, Lowboy, was published in 2009.
Wray was also frontman of the Brooklyn band Marmalade, which released the album Beautiful Soup in 2003. As part of the promotional activities surrounding the release of Lowboy, he recorded subway musicians for a Lowboy MP3 soundtrack.
He is a recipient of the 2010/2011 Berlin Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Berlin
American Academy in Berlin
The American Academy in Berlin is a research and cultural institution in Berlin whose stated mission is to foster a greater understanding and dialogue between the people of the United States and the people of Germany.The American Academy was founded in September 1994 by a group of prominent...
.