K.M. Soehnlein
Encyclopedia
Karl Soehnlein better known by his literary name K.M. Soehnlein is an American
writer (born in New Jersey
) most famous for his novels The World of Normal Boys
and You Can Say You Knew Me When
. His most recent novel is Robin and Ruby. He was also a musician
playing the clarinet
for six years as part of the band The Cubby Creatures
.
, then moved to New York City
in the late 1980s, working in film production and magazine publishing, and was a member of ACT UP
and Queer Nation
. He worked as a journalist, writing mainly on films in Out
, The Advocate
, The Village Voice
and other publications. Living in San Francisco, he made his living as a freelance writer and aspiring author. He studied at San Francisco State University
graduating with an Master of Fine Arts
and became the associate editor of the monthly film magazine, Release Print, as well as the manager of the Film Arts Foundation website. He wrote a number of essays as well as short stories that were published in Modern Words and The James White Review publications. He also worked as a freelance copywriter and editor.
His first novel published in 2000 entitled The World of Normal Boys was a big success and was translated into Italian
. It also landed him a creative writing teaching job at the University of San Francisco
and San Francisco State University
and a collaboration with filmmakers Rob Epstein
and Jeffrey Friedman for a movie adaptation of the novel, with Soehnlein as screenwriter. Soenlein already has screenwriting experience for writing for the 2005 film The Second Coming by director Jack Walsh
His second novel You Can Say You Knew Me When took about four years to write. He is writing now a third novel about the AIDS activist movement in New York and is planning on publishing a collection of his short stories as well.
He lives in San Francisco's SoMa district
with his partner Kevin Clarke, a graphic designer and performer.
and homophobia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer (born in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) most famous for his novels The World of Normal Boys
The World of Normal Boys
The World of Normal Boys, published in 2001, is the debut novel of K.M. Soehnlein . The coming-of-age story centers on 13-year-old Robin MacKenzie, who discovers that he is unlike most other adolescent males. The book became a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller and won the Lambda Literary...
and You Can Say You Knew Me When
You Can Say You Knew Me When
You Can Say You Knew Me When is a novel by K.M. Soehnlein following his best seller The World of Normal Boys-Plot:A thirty-something San Francisco gay radio journalist Jamie Garner reluctantly returns to his childhood home of Greenlawn, New Jersey, and discovers secrets from his dead father's...
. His most recent novel is Robin and Ruby. He was also a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
playing the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
for six years as part of the band The Cubby Creatures
The Cubby Creatures
The Cubby Creatures are the musical arm of The Cubby, a San Francisco-based art collective practicing awareness of the Cubby, the collective's art-based philosophy of living. One of their mottos is "Revolution through inspired living."-Biography:...
.
Career
Soehnlein studied film in Ithaca CollegeIthaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
, then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the late 1980s, working in film production and magazine publishing, and was a member of ACT UP
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power is an international direct action advocacy group working to impact the lives of people with AIDS and the AIDS pandemic to bring about legislation, medical research and treatment and policies to ultimately bring an end to the disease by mitigating loss of health and...
and Queer Nation
Queer Nation
Queer Nation was an organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, USA by AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media...
. He worked as a journalist, writing mainly on films in Out
Out (magazine)
Out is a popular gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any gay monthly publication in the United States. It carries itself in a similar editorial manner to Details, Esquire, and GQ. Out was published by PlanetOut Inc...
, The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
, The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
and other publications. Living in San Francisco, he made his living as a freelance writer and aspiring author. He studied at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
graduating with an Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
and became the associate editor of the monthly film magazine, Release Print, as well as the manager of the Film Arts Foundation website. He wrote a number of essays as well as short stories that were published in Modern Words and The James White Review publications. He also worked as a freelance copywriter and editor.
His first novel published in 2000 entitled The World of Normal Boys was a big success and was translated into Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. It also landed him a creative writing teaching job at the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
and San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
and a collaboration with filmmakers Rob Epstein
Rob Epstein
Rob Epstein, also credited as Robert P. Epstein, is a director, producer, writer and editor. Epstein has won two Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature for the films The Times of Harvey Milk and Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt....
and Jeffrey Friedman for a movie adaptation of the novel, with Soehnlein as screenwriter. Soenlein already has screenwriting experience for writing for the 2005 film The Second Coming by director Jack Walsh
His second novel You Can Say You Knew Me When took about four years to write. He is writing now a third novel about the AIDS activist movement in New York and is planning on publishing a collection of his short stories as well.
He lives in San Francisco's SoMa district
South of Market, San Francisco, California
South of Market is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, United States.-Name and location:Its boundaries are Market Street to the northwest, San Francisco Bay to the northeast, Mission Creek to the southeast, and Division Street, 13th Street and U.S. Route 101 to the southwest...
with his partner Kevin Clarke, a graphic designer and performer.
Filmography
K. M. Soehnlein is the screenwriter of The Second Coming, a 2005 film by director Jack Walsh about the futuristic story of Carlos and Ben who fall in love in high school despite racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
Awards
- Transatlantic Review/Henfield Prize for short fiction
- Clark-Gross Award for the in-progress novel The World of Normal Boys
- Lambda Literary AwardLambda Literary AwardLambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works which celebrate or explore LGBT themes. Categories include Humor, Romance and Biography. To qualify, a book must have been published in the United States in the year current to the award...
for The World of Normal Boys