Paul McDonald (writer)
Encyclopedia
Paul McDonald born 1961 in Walsall
is a British
academic, comic novelist, and poet. He teaches English and American Literature at the University of Wolverhampton
, where he also runs the Creative and Professional Writing Programme. He left school at 16 and began work as a saddlemaker, an occupation that provides the backdrop for his first novel, Surviving Sting (2001). After a period studying with the Open University
, McDonald entered fulltime education at Birmingham Polytechnic where he began writing fiction, initially producing stories for the women’s romance market under a female pseudonym. He later won a scholarship to research a PhD, and in 1994 took an academic post teaching American literature at the University of Wolverhampton. His second novel, Kiss Me Softly, Amy Turtle (2004) is a comic mystery satirising the Midlands town of Walsall
, while his third, Do I Love You? (2008), takes Northern Soul
as its theme. His poetry began appearing in the early 1990s and embraces a range of themes and styles. Again humour is a feature, as is surrealism, but he also writes serious love poetry, and verse about art and travel. His most recent collection is Catch a Falling Tortoise (2007). His academic writing includes books on Philip Roth
, the fiction of The Black Country, and humour. As a humour specialist he has made several TV appearances, including BBC Breakfast
and The One Show
, and he is credited with identifying the oldest joke
in the world.
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
academic, comic novelist, and poet. He teaches English and American Literature at the University of Wolverhampton
University of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
, where he also runs the Creative and Professional Writing Programme. He left school at 16 and began work as a saddlemaker, an occupation that provides the backdrop for his first novel, Surviving Sting (2001). After a period studying with the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, McDonald entered fulltime education at Birmingham Polytechnic where he began writing fiction, initially producing stories for the women’s romance market under a female pseudonym. He later won a scholarship to research a PhD, and in 1994 took an academic post teaching American literature at the University of Wolverhampton. His second novel, Kiss Me Softly, Amy Turtle (2004) is a comic mystery satirising the Midlands town of Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, while his third, Do I Love You? (2008), takes Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
as its theme. His poetry began appearing in the early 1990s and embraces a range of themes and styles. Again humour is a feature, as is surrealism, but he also writes serious love poetry, and verse about art and travel. His most recent collection is Catch a Falling Tortoise (2007). His academic writing includes books on Philip Roth
Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
, the fiction of The Black Country, and humour. As a humour specialist he has made several TV appearances, including BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
and The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
, and he is credited with identifying the oldest joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
in the world.
Novels
- Surviving Sting (2001)
- Kiss Me Softly, Amy Turtle (2004)
- Do I Love You? (2008)
Criticism
- Fiction from the Furnace (2002)
- Students Guide to Philip Roth (2003)
- Laughing at the Darkness (2011)
External links
- Publisher's Website http://www.tindalstreet.co.uk/authors/paul-mcdonald
- University of Wolverhampton Staff Page http://www.wlv.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=11366
- An Independent on Sunday article in which Paul McDonald discusses humour http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/paul-mcdonald-heard-the-one-about-the-oldest-joke-in-the-world-its-a-cracker-2164293.html
- A Birmingham Post article in which Paul McDonald gives advice on how to write humour. http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/postfeatures/2008/12/01/how-to-write-a-funny-short-story-65233-22374404/