Andrew Klavan
Andrew Klavan | |
|---|---|
 Klavan in 2018 | |
| Born | July 13, 1954 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Pen name | Keith Peterson |
| Occupation | Writer, political commentator |
| Education | B.A. in English Literature |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley |
| Genre | Mystery, thriller and crime[1] |
| Spouse | Ellen Flanagan (1980–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Thomas Flanagan (father-in-law) Caitlin Flanagan (sister-in-law) |
| Website | |
| www | |
Andrew Klavan (/ˈkleɪvən/; born July 13, 1954) is an American writer of crime and suspense novels. Klavan has been nominated for the Edgar Award five times and has won twice.
Klavan has also worked in film and as an essayist and video satirist. He is also known as a conservative commentator and hosts The Andrew Klavan Show podcast on the conservative site The Daily Wire, a media company associated with political commentator Ben Shapiro.
Biography
Early life
Klavan was born to a secular Jewish family in New York City and grew up in Great Neck, Long Island, one of four sons born to father Gene Klavan, a New York disc jockey, and mother Phyllis, a homemaker.[2] He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley[3] with a degree in English Literature. He worked as a radio and newspaper reporter and a radio news writer before becoming a full-time writer.
Marriage and children
In 1980, he married Ellen Flanagan, daughter of Thomas Flanagan and sister of Caitlin Flanagan.[4] They have two children, Spencer Klavan and Faith Moore[5] and live in Nashville, Tennessee. Spencer Klavan is an Oxford-trained classicist who is married to Joshua Herr, general counsel for the Daily Wire.
Reversal in political views
After graduating from Berkeley, Klavan began his writing career as a liberal. He became a conservative during the Reagan administration.[6][7][8]
Conversion to Christianity
Klavan converted to Christianity at the age of 49 and was baptized privately.[9][10] Initially he attended the Episcopal Church, but has since left for the Anglican Church in North America.
Career
Klavan began his crime-writing career using the pseudonym Keith Peterson. Under that name, he wrote the four John Wells mysteries, about a crime-solving newspaper reporter, and also The Scarred Man, his first novel of psychological suspense.
Under his own name, Klavan has written crime novels, and the Homelanders series for young adults. His novels have been translated around the world. He has won two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, the Thumping Good Read Award from W.H. Smith, and been nominated for Anthony Awards and the International Thriller Writers award.[citation needed]
True Crime was filmed by Clint Eastwood in 1999. Don’t Say a Word was filmed starring Michael Douglas in 2001. Donald Cammell's 1987 White of the Eye was based on the novel Mrs. White, which Klavan co-wrote under the pseudonym Margaret Tracy with his brother, playwright Laurence Klavan. Andrew wrote the screenplay for the 1990 Michael Caine film Shock to the System, based on the novel by Simon Brett, and for the 2008 horror film One Missed Call, which starred Shannyn Sossamon and Ed Burns. He also wrote the screenplay for the movie-in-an-app Haunting Melissa and its sequel, Haunting Melissa 2: Dark Hearts. He recently scripted Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer, a crime film based on the true story of an abortion doctor convicted of murder.[11]
Klavan has produced several satirical online video series including Klavan on the Culture for PJ Media, The Revolting Truth for TruthRevolt, and A Very Serious Commentary for Glenn Beck's Blaze Media. He currently does a weekly podcast for the Daily Wire called the Andrew Klavan Show.[12]
The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ, Klavan's first non-fiction book, was published in 2016. It is a memoir of his spiritual journey from secular Judaism and agnosticism to Christianity.[3]
When Christmas Comes was published in 2021; it is Klavan's 36th novel and features themes of Christmas, tradition, and murder. In fact, it is a thriller novel situated in, and vaguely centered upon, Christmas, in an idyllic town.[13]
Awards
Klavan's book Mrs. White, which he wrote under the pen-name Margaret Tracy, won the 1984 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.[14] In 1989, his novel Trapdoor was nominated in the Best Paperback Original category.[14] In 1990, he won the Edgar Award in the Best Paperback Original category for The Rain, as well as a nomination at the 1990 Anthony Awards for Rough Justice in the paperback category.[14][15] Klavan was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1992 for his first novel, Don't Say a Word.[16] He received an Anthony Awards nomination at the 1996 ceremony for True Crime in the Best Novel category.[15]
Books
- Face of the Earth (1977)
- Agnes Mallory (1985)
- Mrs. White (1987) (as Margaret Tracy, with Laurence Klavan)
- There Fell a Shadow (1988) (as Keith Peterson)
- The Rain (1988) (as Keith Peterson)
- Darling Clementine (1988)
- The Trap Door (1988) (as Keith Peterson)
- Son of Man (1988)
- The Scarred Man (1989) (as Keith Peterson)
- Rough Justice (1989) (as Keith Peterson)
- Don't Say a Word (1991)
- The Animal Hour (1992)
- Corruption (1993)
- True Crime (1995)
- Suicide (1995)
- The Uncanny (1998)
- Hunting Down Amanda (1999)
- Man and Wife (2001)
- Dynamite Road (2003)
- Shotgun Alley (2004)
- Damnation Street (2006)
- Empire of Lies (2008)
- The Identity Man (2010)
- Crazy Dangerous (2012) ISBN 9781595547934
- If We Survive (2012) ISBN 9781595547965
- Nightmare City (2013) ISBN 9781595547972
- A Killer in the Wind (2013) ISBN 9780802122254
- Werewolf Cop (2016) ISBN 9781605989730
- The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ (2016) [non-fiction]
- When Christmas Comes (2021) ISBN 9781613162408
- The Truth and Beauty (2022)
The Homelanders series
- The Homelanders: The Last Thing I Remember (2009)
- The Homelanders: The Long Way Home (2010)
- The Homelanders: The Truth of the Matter (2010)
- The Homelanders: The Final Hour (2011)
The Mindwar trilogy
- Mindwar (2014)
- Hostage Run (2016)
- Game Over (2016)
The Another Kingdom trilogy
- Another Kingdom (2019)
- Nightmare Feast (2020)
- The Emperor's Sword (2021)
Audio plays
- Another Kingdom: Season 1 (2017)
- Another Kingdom: Season 2 (2018)
- Another Kingdom: Season 3 (2019)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | White of the Eye | Based on Mrs. White |
| 1990 | A Shock to the System | Screenplay |
| 1999 | True Crime | Based on True Crime |
| 2001 | Don't Say a Word | Based on Don't Say a Word |
| 2008 | One Missed Call | Screenplay |
| 2013 | N.Y.C. Underground | Screenplay |
| 2018 | Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer | Screenplay |
References
- ^ "Andrew Klavan".
- ^ Martin, Douglas (9 April 2004). "Gene Klavan, Radio Show Host, Dies at 79". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ". Publishers Weekly. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
- ^ Robinson, Peter (August 2, 2008). "That Despicable Winston Churchill". National Review.
....reminded me of an exchange I had with my father-in-law, Thomas Flanagan, brilliant guy, old school academic lefty. Flanagan, the author of a marvelous trilogy of novels about Ireland, the first of which is "The Year of the French," taught at Berkeley
- ^ "How a Secular Jew Came to Faith in Jesus Christ". The Christian Post. 2016-09-26.
- ^ Jesse Lee Peterson vs Destiny: 1v3 Election Debate Panel. Destiny. October 30, 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved February 5, 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ Klavan, Andrew [@andrewklavan] (March 17, 2021). "Vaccinated and impervious to covid, gentlemanly and grateful for femininity, 100% unwoke and so willing to take each person as he comes — Old Conservative Men are now the coolest people in the country. This is a completely objective observation" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2022-01-08. Retrieved February 5, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Andrew Klavan on the Criticality of Conservative Competition in Culture, Regressive Progressivism, Political Correctness, Free Speech". Ben Weingarten. June 6, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ Andrew Klavan | Can We Keep Silent in a World Gone Mad?. Hillsdale College. 2019-04-19. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2022-02-05 – via YouTube.
- ^ "The Andrew Klavan Show - The Truth and Beauty PART I: Understanding The Words of Jesus Christ". The Andrew Klavan Show. Retrieved 2022-03-31 – via Google Podcasts.
- ^ "Review: 'Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer,' a none-too-subtle take on real-life courtroom drama". Los Angeles Times. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
- ^ "Westwood One's Podcast Portfolio Gaining Momentum with New Shows". Westwood One. 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
- ^ "When Christmas Comes (A Yuletide Mystery): Klavan, Andrew: 9781613162408: Amazon.com: Books".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c "Best Paperback Original Mystery Novel Edgar Award Winners and Nominees - Complete Lists". Mysterynet.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
- ^ a b "Bouchercon World Mystery Convention : Anthony Awards Nominees". Bouchercon.info. 2003-10-02. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
- ^ "Best Mystery Novel Edgar Award Winners and Nominees - Complete Lists". Mysterynet.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-15. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
External links
- Living people
- 1954 births
- 20th-century American novelists
- 21st-century American novelists
- American bloggers
- American male screenwriters
- Converts to Anglicanism from atheism or agnosticism
- Edgar Award winners
- Former atheists and agnostics
- Jewish American writers
- Male critics of feminism
- Writers from New York City
- Haas School of Business alumni
- American male novelists
- The Daily Wire people
- Novelists from New York (state)
- Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
- Screenwriters from New York (state)
- American male bloggers
- Conservatism in the United States
- 20th-century American male writers