Damon Young (writer)
Damon Young | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1979 Pittsburgh |
| Occupation | Writer, editor |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Canisius College |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Years active | 2008-present |
| Notable works | What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker |
| Children | 2 |
Damon Young (born 1979)[1] is an American writer and editor. He is the co-founder of the website Very Smart Brothas. Young released his first book, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker, in 2019 with HarperCollins.[2]
Early life and education
Young was born in Pittsburgh to Vivienne and Wilbur Young.[3] He spent most of his adolescence in East Liberty. As a teenager, Young lived in Penn Hills where he became a basketball player for Penn Hills High School.[4] He earned a basketball scholarship at Canisius College, graduating with a degree in English in 2002.[5]
Career
Young co-founded a website called Very Smart Brothas in 2008 with D. Marcellus Wright, who uses the pen name Panama Jackson.[1] The website featured essays on pop culture, politics, and absurdist humor written for an African American audience. Gizmodo Media Group acquired VSB in 2016. It is now a vertical on the website The Root.[6]
He is also a columnist for GQ.[6]
Young signed a two-book publishing deal with HarperCollins' Ecco imprint in November 2016.[1] His first book, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays, was released in March 2019.[7] The book consists of a collection of personal essays primarily about race, gender, class, and Black identity.[8] The book received positive critical reviews. Publishers Weekly wrote in a review, "Young’s charm and wit make these essays a pleasure to read; his candid approach makes them memorable."[9] Karamagi Rujumba wrote for the Post-Gazette: " 'What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker' is in equal parts a deeply introspective account of a life and an astute critique of the contours along which black people survive the limitations of historic and systemic racism."[8] Michael Kleber-Diggs wrote for the Star Tribune, "Readers who know Young’s work from the blog he co-founded, Very Smart Brothas, will recognize his voice, his fondness for lists, his precise, comprehensive and spectacular references to pop culture, his wit and his keen mind."[10]
Ebony named him to its Power 100 2017 list under the Luminaries category.[11]
Personal life
Young is married and has a young daughter and son. He resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[2][12]
Works
- Your Degrees Won’t Keep You Warm At Night Lexington, KY. : Very Smart Brothas Media, 2011. ISBN 9781453708767, OCLC 702658318
- What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker New York, NY : Ecco, 2019. ISBN 9780062684301, OCLC 1090242570
References
- ^ a b c Ramanathan, Lavanya. "Very Smart Brothas is the blackest thing that ever happened to the Internet. Period". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ a b "'What Doesn't Kill You' Navigates The Challenges Of Existing While Black". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ Cunningham, Lisa (February 27, 2019). "Damon Young's What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ Byko, Laura (April 29, 2015). "Blogger left basketball behind to chronicle black experience in Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ "Canisius College Welcomes Damon Young Back to Campus". Canisius College. March 21, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ a b "Gizmodo Media Group acquires Very Smart Brothas blog". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ León, Concepción de (2019-03-25). "Damon Young on the 'Absurdity' of Being Black". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
- ^ a b "Damon Young finds hilarity and profundity in vulnerability". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ "Review: 'What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker,' by Damon Young". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ Ebony.com. "EBONY Power 100 2017 Honoree - Damon Young". EBONY Power 100 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ "White people often don't see Damon Young. That's about to change". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
External links
- Damon Young on Twitter
- VerySmartBrothas on The Root