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Nico Walker

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Nico Walker
BornNicholas Walker
(1985-04-19) April 19, 1985 (age 39)
OccupationWriter
NationalityAmerican
Alma materJohn Carroll University
Period2018–present
Notable worksCherry
Spouse
  • Kara Walker
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2005; div. 2006)​
  • Rachel Rabbit White
    ​
    (m. 2020)​

Nicholas Walker (born April 19, 1985) is an American author and United States Army veteran who served time in prison for bank robbery.[1] His semi-autobiographical debut novel, Cherry, was published by Alfred A. Knopf on August 14, 2018.

Career

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Nicholas Walker was born in the United States on April 19, 1985. From 2005 to 2006, Walker served in the United States Army as a combat medic in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, going on more than 250 combat missions.[2] After being discharged from the military and returning to civilian life, he developed post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder and became addicted to heroin and Oxycodone. Matthew Johnson, a publisher at Tyrant Books, sent Walker books and encouraged him to write about his life while Walker was in prison. He spent nearly four years writing and rewriting.[3][4][5] The resulting novel, Cherry, was published by Alfred A. Knopf and is about "the horrors of war and addiction."[4] In the semi-autobiographical novel, a young man drops out of college and enlists in the Army. He comes home in a poor state, becomes addicted to opiates, and starts robbing banks.[3] According to Vulture.com, upon its publication the book received "near-universal praise."[6] It debuted at number 14 on The New York Times bestseller list.[7] Walker has said that he is using money from sales of the book to pay back some of the banks he robbed.[1] The book was shortlisted for the 2019 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award.[8] In Walker's acknowledgements in Cherry, he also credits Josh Polikov, Tim O'Connell, Adeline Manson, Anna Kaufman, Daniel Novack, Susan M. S. Brown for helping him write, edit, revise, and publish his semi-autobiographical novel.[9]

Within days of the book's publication, the movie rights were acquired for $1 million by Joe and Anthony Russo's studio AGBO, with the brothers planning to direct and produce, and the script to be written by Jessica Goldberg and starring Tom Holland as the character based on Walker.[10][11] Walker was offered the opportunity to be an executive producer on the film, but he turned it down.[12] The film, also called Cherry, was released in theaters on February 26, 2021, and on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021.[13][14]

Incarceration

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To fund his opiate habit, he robbed ten banks around Cleveland in a span of four months, beginning in December 2010. He was arrested in April 2011, pleaded guilty in 2012 and was given an eleven-year sentence. His cellmate was Tony Viola, who was wrongfully accused of mortgage fraud at several banks and was sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison.[15] In 2013, while Walker was behind bars in the Federal Correctional Institution in Ashland, Kentucky, he was profiled in BuzzFeed. This led to a correspondence with Matthew Johnson, a publisher at the independent press Tyrant Books. While incarcerated, Walker was also a GED tutor, teaching fellow inmates.[16]

Personal life

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Walker grew up in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Cleveland. He dropped out of John Carroll University and enlisted in the Army at the age of 19.[17] For his service in Iraq, Walker received seven medals and commendations. He was released from prison early, in October 2019.[18][12] He lives in Oxford, Mississippi.[19]

Walker and his first wife, Kara, eloped before he deployed in 2005, and divorced a few months after he returned in 2006.[20] Around this time, he was the lead singer and songwriter in a psychedelic garage rock band named Safari, and they released the album Maybe Tomorrow in 2010.[21] In August 2020, Interview reported Walker had married poet Rachel Rabbit White.[22]

As of January 2022, Walker is currently working on his second novel, which will have a focus centralized around incarceration.[2]

Bibliography

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  • Walker, Nico (2018). Cherry. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780525520139.

References

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  1. ^ a b Lawrence, Quil (August 13, 2018). "An Iraq Veteran, Heroin Addict, Bank Robber And Debut Novelist". NPR. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Nico Walker, Author of "Cherry" | BZ Listening | Episode 74". Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Alter, Alexandra (August 10, 2018). "How a Young War Veteran Became a Serial Bank Robber, Then a Novelist". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Charles, Ron (August 14, 2018). "Nico Walker is a convicted bank robber. 'Cherry' proves he's also a must-read author". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  5. ^ Lorentzen, Christian (July 24, 2018). "Nico Walker's Cherry Might Be the First Great Novel of the Opioid Epidemic". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  6. ^ Rathburn, Daniel (August 22, 2018). "Nico Walker's Cherry Got Near-Universal Praise". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  7. ^ "First a Decorated War Vet, Then a Bank Robber, Now a Best-Selling Novelist". The New York Times. August 24, 2018. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "Announcing the 2019 PEN America Literary Awards Finalists". PEN America. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  9. ^ Walker, Nico. Cherry. pp. 315–317.
  10. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 24, 2018). "AGBO Nearing $1M 'Cherry' Book Deal; 'Avengers: Infinity War's Russo Bros Eye Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  11. ^ McNary, Dave (August 24, 2018). "Russo Brothers Close Deal to Direct PTSD Drama 'Cherry'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Heisig, Eric (October 17, 2019). "Imprisoned Cleveland-area author moved to halfway house while production commences for movie adaption directed by Russo brothers". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  13. ^ Breznican, Anthony (November 24, 2020). "Tom Holland in the Wild and Woeful 'Cherry': Exclusive First Look". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  14. ^ Fleming, Mike (September 25, 2020). "Apple Makes Big Deal For Joe & Anthony Russo-Directed 'Cherry;' Tom Holland & Ciara Bravo Drama Becomes Oscar Season Entry". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  15. ^ "Free Tony Viola!". Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  16. ^ Rogers, Nate (March 11, 2021). "What Does Life Beyond 'Cherry" Look Like?". Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  17. ^ Stewart, Dillon. "Three Things To Know About Nico Walker's Cherry Before Russo Bros. Start Shooting In Cleveland". Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  18. ^ Wong, Collin (July 16, 2020). "Nico Walker: The veteran who wrote his debut novel from a jail cell". The Observer. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  19. ^ Hall, Kevin (February 26, 2021). "From Bank Robber to Hollywood: Why Cherry Author Nico Walker Isn't Watching the Movie of His Life". GQ. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  20. ^ Lachenal, Jessica (March 12, 2021). "Emily In Cherry Seems To Share Some Similarities With A Real Person". Bustle. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  21. ^ Rogers, Nate (March 11, 2021). ""Hopefully He Won't End Up Robbing Banks Again": The Wild Life of Nico Walker". The Ringer. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  22. ^ "Rachel Rabbit White, in Her Boudoir". Interview Magazine. August 13, 2020. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
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