Jonny Sun

Last updated

Jonny Sun
Jonny Sun at In Conversation at Indigo Chapters - 2017 - IMG 2958 (cropped).jpg
Sun in 2017
NationalityCanadian
Education University of Toronto
Yale School of Architecture
MIT
Occupation(s)Humorist, author, illustrator
Website https://www.jonnysun.com/

Jonathan "Jonny" Sun, [1] occasionally known by the nickname jomny, [2] is a Canadian author and illustrator. [3] He is the author of the 2017 illustrated novel everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too and a PhD candidate in urban studies and planning at MIT. In 2018, he published Gmorning, Gnight!, (a collaboration with playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda in which Sun served as illustrator) and in 2020, Sun published an essay collection called Goodbye, Again. Sun also served as a writer on the television shows BoJack Horseman and Mrs. Davis.

Contents

Early life and education

Sun is from Calgary and attended the University of Toronto, getting his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Engineering Science, majoring in Infrastructure Engineering. [1] For his master's degree, he attended the Yale School of Architecture. He is now a PhD candidate in urban studies and planning at MIT and a creative researcher at the Harvard metaLAB. [4] He studies social media, virtual place, and online community. [5]

Career

In June 2017, Sun published everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too. [6] The illustrated novel is based on a character Sun developed on Twitter, [7] tweeting as an alien trying to learn to navigate life among humans. [8] [9] [10] [11] He has said the period in which he was beginning graduate school (and the toll that took on his mental health) was the impetus for the project, with the character offering an opportunity to work through the isolation and depression he experienced. [7]

Sun's second book, a collaboration with musical playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, was released in October 2018. The book, Gmorning, Gnite! Little Pep Talks For Me & You, is a collection of affirmations drawn from Miranda's Twitter feed and illustrated by Sun. [12] The book spent ten weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. [13]

In November 2018, he started working on an animated movie called Paper Lanterns. [14] He was a writer for season 6 of BoJack Horseman [15] and the limited series Mrs. Davis . [16]

Sun's third book, Goodbye, Again: Essays, Reflections, and Illustrations, was released in April 2021. The book was written during a self-imposed break from all of his work and it became an instant New York Times bestseller, receiving praise from critics who remarked on Sun's "personal voice" and "little bits of ephemera." [17] [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Hayes</span> American political journalist and author (born 1979)

Christopher Loffredo Hayes is an American political commentator, television news anchor, and author. Hayes hosts All In with Chris Hayes, a weekday news and opinion television show on MSNBC. Hayes also hosts a weekly MSNBC podcast, Why Is This Happening? Hayes formerly hosted a weekend MSNBC show, Up with Chris Hayes. He is an editor-at-large of The Nation magazine.

<i>In the Heights</i> 2005 musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda

In the Heights is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lin-Manuel Miranda</span> American songwriter, actor, and librettist (born 1980)

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals In the Heights (2005) and Hamilton (2015), and the soundtracks for the animated films Moana (2016), Vivo, and Encanto. He has received numerous accolades including a Pulitzer Prize, three Tony Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Grammy Awards, along with nominations for two Academy Awards. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Lacamoire</span> American composer

Alex Lacamoire is a Cuban-American composer, arranger, conductor, musical director, music copyist, and orchestrator who has worked on many shows both on and off-Broadway. He is the recipient of multiple Tony and Grammy Awards for his work on shows such as In the Heights (2008), Hamilton (2016), and Dear Evan Hansen (2017). Lacamoire was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk DeMicco</span> American filmmaker

Kirk DeMicco is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on animated films, such as writing and directing Space Chimps (2008), The Croods (2013), Vivo (2021), and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023).

<i>Hamilton</i> (musical) 2015 biographical musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hamilton: An American Musical is a sung-and-rapped-through biographical musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Lin-Manuel Miranda as well as choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. Based on the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, the musical covers the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution and the political history of the early United States. Composed over a seven-year period from 2008 to 2015, the music draws heavily from hip hop, as well as R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes. It casts non-white actors as the Founding Fathers of the United States and other historical figures. Miranda described Hamilton as about "America then, as told by America now."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javier Muñoz (actor)</span> American actor and singer

Javier Muñoz is an American actor and singer. He is most notable for his Broadway performances as Usnavi de la Vega in the 2008 musical In the Heights and Alexander Hamilton in the 2015 musical Hamilton, in which he played the titular role from July 11, 2016, until January 14, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Ramos</span> American actor and singer (born 1991)

Anthony Paul Ramos Martinez is an American actor and singer. After graduating in musical theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, he began working in stage musicals. In 2015, he originated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton. He received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance in the 2020 stage recording of the play.

iLe Puerto Rican singer; formerly with Calle 13

Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar, better known by the nickname "iLe", is a Puerto Rican singer, composer and vocalist. She began her musical career as a teenager as the sole female singer of Calle 13, a group she took part in for 10 years alongside her brothers René Pérez Joglar (Residente) and Eduardo Cabra Martínez (Visitante).

"You'll Be Back" is the seventh song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. It is sung by Jonathan Groff in the show's original cast recording. Within the context of the musical, it is King George III lamenting the anti-royal machinations of the rebelling American colonists. It covers a vocal range of D3 to A4 and is written for a tenor voice.

<i>The Hamilton Mixtape</i> 2016 album

The Hamilton Mixtape is a 2016 mixtape album featuring assorted songs from the 2015 Broadway musical Hamilton performed by various artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Wiz Khalifa, Nas, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Dessa, Miguel, Chance the Rapper, Nate Ruess, K’naan, Aloe Blacc, and the Roots. It was widely well received by critics.

<i>In the Heights</i> (film) 2021 film by Jon M. Chu

In the Heights is a 2021 American musical drama film directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes based on the stage musical of the same name by Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace in her film debut, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, and Jimmy Smits. The film follows a similar plot to the musical, telling the story of a corner in the predominantly Dominican community of Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, where every member of the community pursues their sueñitos for a better life.

<i>Spamilton</i> Musical parody play

Spamilton: An American Parody is a musical parody of the Broadway show Hamilton. Written by Gerard Alessandrini, creator of the parody revue Forbidden Broadway, Spamilton also parodies several other musicals, including Gypsy, Chicago, The King and I, Assassins, Camelot, The Book of Mormon and Sweeney Todd, and personalities, like Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Carol Channing and Liza Minnelli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almost Like Praying</span> 2017 single by Lin-Manuel Miranda

"Almost Like Praying" is a song written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and recorded by him and numerous other artists under the collective name Artists for Puerto Rico. The song was released on October 6, 2017 by Atlantic Records to support relief efforts in Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Maria, which struck the island in September 2017. Proceeds from the song are to be donated to the victims and survivors of the hurricane. The song debuted at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Digital Songs Sales chart, selling 111,000 downloads and achieving 5.2 million streams in its first week of availability in the US. On February 8, 2018, a salsa remix of the song was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Forgotten Spot</span> Song performed by American composer Lin-Manuel Miranda

"A Forgotten Spot (Olvidado)" is a song performed by American composer Lin-Manuel Miranda along with Puerto Rican singers Zion & Lennox, De La Ghetto, Ivy Queen, PJ Sin Suela and Lucecita Benítez. It was released on September 20, 2018 by Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group. The song was written by Miranda, along with the rest of the collaborators.

<i>Alexander Hamilton</i> (book) 2004 biography

Alexander Hamilton is a 2004 biography of American statesman Alexander Hamilton, written by biographer Ron Chernow. Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was an instrumental promoter of the U.S. Constitution, founder of the nation's financial system, and its first Secretary of the Treasury.

<i>Vivo</i> (film) 2021 film by Kirk DeMicco

Vivo is a 2021 American animated musical comedy film directed by Kirk DeMicco and co-directed by Brandon Jeffords, from a screenplay written by DeMicco and Quiara Alegría Hudes, and based on an original idea by Hudes and Peter Barsocchini, the film is produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, with original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also serves as an executive producer and voices the title character. The film also features the voices of Zoe Saldaña, Juan de Marcos, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Rooker, Nicole Byer, Gloria Estefan, and introduces Ynairaly Simo in her film debut as Gabi. Vivo marks Sony Pictures Animation's first musical film. The story follows Vivo (Miranda), a music-loving kinkajou, who embarks on the journey of a lifetime to fulfill his destiny and must deliver a love song to Marta Sandoval (Estefan), a retiring singer.

<i>Tick, Tick... Boom!</i> (film) 2021 film by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Tick, Tick... Boom! is a 2021 American biographical musical film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda in his feature directorial debut. Written by Steven Levenson, who also serves as an executive producer, it is based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson, a semi-autobiographical story about Larson writing a musical to enter into the theater industry. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Larson, alongside Robin de Jesús, Alexandra Shipp, Joshua Henry, Judith Light, and Vanessa Hudgens.

<i>Hamilton</i> (2020 film) 2020 American film of the Broadway musical

Hamilton is a 2020 American biographical musical drama film consisting of a live stage recording of the 2015 Broadway musical of the same name, which was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, 5000 Broadway Productions, RadicalMedia, Nevis Productions, and Old 320 Sycamore Pictures, it was directed by Thomas Kail, who also produced the film with Jeffrey Seller and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, who wrote the music, lyrics, and book for the musical, also stars as Treasury Secretary and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, along with the musical's original principal Broadway cast, including Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Christopher Jackson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Jonathan Groff.

References

  1. 1 2 Irving, Tyler (21 February 2016). "Jonathan Sun: Engineer, architect, social media sensation". U of T Engineering News. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Open Call for Fellowship Applications, Academic Year 2018–2019". Berkman Klein Center – Harvard University . 3 January 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  3. ↑ Lichtenstein, Jesse (15 June 2017). "A Whimsical Wordsmith Charts a Course Beyond Twitter". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "Jonathan Sun: 'I can only control so much in my life, and the rest will come as it happens'". The Globe and Mail. 23 June 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "Jonny Sun". Jonny Sun. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Why Jonny Sun created an alien that helps us understand what it means to be human". CBC. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  7. 1 2 Rindner, Grant (8 August 2017). "Writer Jonathan Sun on translating the Weird Twitter experience for an IRL audience". Vox. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  8. ↑ Schwartz, Dana (30 December 2016). "15 (Okay, 16) Books to Look Forward to in 2017". New York Observer. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  9. ↑ Mertes, Micah (26 June 2017). "Summer book preview: 13 must-reads". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  10. ↑ Lui, Samantha (11 January 2017). "Twitter star Jonathan Sun's new bot wants to make sure you're doing OK". NBC News. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  11. ↑ Yin, Maryann (7 December 2016). "Cover Revealed For Jonathan Sun's 'Aliebn' Book". GalleyCat. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  12. ↑ Derschowitz, Jessica (17 July 2018). "Lin-Manuel Miranda's inspirational 'Gmorning, Gnite!' tweets getting their own book". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  13. ↑ "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous Books – Best Sellers – January 6, 2019 – The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  14. ↑ Kit, Borys (27 November 2018). "Fox Family Picks Up 'Paper Lanterns' With Humorist Jonny Sun Writing". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  15. ↑ Sun, Jonny (24 April 2020). "Jonny Sun: You're Not Alone In Feeling Lonely". Ted Radio Hour. NPR. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  16. ↑ Mrs. Davis (TV Series 2023) - IMDb, archived from the original on 19 May 2023, retrieved 19 May 2023
  17. ↑ Mirakhor, Leah (18 May 2021). "Personal Escapes From Daily Anxiety, Political Strife and Childhood Trauma". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "With Steamed Eggs And Succulents, 'Goodbye, Again' Brings Us Home". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  19. ↑ "Jonny Sun's'Goodbye, Again' Is Exactly What We All Need Right Now". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.