Mark Singer

Last updated

Mark Jay Singer (born October 19, 1950) is an American journalist and a staff writer at The New Yorker .

Contents

Early life

Singer was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1950 to Marjorie and Alex Singer. [1] He attended Yale University, where his professors included William Zinsser, and graduated with a B.A. in 1972. [2] [3]

Career

Singer joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1974. [4] Several of his articles for the magazine were expanded into books, including Funny Money, his account of the collapse of the Penn Square Bank of Oklahoma City; and Citizen K: The Deeply Weird American Journey of Brett Kimberlin. [5] Both Funny Money and Citizen K were praised by The New York Times, with reviewer Ben Yagoda comparing Singer to Joseph Mitchell. [6] [7]

Singer's profile of Ricky Jay, an illusionist and scholar, was published in 1993. [8] The article was included in the 2000 anthology Life Stories: Profiles from The New Yorker, edited by David Remnick, and continues to be widely praised, with Manohla Dargis at The New York Times calling it "an excellent profile," and Amazon describing it as, "a prime example of what The New Yorker does best." [9] [10] [11] Singer is credited with arranging a meeting between Jay and filmmakers Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein, whose documentary about Jay, Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay , was released in 2012. [12] [13] [14]

In 1996, Singer was assigned to write a profile of Donald Trump. The article, "Trump Solo," was deeply unflattering to Trump — portraying him as vain, boastful, and highly unreliable as a debtor — and began to recirculate in 2015, with the start of Trump's candidacy in the 2016 presidential election. [15] [16] Writing in The Guardian , columnist Oliver Burkeman called it "a characteristically excellent profile." [17]

In 2005, "Trump Solo" was republished in Character Studies, an anthology of Singer's work. The book was received favorably by The New York Times Book Review , with reviewer Jeff MacGregor calling Singer "a terrific reporter, with a receptive ear for dialogue and a painter's eye for the salient detail." [18] In response to the review in the Times, Trump wrote a letter to the editor, in which he called Singer a "loser" who "was not born with great writing ability." [19] After reading the letter to the editor, Singer sent Trump a thank you note, ironically noting the added publicity Trump had drawn to Character Studies, and enclosing a check for $37.82 as a token of his "enormous gratitude," adding, "You're special to me." Trump sent the letter back, with the handwritten message, ”MARK—YOU ARE A TOTAL LOSER—AND YOUR BOOK (AND WRITINGS) SUCKS! BEST WISHES DONALD P.S. AND I HEAR IT IS SELLING BADLY.” [20]

In 2016, Singer expanded “Trump Solo” into a book, titled Trump and Me, which included present-day reflections on Trump's presidential campaign. [21] It was reviewed favorably by the Daily Telegraph , with reviewer Stephen Robinson writing that the book "offers clearer insight into the mind of the presumptive Republican nominee than any of the detailed biographies written over the years." [22] In the Guardian , Hari Kunzru called it, "a viciously entertaining demolition of the branding savant with the peach pompadour." [23]

In July 2017, Singer wrote a web column about efforts by the 115th United States Congress to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including thoughts on his own history of treatment for autoimmune disease. The column, written in anticipation of a crucial vote on the repeal by Senator John McCain, was believed by many to have had a decisive effect on McCain's decision-making, with opinion writer Larry O'Connell calling it "tailor-made" for the senator. [24]

Bibliography

Books

Essays and reporting

Related Research Articles

<i>The New Yorker</i> American weekly magazine since 1925

The New Yorker is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for The New York Times. Together with entrepreneur Raoul H. Fleischmann, they established the F-R Publishing Company and set up the magazine's first office in Manhattan. Ross remained the editor until his death in 1951, shaping the magazine's editorial tone and standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Jay</span> American magician and actor (1946–2018)

Richard Jay Potash was an American stage magician, actor, and writer. In a 1993 profile for The New Yorker, Mark Singer called Jay "perhaps the most gifted sleight of hand artist alive". In addition to sleight of hand, he was known for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter. He also wrote extensively on magic and its history. His acting credits include The Prestige, The Spanish Prisoner, Mystery Men, Heist, Boogie Nights, Tomorrow Never Dies, Heartbreakers, State and Main, House of Games, Magnolia, and Deadwood. In 2015, he was the subject of an episode of PBS's American Masters, the only magician ever profiled in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Remnick</span> American journalist, writer and editor (born 1958)

David J. Remnick is an American journalist, writer, and editor. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for his book Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire, and is also the author of Resurrection and King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero. Remnick has been editor of The New Yorker magazine since 1998. He was named "Editor of the Year" by Advertising Age in 2000. Before joining The New Yorker, Remnick was a reporter and the Moscow correspondent for The Washington Post. He also has served on the New York Public Library board of trustees and is a member of the American Philosophical Society. In 2010, he published his sixth book, The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Sekulow</span> American attorney (born 1956)

Jay Alan Sekulow is an American lawyer, radio, television talk show host and politically conservative media personality. He has been chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) since 1991. As a member of President Donald Trump's legal team, he served as lead outside counsel for Trump's first impeachment trial in the United States Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberly Guilfoyle</span> American political figure (born 1969)

Kimberly Ann Guilfoyle is an American television news personality and former prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She served as an advisor and led the fundraising division of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Levin</span> American lawyer, radio and television personality

Mark Reed Levin is an American broadcast news analyst, columnist, lawyer, political commentator, radio personality, and writer. He is the host of syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show, as well as Life, Liberty & Levin on Fox News. Levin worked in the administration of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese. He is the former president of the Landmark Legal Foundation, an author of seven books, and contributor to media outlets such as National Review Online. Since 2015, Levin has been editor-in-chief of the Conservative Review and is known for his incendiary commentary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Toobin</span> American lawyer and author

Jeffrey Ross Toobin is an American lawyer, author, blogger, and legal analyst for CNN.

Donald Trump, president-elect of the United States and the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, has attracted considerable media attention during his career as a celebrity personality, businessman, and politician. He has been portrayed and appeared in popular culture since the 1980s, including several cameo appearances in film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Heffernan</span> American journalist (born 1969)

Virginia Heffernan is an American journalist and cultural critic. Since 2015, she has been a political columnist at the Los Angeles Times and a cultural columnist at Wired. From 2003 to 2011, she worked as a staff writer for The New York Times, first as a television critic, then as a magazine columnist, and then as an opinion writer. She has also worked as a senior editor for Harper's Magazine, as a founding editor of Talk, and as a TV critic for Slate. Her 2016 book Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art argued that the Internet is a "massive and collective work of art", one that is a "work in progress", and that the suggested deterioration of attention spans in response to it is a myth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Davidson (journalist)</span> American journalist

Adam Davidson is an American journalist. He was a co-founder of NPR's Planet Money program. Previously he has covered globalization issues, the Asian tsunami, and the war in Iraq, for which he won the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. He and Adam McKay were former co-hosts of Surprisingly Awesome from Gimlet Media. Davidson worked as an economics columnist for The New York Times Magazine and in 2016 took a position at The New Yorker.

Tony Schwartz is an American journalist and business book author who is best known for ghostwriting Trump: The Art of the Deal.

Margaret Talbot is an American journalist and nonfiction writer. She is the daughter of the veteran Warner Bros. actor Lyle Talbot, whom she profiled in an October 2012 article of The New Yorker and in her book The Entertainer: Movies, Magic and My Father's Twentieth Century. She is also the co-author with her brother David Talbot of a book about political activists in the 1960s, By the Light of Burning Dreams.

Brett Kimberlin is an American political activist who was convicted in 1980 on drug charges and of perpetrating the 1978 Speedway bombings. Since his release from prison, Kimberlin has co-founded the non-profit Justice Through Music Project and the activist organization Velvet Revolution. He has also been involved in various legal disputes, including those associated with a claim that he supplied marijuana to Dan Quayle.

<i>The Art of the Deal</i> 1987 book by Donald Trump and Tony Schwartz

Trump: The Art of the Deal is a 1987 book credited to Donald J. Trump and journalist Tony Schwartz. Part memoir and part business-advice book, it was the first book credited to Trump, and it helped to make him a household name. It reached number 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list, stayed there for 13 weeks, and altogether held a position on the list for 48 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Radden Keefe</span> American writer and journalist (born 1976)

Patrick Radden Keefe is an American writer and investigative journalist. He is the author of five books—Chatter,The Snakehead,Say Nothing,Empire of Pain, and Rogues—and has written extensively for many publications, including The New Yorker, Slate, and The New York Times Magazine. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family of Donald Trump</span> Immediate family of the US President-elect

The family of Donald Trump, the 45th president and current president-elect of the United States, and owner of the Trump Organization, is an American family of German and Scottish descent. They are active in business, entertainment, politics, and real estate. Donald Trump, his third wife Melania, and their son Barron were the first family for the duration of his presidency. Trump's father Fred was the son of German immigrants, while his mother Mary Anne MacLeod was a Scottish immigrant. Trump has five children from three wives, and ten grandchildren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump filmography</span>

Before being elected president of the United States, Donald Trump had produced and hosted reality TV shows The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice from 2004 to 2015. He also made dozens of cameo appearances in films, television series, and advertisements since the 1980s. He won the Worst Supporting Actor award at the 11th Golden Raspberry Awards for Ghosts Can't Do It in 1990, as well as awards for Worst Actor and Worst Screen Combo at the 39th Golden Raspberry Awards for his roles in the documentary films Death of a Nation and Fahrenheit 11/9 in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media career of Donald Trump</span>

Before declaring his first run for office in 2015, President-elect Donald Trump pursued celebrity throughout his highly publicized real estate career and prolific appearances on television. His extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner, and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have made him a well-known public figure in American life for nearly half a century.

List of works by or about Steve Coll, American journalist.

Emma Allen is a cartoon editor for The New Yorker. When she was hired for the role in 2017 at the age of 29, she became the youngest and first female cartoon editor in the magazine's history. She is known for selecting new and diverse humor contributors for the magazine. Editor David Remnick called her "a godsend to The New Yorker."

References

  1. ↑ "Mark Singer". Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  2. ↑ Martin, Douglas (May 12, 2015). "William Zinsser, Author of 'On Writing Well,' Dies at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Writers Buckley, Singer, Mayer, and Tierney to discuss 'Things I Learned from William Zinsser'". Yale News. New Haven. October 9, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  4. ↑ MacGregor, Jeff (August 21, 2005). "'Character Studies': The Profiler". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  5. ↑ Collington, Jason (November 14, 2004). "Lead Singer". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  6. ↑ Lee, Susan (June 23, 1985). "Mickey Mouse in Oklahoma". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  7. ↑ Yagoda, Ben (November 10, 1996). "The Black Hole of Journalism". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  8. ↑ Smykus, Ed (May 25, 2013). "Film focuses on sleight of hand legend Ricky Jay". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  9. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (April 16, 2013). "Keeping His Secrets Well Up His Sleeve: 'Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay'". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  10. ↑ Remnick, David (January 11, 2000). Life Stories: Profiles from The New Yorker. ISBN   0375503552.
  11. ↑ Leonard, John (February 13, 2000). "Eustace Tilley, Call Home: Five books chronicle the history of The New Yorker through its first 75 years". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  12. ↑ Walzer, Robert (April 17, 2013). "Now You See the Real Ricky Jay (or Do You?)". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  13. ↑ Carson, Tom (January 22, 2015). "The Years of Magical Thinking: Ricky Jay's Remarkable Career and Legacy". Grantland. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay". IMDB. 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  15. ↑ D'Antonio, Michael (September 25, 2015). "What I Learned Writing Trump's Biography". Politico. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  16. ↑ Stein, Jeff (May 16, 2016). "The ultimate reading list for understanding Donald Trump". Vox. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  17. ↑ Burkeman, Oliver (July 14, 2015). "What is going on in Donald Trump's head?". The Guardian. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  18. ↑ MacGregor, Jeff (August 21, 2005). "'Character Studies': The Profiler". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  19. ↑ Trump, Donald (September 11, 2005). "'Character Studies'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  20. ↑ Terris, Ben (June 17, 2015). "Donald Trump's Handwritten War with the Press". Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  21. ↑ Bukszpan, Daniel (May 26, 2016). "Make Your Coffee Table Great Again. Here's All of the Books Coming Out About Trump". Fortune. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  22. ↑ Robinson, Stephen (June 24, 2016). "Trump & Me by Mark Singer, review: 'an extremely funny profile'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  23. ↑ Kunzru, Hari (July 21, 2016). "Trump and Me by Mark Singer review – 'a lot of laughs but then horror'". The Guardian. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  24. ↑ O'Connell, Larry (July 28, 2017). "John McCain Betrays Republicans… and His Own Legacy". Mediaite. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  25. ↑ Online version is titled "Trump, the man and the image".
  26. ↑ Online version is titled "The do's and dont's of kleptocracy".
  27. ↑ Online version is titled "A subway genius hunts down an apartment mouse".
  28. ↑ Online version is titled "David Milch's third act".
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.