John Darnton
Encyclopedia
John Darnton is an American
journalist and author.
, Darnton joined The New York Times
as a copyboy in 1966. Two years later he became a reporter and for the next eight years he worked in and around New York City, including stints as the Connecticut correspondent, during the Black Panther
trials in New Haven
, and as a City Hall reporter in the Lindsay and Beame
Administrations. In 1976 he went abroad as a foreign correspondent, first covering Africa out of Lagos
, Nigeria
, and then, when the military government there expelled him in 1977, out of Nairobi
, Kenya
. He covered protests in South Africa
, liberation movements in Rhodesia
, guerrilla fighting in Ethiopia
, Somalia
, Zaire
and elsewhere and the fall of Idi Amin
in Uganda
. His work in Africa
earned him the 1978 George Polk Award. In 1979, he covered Eastern Europe for the Times, based in Warsaw, Poland, and he received both the Polk Award and the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Journalism
for his coverage of Poland
under martial law when he smuggled stories out of the country. He went on to become the bureau chief in Madrid
and London
and also served as the deputy foreign editor, the metropolitan editor and the cultural news editor at the Times. He retired from the Times in 2005.
, Darnton published his first novel, Neanderthal
. The novel, which received a number of positive reviews and was well-received, became a bestseller overnight. Since his first success, Darnton has continued his career, publishing mostly thrillers with much scientific and historical detail. His 2005
novel, The Darwin Conspiracy, deals with Victorian era
England
.
His next novel, Black and White and Dead All Over, is a satirical roman à clef
about a string of murders at a newspaper suspiciously like the New York Times.
. In 2009, John Darnton was named curator of the George Polk Awards
.
, a New York Times war correspondent who was killed in New Guinea
in 1942 during World War II
. His brother is the cultural historian Robert Darnton
.
Darnton and his wife, the journalist Nina Darnton, live in New York City. They have two daughters, Kyra and Liza, and a son, Jaime.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist and author.
At The New York Times
After attending the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, Darnton joined The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as a copyboy in 1966. Two years later he became a reporter and for the next eight years he worked in and around New York City, including stints as the Connecticut correspondent, during the Black Panther
Black panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
trials in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, and as a City Hall reporter in the Lindsay and Beame
Abraham Beame
Abraham David "Abe" Beame was mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977. As such, he presided over the city during the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, during which the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy....
Administrations. In 1976 he went abroad as a foreign correspondent, first covering Africa out of Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, and then, when the military government there expelled him in 1977, out of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. He covered protests in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, liberation movements in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, guerrilla fighting in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
and elsewhere and the fall of Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. His work in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
earned him the 1978 George Polk Award. In 1979, he covered Eastern Europe for the Times, based in Warsaw, Poland, and he received both the Polk Award and the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Journalism
Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
This Pulitzer Prize has been awarded since 1942 for a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence. In its first six years , it was called the Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting - International...
for his coverage of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
under martial law when he smuggled stories out of the country. He went on to become the bureau chief in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and also served as the deputy foreign editor, the metropolitan editor and the cultural news editor at the Times. He retired from the Times in 2005.
As author
In 19961996 in literature
The year 1996 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is removed from an advanced placement English reading list in Lindale, Texas because it "conflicted with the values of the community."* In the United Kingdom, the first...
, Darnton published his first novel, Neanderthal
Neanderthal (novel)
Neanderthal is a 1996 bestselling novel written by John Darnton.-Plot introduction:The plot of Neanderthal revolves around two rival scientists, Matt Mattison and Susan Arnot, who are sent by the United States government to search for missing anthropologist James Kellicut. Their only clue for their...
. The novel, which received a number of positive reviews and was well-received, became a bestseller overnight. Since his first success, Darnton has continued his career, publishing mostly thrillers with much scientific and historical detail. His 2005
2005 in literature
The year 2005 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 25 - Canada Reads selects Rockbound by Frank Parker Day as the novel to be read across the nation....
novel, The Darwin Conspiracy, deals with Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
His next novel, Black and White and Dead All Over, is a satirical roman à clef
Roman à clef
Roman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
about a string of murders at a newspaper suspiciously like the New York Times.
Academia
He recently taught at the State University of New York at New PaltzState University of New York at New Paltz
The State University of New York at New Paltz, known as SUNY New Paltz for short, is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It was founded in 1828 as the School for teaching of classics. In 1885, the New Paltz Normal and Training School was established as a school to prepare teachers for the...
. In 2009, John Darnton was named curator of the George Polk Awards
George Polk Awards
The George Polk Awards in Journalism are a series of American journalism awards presented annually by Long Island University in New York in the United States.-History:...
.
Family
Darnton is a son of Byron DarntonByron Darnton
Byron Darnton was an American reporter and war correspondent for the New York Times in the Pacific theater during World War II....
, a New York Times war correspondent who was killed in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
in 1942 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His brother is the cultural historian Robert Darnton
Robert Darnton
Robert Darnton is an American cultural historian, recognized as a leading expert on 18th-century France.-Life:He graduated from Harvard University in 1960, attended Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship, and earned a Ph.D. in history from Oxford in 1964, where he studied with Richard Cobb,...
.
Darnton and his wife, the journalist Nina Darnton, live in New York City. They have two daughters, Kyra and Liza, and a son, Jaime.
Novels
- Neanderthal (1996)
- The Experiment (1999)
- Mind Catcher (2002)
- The Darwin Conspiracy (2005)
- Black & White and Dead All Over (2008)
- Almost a Family: A Memoir (2011)
External links
- John Darnton at the Internet Book List