John Searles
Encyclopedia
John Searles is an American writer and magazine editor
. He is the author of two bestselling novel
s, Boy Still Missing (ISBN 0-06-082243-0) and Strange But True (ISBN 0-06-072179-0). His essays have appeared in the The Washington Post
, the New York Times, and other national magazines and newspapers.
, Searles is the son of a truck-driver father and stay-at-home mom. After high school, Searles worked at the DuPont
factory close to his hometown. He quickly realized that the job wasn't for him and set his sights on becoming the first in his family to graduate college. He earned an undergraduate degree
from a Connecticut state university
before moving to New York City
to attend New York University
on a writing scholarship. His stories were quick to receive recognition at the school, winning two top literary awards. After completing his MFA
, Searles took a job at Redbook
magazine reading fiction submissions for fifty cents a story. He soon moved onto a part-time position in the books department at Cosmopolitan
, where he is now the Editorial Brand Director, overseeing the magazine's numerous off-shoots as well as all book coverage.
named him a “Person to Watch” and the New York Daily News
named him a “New Yorker to Watch.” Strange But True was also named the best novel of 2004 by Salon.com
. Searles appears frequently on morning shows such as NBC
's Today, CBS
's The Early Show
, Live! with Regis & Kelly
, and CNN
, to discuss his favorite seasonal book selections. He is at work on his third novel, to be published by William Morrow/HarperCollins
in 2012.
You can watch videos featuring John Searles by clicking here:
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. He is the author of two bestselling novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, Boy Still Missing (ISBN 0-06-082243-0) and Strange But True (ISBN 0-06-072179-0). His essays have appeared in the The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the New York Times, and other national magazines and newspapers.
Life
Born and raised in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, Searles is the son of a truck-driver father and stay-at-home mom. After high school, Searles worked at the DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
factory close to his hometown. He quickly realized that the job wasn't for him and set his sights on becoming the first in his family to graduate college. He earned an undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
from a Connecticut state university
Connecticut State University System
The Connecticut State University System is a public university system in Connecticut. CSUS consists of four comprehensive universities with more than 36,500 students and 180,000 alumni. It is the largest university system in the state. The system dates back to the founding Central Connecticut...
before moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to attend New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
on a writing scholarship. His stories were quick to receive recognition at the school, winning two top literary awards. After completing his MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
, Searles took a job at Redbook
Redbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
magazine reading fiction submissions for fifty cents a story. He soon moved onto a part-time position in the books department at Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, where he is now the Editorial Brand Director, overseeing the magazine's numerous off-shoots as well as all book coverage.
Accolades
Upon the publication of his first novel, TIMETime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
named him a “Person to Watch” and the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
named him a “New Yorker to Watch.” Strange But True was also named the best novel of 2004 by Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
. Searles appears frequently on morning shows such as NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
, Live! with Regis & Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, to discuss his favorite seasonal book selections. He is at work on his third novel, to be published by William Morrow/HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in 2012.
External links
- HarperCollins Author page
- Interview with Algonquin Books, July 25, 2011
- Q & A with John Searles, Mediabistro.com, July 16, 2004
- "BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Ronnie's Awfully Fertile for a Dead Guy," New York Times Book Review, July 22, 2004
- Review of Strange But True, Salon.com, September 2, 2004
- "'Strange But True' is truly dark," USA Today, July 28, 2004
- "Authors 'phone it in' to appreciative book clubs," USA Today, January 4, 2006
- "John Searles' latest novel practically wrote itself after unsettling experience," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 8, 2004
You can watch videos featuring John Searles by clicking here: