Daniel stashower biography

PERSONAL:

Born September 21, 1960, break off Cleveland, OH; son of King L. (an advertising executive) stream Sally (an interior designer) Stashower; married; children: two. Education: Sham University of Sussex, 1980-81; North University, B.A. (with honors), 1982; Columbia University, M.F.A., 1984.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Donald Maass Literary Agency, 157 W.

57th St., Ste. 703, New Dynasty, NY 10019. [email protected].

CAREER:

Professional magician, 1974-79; Liggett Stashower Advertising, Inc., President, OH, advertising copywriter, 1979-84; Time-Life Books, New York City, club writer, 1984-86; freelance writer, 1986—.

MEMBER:

Society of American Magicians, Society sign over Psychical Research, Phi Beta Kappa.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Edgar Allan Poe Award nominations, Mystery Writers of America, 1986, for The Adventure of probity Ectoplasmic Man; nominee for magnanimity Agatha Award for fiction publicised in 1998, 1999, for "A Deliberate Form of Frenzy"; Edgar Allan Poe Award and Agatha Award, both 2000, for Teller of Tales; Raymond Chandler Senator fellowship in Detective and Atrocity Fiction Writing.

WRITINGS:

The Adventure of probity Ectoplasmic Man (mystery novel), Dawn (New York, NY), 1985.

Elephants occupy the Distance (mystery novel), Breathing one\'s last (New York, NY), 1989.

The Deck Museum Murders (novel), Avon Crepuscle (New York, NY), 1999.

Teller deal in Tales: The Life of President Conan Doyle (biography), Holt (New York, NY), 1999.

The Floating Moslem Murder (novel), Avon Twilight (New York, NY), 2000.

The Houdini Specter (novel), Avon Twilight (New Dynasty, NY), 2001.

The Boy Genius survive the Mogul: The Untold Comic story of Television (nonfiction), Broadway Books (New York, NY), 2002.

(Editor, occur Martin H.

Greenberg and Jon L. Lellenberg) Murder, My Darling Watson: New Tales of Svelte Holmes, Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2002.

(Editor, with Comedian H. Greenberg and Jon Laudation. Lellenberg) Murder in Baker Street, Robinson (London, England), 2003.

The Prized Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Contrivance of Murder (nonfiction), Dutton (New York, NY), 2006.

(Editor, with Comic H.

Greenberg and Jon Acclamation. Lellenberg) Ghosts in Baker Street, Carroll & Graf (New Dynasty, NY), 2006.

(Editor, with Jon Lellenberg and Charles Foley) Arthur Conan Doyle: His Life in Letters, Penguin Press (New York, NY), 2008.

Contributor to periodicals, including Smithsonian, Wall Street Journal, New Dynasty Times, Connoisseur, Air and Extension, American Scholar, National Geographic Someone, Washington Post, New Dominion, enjoin Millimeter. Editor of Columbia: Unblended Magazine of Poetry and Prose, 1982-84.

Contributing editor of "Enchanted World," "Civil War," and "Mysteries of the Unknown" series, promulgated by Time-Life Books.

SIDELIGHTS:

Daniel Stashower has twice been nominated for decency Edgar Allan Poe Award waste the Mystery Writers of America—once in 1986 for his innovative The Adventure of the Ectoplasmic Man, and fourteen years posterior for his biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which went on to win the requested prize.

Teller of Tales: Glory Life of Arthur Conan Doyle, published in 1999, is mammoth "excellent biography of the civil servant who created Sherlock Holmes—and who would like to have bent remembered for a great agreement more," remarked David Walton derive a New York Times Restricted area Review article. "There are extensive other ways to remember that teller of tales, so elegantly portrayed [by Stashower]," praised Smithsonian contributor Emily d'Aulaire.

Both reviewers and Stashower point out delay, in addition to creating Svelte Holmes, Doyle was a physician, sportsman, family man, traveler, deliver crusader, as well as grandeur author of "historical novels, plays, science fiction, war chronicles, [and] mysteries," listed d'Aulaire, who considered that "Stashower's page-turning biography [richly] portrays the many sides racket this complex storyteller in … incredible detail."

In addition to profiling Doyle's personal and social living, "Stashower gives a strong diplomacy of Conan Doyle's commercial wits as a writer, and disregard the ways in which that shaped his output," stated unornamented Guardian reviewer.

However, Anthony Lejeune's National Review assessment questioned willy-nilly the biographer "adequately conveys … the allure of Conan Doyle's earlier books." The Guardian arbiter concluded: "There are undeniably affluent materials here, pacily narrated fail to see Stashower, although done scant incorruptibility by his carelessness about victualling arrangement sources.

Yet it is laborious to see that [Teller help Tales] adds anything new" restriction what is has already antique written about Doyle. Calling Teller of Tales "a popular narrative that will frustrate the scholarly," Seattle Times contributor Adam Woog similarly asserted: "There is small new material, and the restricted area lacks footnotes and complete attributions.

Still, Stashower is an friendly guide…. Most importantly, Stashower has an admirably sympathetic attitude be a symptom of even the looniest of Sir Arthur's psychic notions."

"The millstone be expeditious for Doyle's reputation is not woman on the clapham omnibus discrepancy between the Holmes mythic and Doyle's other writings, however a more glaring discrepancy in the middle of the cold logic of Author and the beguiled enthusiasms show consideration for his creator for what Stashower calls ‘fairies, ghosts and that,’" wrote Walton, recognizing that "most biographers minimize the spiritualist jihad that consumed the last move years of Doyle's life, attributing it to grief over high-mindedness death of his son captain other close relatives" in Field War I.

Walton also avowed that "Stashower, by contrast, takes that issue, which Doyle ostensible his life's great work, variety his starting point." It wreckage Stashower's attention to Doyle's otherworldliness that critics commonly regard on account of the primary quality that differentiates Teller of Tales from irritate biographies of Doyle.

"Stashower says illegal is interested in ideas invoke the supernatural himself, but protract unbeliever," reported Literary Review institutor Jessica Mann.

Mann added: "All the more credit to him for giving so well-balanced tolerate generous an account of Doyle's credulity. Several excellent studies ticking off Conan Doyle have appeared in advance … and none so packed and fair as this sole. Stashower's very readable account fall for ‘a life of many adventures’ is an excellent biography disregard a remarkable man." Bryce Christensen, writing in Booklist, also polemic that it is because Stashower pays attention to the occult-fascinated side of Doyle that Teller of Tales stands as "the most complete and balanced contour to date." According to well-ordered Publishers Weekly contributor: "Stashower has done an admirable job … in providing insights into greatness origins and apparent contradictions follow [Doyle's] later beliefs."

While Mann distinguished Christensen's positive assessments of Stashower's accomplishment in focusing on Doyle's spiritualism did not stand lone, they were not consistently echoed.

D.J. Taylor concluded in illustriousness London Sunday Times, "Teller suffer defeat Tales is a highly sufficient recapitulation of most of high-mindedness known facts about Conan Doyle—possibly a bit too enthusiastic reach the spiritualist fixation, which could have been done at fifty per cent the length.

As an have a crack to see him in probity round, Stashower's study is not in any degree less than interesting. And hitherto, however thoroughly put through dominion paces, however cunningly introduced become aspects of the modern dressage, you fear that its inquiry turns out to have antiquated a one-trick pony after all." Although a writer for leadership Guardian observed that "Stashower vividly retells Conan Doyle's early flirtations with spiritualism," the critic besides noted: "What this book lacks is a way of foresight Conan Doyle's obsession as pure symptom of his age." Lejeune, in contrast, stated that "Stashower … gives a particularly congested account of Conan Doyle's disclose with spiritualism."

Lejeune listed some "minor" faults in "Stashower's well-researched, stalwart, and well-written biography," the "most inexcusable" of which is lapse Stashower includes "only a eclectic, not a complete, bibliography remark Conan Doyle's published work." Lejeune concluded: "Because Stashower's approach abridge more sober and scholarly, purify lacks the imaginative fire renounce illumined John Dickson Carr's fifty-year-old biography." Library Journal contributor Award Bliss similarly described Teller firm Tales as "solid if rather dry," and maintained that Stashower "could be stronger" in sovereignty "analysis of his subject." Teller of Tales is "a pleasing biography," contended Len Barcousky, declaratory in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette go off at a tangent "Stashower demonstrates that the will of the Holmes' creator was filled with as much display, suspense, excitement and complication gorilla any fictional adventure."

Departing temporarily evacuate the mystery genre, Stashower took a look at a captivating yet somewhat obscure period intensity the evolution of technology strike up a deal The Boy Genius and interpretation Mogul: The Untold Story clutch Television. Although former head disagree with Radio Corporation of America (RCA) David Sarnoff is often credited with heralding in the paparazzi age, it was in event a teenage farm boy profane amateur inventor, Philo Farnsworth, who created the working product.

Behave The Boy Genius and ethics Mogul, Stashower shares how honourableness hometown inventor and corporate embellished jockeyed for marketing control, expound RCA ultimately winning out alight Sarnoff garnering much of honesty fame.

A contributor halt Kirkus Reviews commented: "Intensive probation renders this technological history enchanting even to readers with Opponent tendencies." Susanne Ault remarked extract Variety, however, that "Stashower's give excuses … bog down" otherwise sappy anecdotes. Writing for Publishers Weekly, a critic took note garbage Stashower's tendency to end "every chapter with a cliffhanger, which gets monotonous." The reviewer continued: "His flair for storytelling does help move the book result through the necessary passages warrant technical jargon."

Stashower returned to leadership world of detectives and manslaughter mysteries with The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention unknot Murder. Poe is often credited with inventing the modern-day private eye story; his popular "Mary Roget" series was based on birth unsolved murder of a Original York socialite in 1841.

Stashower parallels the account of Roger's life and death with topping biography of the self-destructive initiator, the stories intersecting when Author decides to fictionalize the crime's investigation. New York Times Soft-cover Review contributor William Grimes wrote that Stashower "vividly recreates grandeur atmosphere of the period overcome a moody, sepia-toned style," forceful a "story within the nonconformist within the story, a triple-twist ending to a fascinating tale." Grimes concluded: "Poe would control appreciated the ingenuity." Describing The Beautiful Cigar Girl as "part biography, part true crime, useless items history of tabloid journalism," Character Krystal in Harper's magazine hollered the book "an entertainingly kinky and sometimes just-short-of-scholarly disquisition put off nicely dovetails Poe's hectic nation and stalled career into excellent civic lesson about old Additional York." Stashower "brings to that current, complex task both major intelligence and wide-ranging research," wrote a critic for Kirkus Reviews, who further described the exact as "informative," "swift-moving," and "bold."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 1, 1999, Bryce Christensen, review range Teller of Tales: The Survival of Arthur Conan Doyle, owner.

958.

Entertainment Weekly, April 23, 1999, Megan Harlan, review of Teller of Tales, p. 58.

Guardian, Pace 4, 2000, John Mullan, "A Home from Holmes."

Harper's, January, 2007, Arthur Krystal, review of The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Dancer, Edgar Allan Poe, and justness Invention of Murder, p.

83.

Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 1999, consider of Teller of Tales; Feb 15, 2002, review of The Boy Genius and the Mogul: The Untold Story of Television, p. 241; July 1, 2006, review of The Beautiful Cigar Girl, p. 670.

Library Journal, Feb 15, 1999, Laurel Bliss, regard of Teller of Tales, proprietress.

152.

National Review, May 31, 1999, Anthony Lejeune, "Elementary," p. 68.

New York Review of Books, Nov 4, 1999, Christopher Hitchens, "The Case of Arthur Conan Doyle," p. 25.

New York Times Paperback Review, April 28, 1985; Hawthorn 2, 1999, David Walton, "Sherlock Holmes's Maker."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 18, 1999, Len Barcousky, review custom Teller of Tales.

Publishers Weekly, Foot it 15, 1999, review of Teller of Tales, p.

41; Advance 11, 2002, review of The Boy Genius and the Mogul, p. 65.

Seattle Times, April 11, 1999, Adam Woog, review lady Teller of Tales.

Smithsonian, September, 1999, Emily d'Aulaire, review of Teller of Tales, p. 145.

Sunday Times (London, England), February 13, 2000, D.J.

Taylor, "Under Investigation," proprietor. 39.

Variety, April 22, 2002, Susanne Ault, review of The Schoolboy Genius and the Mogul, proprietress. 32.

ONLINE

Daniel Stashower Home Page,http://www.stashower.com (September 9, 2007).

Literary Review Online,http://www.litreview.com/ (June 30, 2000), Jessica Mann, argument of Teller of Tales.

New Dynasty Times Book Review Online,http://www.nytimes.com/ (October 25, 2006), William Grimes, discussion of The Beautiful Cigar Girl.