Ehrenhaft, Daniel 1970- (Erin Haft, Daniel Parker)

views updated

Ehrenhaft, Daniel 1970- (Erin Haft, Daniel Parker)

PERSONAL:

Born August 12, 1970, in Washington, DC; married; wife's name Jessica. Education: Attended Columbia University. Hobbies and other interests: Music, especially music composed from 1966 to 1982, reading, mob movies, ping-pong, volunteering for 826nyc (a nonprofit literacy and writing lab for children).

ADDRESSES:

Home—Brooklyn, NY. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Musician, composer, and author. Former worker in a cheese shop.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Edgar Award, Mystery Writers of America, for best young adult novel, 2003, for the "Wessex Papers" trilogy; 10 Things to Do before I Die was selected for the Best Teen Books of 2005, New York Public Library.

WRITINGS:

Marc Andreessen: Web Warrior (nonfiction; for young adults), Twenty-first Century Books (Brookfield, CT), 2001.

Larry Ellison: Sheer Nerve (nonfiction; for young adults), Twenty-first Century Books (Brookfield, CT), 2001.

The Last Dog on Earth (young adult novel), Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2003.

10 Things to Do before I Die (novel), Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Tell It to Naomi (young adult novel), Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Drawing a Blank; or, How I Tried to Solve a Mystery, End a Feud, and Land the Girl of My Dreams (young adult novel), illustrated by Trevor Ristow, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2006.

The After Life (young adult novel), Razorbill (New York, NY), 2006.

Pool Boys (young adult novel), Scholastic (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to My Dad's a Punk: 12 Stories about Boys and Their Fathers, edited by Tony Bradman, Kingfisher (Boston, MA), 2006.

YOUNG ADULT FICTION; UNDER PSEUDONYM DANIEL PARKER

Trent, HarperTrophy (New York, NY), 2000.

Trust Falls (first novel in the "Wessex" trilogy; supernatural fiction), Avon Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Fallout (second novel in the "Wessex" trilogy; supernatural fiction), Avon Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Outsmart (third novel in the "Wessex" trilogy; supernatural fiction), Avon Books (New York, NY), 2002.

"COUNTDOWN" SERIES; YOUNG ADULT FANTASY FICTION; UNDER PSEUDONYM DANIEL PARKER

January, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1998.

February, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

March, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

April, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

May, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

June, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

July, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

August, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

September, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

October, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

November, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

December, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

"WATCHING ALICE" SERIES; YOUNG ADULT FICTION; UNDER PSEUDONYM DANIEL PARKER; WITH LEE MILLER

Break the Surface, Razorbill (New York, NY), 2004.

Walk on Water, Razorbill (New York, NY), 2004.

Seek the Prophet, Razorbill (New York, NY), 2004.

Find the Miracle, Razorbill (New York, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS:

Daniel Ehrenhaft is a prolific author of young adult fiction. He has penned tales ranging from the supernatural to mysteries to comedies and thrillers. Under the pen name Daniel Parker, for instance, he published the "Countdown" series about teenagers battling the Demon Lilith after a plague has killed off everyone over twenty years of age. The somewhat more realistic young adult novel The Last Dog on Earth is about a troubled teen named Logan, who finds comfort through the love of his dog. A mysterious plague is killing dogs around the world, however, and the disease can be passed along to people. Trying to protect his pet from murderous vigilantes, Logan flees his home and runs into his biological father, a scientist who has developed a vaccine for the disease. However, his father requires a dog who is immune to the disease to finish his work, and it turns out that Logan's pet is just such a dog. A Publishers Weekly critic wrote: "If the bittersweet ending stretches credibility, this is still a smartly written, thoroughly engrossing tale." In the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Rachel Seftel observed that the novel is basically "a traditional boy-and-his-dog story" that is weakened by its subplots and "somewhat heavy-handed" foreshadowing. However, Seftel concluded that the tale is "an interesting and absorbing variation on this somewhat conventional theme."

Ehrenhaft often employs situational comedy and humorous characters in his stories, even when they deal with serious themes. In 10 Things to Do before I Die, for example, teenager Ted Burger believes he has been fatally poisoned by a psychotic fast-food cook. He resolves to fulfill all his life goals in a single day, but his plans go awry. Kliatt contributor Paula Rohrlick appreciated the realistic narrative and the main character's "self-deprecating" sense of humor, adding that the story is "lively fun." Francisca Goldsmith, writing in the School Library Journal, considered the characters to be "engaging and likable."

Tell It to Naomi is the story of teenager Dave Rosen, who writes an advice column for his school paper. When the paper's editor does not believe Dave could write with such a feminine voice, the sophomore attributes the column to his older sister, Naomi, an unemployed journalist. The advice column causes quite a stir, and might even help Dave win over the heart of a girl he loves from afar. The subterfuge eventually falls apart to reveal the truth, however, in "a typical and timeless story about a teenager and his unfulfilled love," as Daniela Kostadinovska described it in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. A Publishers Weekly contributor praised the "snappy dialogue and an impeccable sense of timing." "Hilarious, honest, and raw" is how Gillian Engberg characterized the novel in Booklist, while Kliatt writer Claire Rosser called it "fun entertainment."

In a unique blend of young adult mystery and graphic novel, Drawing a Blank; or, How I Tried to Solve aMystery, End a Feud, and Land the Girl of My Dreams features Carlton Dunne, the son of a wealthy man who has been kidnapped. Resolving to rescue his father, Carlton must journey to Scotland and discover the meaning behind an old family feud. There he meets a mysterious woman who promises to help him. Carlton, who enjoys drawing comic books, turns her into a superheroine in an illustrated tale that in many ways parallels the plot in the main novel. A Publishers Weekly critic felt that the parallel comic book tale could have done more "to carry the plot points instead of simply mirroring the events of the narrative" but still found the book a "fun, light read." Kliatt reviewer Rohrlick considered it a "lighthearted entertainment." In Booklist, Carolyn Phelan concluded that Drawing a Blank is "a fresh, effervescent combination of mystery, adventure, and teen angst."

The After Life features another teenager, Will, who goes on an unexpected adventure. He has just learned about his biological father, who has left him a two-million-dollar inheritance provided Will can drive his father's car from Miami to New York City. The problem is that Will does not yet know how to drive. What follows is a wild road trip in which the characters indulge in drugs and alcohol while working through mixed emotions about their parents. "Readers will almost certainly feel compelled to finish this surreal trip, even if, at the end, they are nearly as exhausted as the protagonists," declared a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 15, 2001, Carolyn Phelan, review of Marc Andreessen: Web Warrior, p. 1396; September 15, 2004, Gillian Engberg, review of Tell It to Naomi, p. 232; November 1, 2004, Debbie Carton, review of 10 Things to Do before I Die, p. 475; May 1, 2006, Carolyn Phelan, review of Drawing a Blank; or, How I Tried to Solve a Mystery, End a Feud, and Land the Girl of My Dreams, p. 42.

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, November, 2003, Rachel Seftel, review of The Last Dog on Earth, p. 274; February, 2005, Daniela Kostadinovska, review of Tell It to Naomi, p. 440; April, 2005, Sara Ann Schettler, review of 10 Things to Do before I Die, p. 624.

Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2002, review of The Last Dog on Earth, p. 1767; May 15, 2004, review of Tell It to Naomi, p. 490; November 1, 2004, review of 10 Things to Do before I Die, p. 1044; May 1, 2006, review of Drawing a Blank, p. 456; September 1, 2006, review of The After Life, p. 902.

Kliatt, May, 2004, Claire Rosser, review of Tell It to Naomi, p. 18; November, 2004, Paula Rohrlick, review of 10 Things to Do before I Die, p. 8; May, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review of Drawing a Blank, p. 8; September, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review of 10 Things to Do before I Die, p. 21.

Publishers Weekly, January 27, 2003, review of The Last Dog on Earth, p. 260; June 28, 2004, review of Tell It to Naomi, p. 51; June 5, 2006, review of Drawing a Blank, p. 65; October 30, 2006, review of The After Life, p. 63.

School Library Journal, July, 2001, Mary Mueller, review of Marc Andreessen, p. 122; December, 2001, Yapha Nussbaum Mason, review of Larry Ellison: Sheer Nerve, p. 153; February, 2003, Mary Ann Carcich, review of The Last Dog on Earth, p. 141; August, 2004, Angela M. Boccuzzi, review of Tell It to Naomi, p. 120; November, 2004, Francisca Goldsmith, review of 10 Things to Do before I Die, p. 142; June, 2006, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Drawing a Blank, p. 154.