KEENAN, Joe 1958-

PERSONAL:

Born July 14, 1958, in Cambridge, MA; partner of Gerry Bernardi. Education: Attended Columbia University; New York University, M.A.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Studio City, CA.

CAREER:

Writer, producer, playwright, and lyricist. Writer for television series, including Frasier. Producer of television programs, including Frasier, 1993, Sleep with Me, 1994, and Bram and Alice, 2002.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Richard Rodgers Development Award, American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, 1991, and Kleban Award, 1993, both for The Times; Media Award, Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation, 1995, for "The Matchmaker" episode of Frasier; one Emmy Award for writing on Frasier, four Emmy Awards for producing Frasier.

WRITINGS:

An Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Northern Ireland (nonfiction), Athol Books (Belfast, Northern Ireland), 1987.

Blue Heaven (novel), Penguin Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Putting on the Ritz (novel), Viking (New York, NY), 1991.

My Lucky Star (novel), Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2006.

Also author of book and lyrics to musical comedy The Times.

SIDELIGHTS:

Joe Keenan is a successful television writer and producer who has also won praise for his comic novels. His interest in writing began early, and he contributed many plays and songs to school activities. He entered Columbia University as an English major, but found himself more interested in writing and working with theatrical productions. In time he was accepted as a candidate for a master's degree in musical theater at New York University.

Keenan's first novel is a lighthearted comedy in the style of P.G. Wodehouse. Blue Heaven introduced the characters of Philip Cavanaugh, Gilbert Selwyn, and Claire Simmons. Philip, the narrator, is a playwright; Gilbert is his lover, and Claire is Philip's collaborator and their friend. The three go through a variety of madcap adventures, crazy plots, and schemes gone wrong.

The deft and funny writing in Blue Heaven came to the attention of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles, creators of the hit television comedy Cheers. They asked Keenan to help them create a program for their production company. That program, Gloria Vane, was never produced, but thanks to the quality of his work on the scripts for the show, Keenan was next invited to work on a Cheers spinoff, Frasier. Frasier went on to equal or even eclipse Cheers in popularity and awards won, and Keenan was responsible for many aspects of its success.

The fictional characters of Philip, Gilbert, and Claire returned in the books Putting on the Ritz and My Lucky Star. By the time of My Lucky Star, the trio has moved to California to write for television. Booklist contributor Kaite Mediatore Stover called My Lucky Star "a delight for fans of brainy comedy." A Publishers Weekly writer also recommended the book, calling it a "tour de force" worthy of a "large, appreciative audience."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Advocate, January 31, 2006, Alonso Duralde, interview with Joe Keenan, p. 61.

Booklist, November 15, 2005, Kaite Mediatore Stover, review of My Lucky Star, p. 27.

Entertainment Weekly, January 27, 2006, Tim Stack, review of My Lucky Star, p. 89.

Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2005, review of My Lucky Star, p. 1160.

Library Journal, January 1, 2006, Bob Lunn, review of My Lucky Star, p. 97.

Publishers Weekly, November 7, 2005, review of My Lucky Star, p. 50; November 21, 2005, Peter Cannon, "Joe Keenan, Novelist or TV Writer? Stay Tuned …,"p.22.

ONLINE

After Elton,http://www.afterelton.com/ (March 2, 2006), Kilian Mellov, interview with Joe Keenan.

GLBTQ: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Literature,http://www.glbtq.com/ (September 22, 2006), article on Joe Keenan.

Once Written,http://www.oncewritten.com/ (July 15, 2006), Ruston Harker, review of My Lucky Star. *