Shapiro, Dana Adam 1974(?)–

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Shapiro, Dana Adam 1974(?)–

PERSONAL: Born c. 1974. Education: Attended college.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Houghton Mifflin, Trade Division, Adult Editorial, 8th Fl., 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116-3764.

CAREER: Editor, writer, and film director. Icon magazine, cofounder; Spin magazine, senior editor. Producer and codirector of film Murderball.

AWARDS, HONORS: American Documentary Audience Award, Sundance Film Festival, 2005, for Murderball.

WRITINGS:

The Every Boy (fiction) Houghton (Boston, MA), 2005.

Contributor to periodicals, including New York Times Magazine.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A screenplay adaptation of The Every Boy, in collaboration with Plan B and Paramount Pictures.

SIDELIGHTS: Dana Adam Shapiro is the author of The Every Boy, a novel focusing on Henry Every, an oddball teenager who drowns as the novel begins. Although dead, Henry leaves behind a 2,600-page diary of notes, pieces of dialogue, and other observations that provides his parents, Hannah and Harlan, a glimpse into their late son's life. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called the book a "freaky first outing." Writing in Publishers Weekly, a critic commented that the author "serves up some wise, lovely characterizations" in his "mostly light-and-sweet narrative." Jennifer Krieger, writing for Bookreporter.com, called the effort a "slender and risky book" and added that "all the characters that flit through the pages of this novel are hopeful creations, so vivid and bizarre and wonderful that we can't help but hope they will leap off the page and into our worlds." In Melbourne's Age, a contributor stated: "A modern-day fable, The Every Boy is full of heart, heightened realism, humour and wisdom. Although his is a distinctly American voice, Shapiro explores universal themes of displacement, alienation, love and dysfunction. With sharp grace and in vivid, spare prose, Shapiro melds innocence and corruption in his characters' interior and exterior lives."

Shapiro also coproduced and codirected a documentary about quadriplegics that was based on an article he wrote for Spin magazine. The film Murderball follows the lives of wheelchair rugby athletes, revealing the misconceptions many have about what it means to be physically impaired. Writing in Entertainment Weekly, Lisa Schwarzbaum called the documentary "rousing" and wrote that the "the filmmaking is as strong as the subject matter, with an elegant structure." Daniel Eagan, writing in Film Journal International, commented: "From its opening shots, Murderball gleefully smashes preconceptions about quadriplegics. This valuable documentary approaches its subject … head-on, with no apologies to the squeamish. Filled with compelling characters and unexpected twists, Murderball turns a potentially grim subject into an affirmation of human spirit."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), September 11, 2005, profile of author.

Daily Variety, February 8, 2005, Robert Koehler, review of Murderball, p. 26; June 24, 2005, Pamela McClintock, "Trio Roll on 'Murderball,'" p. 2.

Entertainment Weekly, July 15, 2005, Lisa Schwarzbaum, review of Murderball, p. 50.

Film Journal International, July, 2005, Daniel Eagan, review of Murderball, p. 102.

Hollywood Reporter, January 31, 2005, Kirk Honeycutt, review of Murderball, p. 12.

Home Care, August 1, 2005, Rebecca Grilliot, review of Murderball.

Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2005, review of The Every Boy, p. 503.

Library Journal, June 15, 2005, Jim Coan, review of The Every Boy, p. 60.

Publishers Weekly, May 9, 2005, review of The Every Boy, p. 42; May 27, 2005, review of Murderball, p. 90.

Time, June 20, 2005, Richard Corliss, review of Murderball, p. 63.