Scott Anderson (novelist)

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Scott Anderson
Born1959 (age 64–65)
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
GenreNon-fiction

Scott Anderson (born 1959) is an American novelist, non-fiction author, and war correspondent. He has authored non-fiction books including Lawrence in Arabia, The Man Who tried to Save the World, and War Zones, as well as the novels Triage and Moonlight Hotel. He is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Esquire, Men's Journal, Vanity Fair and other publications.

Early life and education

Anderson was born in Sebastopol, California and he has three sisters and his brother is the author Jon Lee Anderson, his sister Michelle is also a writer. He grew up in East Asia, primarily in Taiwan and Korea, where his father was an agricultural advisor for the American government. [1] When asked about his father's experience and his own in his career, in a 2006 interview with New York magazine, Anderson said "I saw his frustrations with projects that were often just boondoggles mandated by the government." [2] Anderson went to high school in Northern Florida and he received an M.F.A in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop. [3]

Career

Writing

Anderson pursued a writing career at the age of nineteen. He was working in a governmental job in Washington and thinking about the possibility of attending college when, he describes, one weekend having an idea to write a novel. The next week he quit his job, ended his engagement to his then fiancée, and set out to become a writer. [4] Anderson would do menial jobs like fruit-picking and bartending, to support himself financially until he gained success with his writing.

War correspondence

He initially wanted to be an author of fiction, and he his first pursuit into war reporting occurred in 1983. Anderson had been travelling around Europe and had heard about stringers and wished to find out more, he was suggested by someone in an Associated Press office in Greece, to travel to Beirut. [4] The Mountain War, as part of the ongoing Lebanese Civil War, had broken out in the Summer of 1983 just before Anderson left for Beirut to report on events.

Anderson's career as a published war correspondent began in 1994 with an article in the New York Times Magazine about violence as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. For the article, Anderson travelled regularly, throughout the years before publication, to Northern Ireland to gain a glimpse into "the Belfast underworld" and met members of the Provisional IRA, for instance. [5] Anderson would go on to write another article for The New York Times Magazine, and Harper's Magazine, in 1994 about the situation in Northern Ireland. [6] [7] During the 1990s, Anderson reported on Fred Cuny, an American humanitarian working in conflict and disaster zones who disappeared in 1995, as well as the Bosnian War, and situation in Albania as a result of war in Kosovo in 1999. [8] [9] [10] The 2007 movie The Hunting Party starring Richard Gere and Terrence Howard, is partially based on his work in Bosnia.[11]

In 2001, Anderson travelled to Turkey to report on the Turkish hunger strike in prisons which occurred within the backdrop of the Turkish economic crisis, for The New York Times Magazine. [12] During the 2000s, Anderson repeatedly reported on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. [13] [14] [15] [16] He also covered tensions in the Middle East, including War in Darfur and the disarmament of Libya. [17] [18]

In a 2017 interview, Anderson describes becoming a parent as having affected his decision to limit active war reporting, saying he has a "moral responsibility" to stay safe for his child. [4]

Broadcasting and media appearances

In a September 2009 issue of GQ, Anderson wrote an article supporting the theory of Putin's role in the Russian apartment bombings, based in part on his interviews with Mikhail Trepashkin.[19] The journal owner, Condé Nast, then took extreme measures to prevent an article by Anderson from appearing in the Russian media, both physically and in translation.[20] According to the NPR, Anderson was asked not to syndicate the article to any Russian publications, but told GQ he would refuse the request.

The 2009 drama film Triage starring Colin Farrell, Paz Vega and Sir Christopher Lee, is based on his novel. Lawrence in Arabia narrates the experiences of T. E. Lawrence in Arabia and explores the complexity of the Middle East. [21]

Other projects

Since 2000, Anderson co-owned bar-restaurant The Half King, in New York City, with wife Nanette Burstein and fellow journalist Sebastian Junger until it closed in January 2019. The Half King was known for hosting readings, screenings and photography exhibits to encourage people interested in writing, publishing and filmmaking. [22] [23]

Reception

Personal life

His brother is Jon Lee Anderson, an author and journalist, and they have co-authored two books. [24] Anderson is married to American film and television director Nanette Burstein. They currently live in Brooklyn, New York with their daughter.

Awards and recognition

Bibliography

Non-fiction

  • Inside the League. With Jon Lee Anderson (Dodd Mead, 1986 ISBN 9780396085171)
  • War Zones. With Jon Lee Anderson (Dodd Mead, 1988 ISBN 9780396089155)
  • The 4 O'clock Murders (Doubleday, 1992 ISBN 9780385419048)
  • The Man who Tried to Save the World (Anchor, 2000 ISBN 9780385486668)
  • Lawrence in Arabia. (Doubleday, 2013 ISBN 978-0-385-53292-1)
  • Fractured Lands. (Anchor, 2017 ISBN 978-0-525-43443-6)
  • The Quiet Americans. (Penguin Random House, 2020 ISBN 978-0-593-29520-5)

Select articles

Fiction

References

  1. ^ Scott Anderson, the coolest man in journalism, an interview by Sasha Sanchez.
  2. ^ Kachka, Boris (May 18, 2006). "War Novelist: Scott Anderson". New York Magazine. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "Scott Anderson - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Episode 1: Scott Anderson". Detours Podcast. April 29, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Anderson, Scott (January 18, 1994). "Opinion | The Price of Peace in Ulster". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  6. ^ Anderson, Scott (February 1994). "Making a killing: the high cost of peace in Northern Ireland". Harper's Magazine. National Library of Ireland. pp. 45–54.
  7. ^ Anderson, Scott (September 2, 1994). "Opinion | In Ulster, Just the End Of the Beginning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  8. ^ Anderson, Scott (February 25, 1996). "What Happened to Fred Cuny?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Anderson, Scott (September 8, 1996). "Bosnia's Last Best Hope". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  10. ^ Anderson, Scott (December 26, 1999). "The Curse Of Blood and Vengeance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  11. ^ "Scott Anderson". thehalfking.com. September 22, 2020.
  12. ^ Anderson, Scott (October 21, 2001). "The Hunger Warriors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  13. ^ Anderson, Scott (April 14, 2002). "The Cleanup". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  14. ^ Anderson, Scott (December 29, 2002). "THE LIVES THEY LIVED; The Target". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  15. ^ Anderson, Scott. "Gaza's Grand Delusion | Vanity Fair". Vanity Fair | The Complete Archive. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Anderson, Scott (September 3, 2006). "Besieged". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  17. ^ Anderson, Scott (January 17, 2003). "The Makeover". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  18. ^ Anderson, Scott (October 17, 2004). "How Did Darfur Happen?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  19. ^ Who was behind the 1999 Moscow apartment bombings that accelerated Vladimir Putin's rise to power? by Scott Anderson, GQ Magazine, March 30, 2017
  20. ^ Why 'GQ' Doesn't Want Russians To Read Its Story, by David Folkenflik, NPR, September 4, 2009.
  21. ^ Anderson, Scott (August 8, 2013). "review of Lawrence in Arabia". The New York Times. NY Times.
  22. ^ "The Half King's Reign in Chelsea is Over". ny1.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  23. ^ Norman, Derek M. (January 25, 2019). "The Half King Is Dead. Long Live the Half King". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  24. ^ "Author Interview: Scott Anderson, Author Of 'Lawrence In Arabia'". NPR.org. August 19, 2013.
  25. ^ Kirsten Reach (January 14, 2014). "NBCC finalists announced". Melville House Publishing. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  26. ^ "Announcing the National Book Critics Awards Finalists for Publishing Year 2013". National Book Critics Circle. January 14, 2014. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.

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