Thomas Dyja

Thomas Dyja
BornBelmont Cragin, Chicago
OccupationWriter
EducationColumbia University (BA)
Notable awardsHeartland Prize (2013)
Casey Award (1997)

Thomas Dyja is an American writer, living in New York City.[1] He has written three novels, a biography of civil rights activist Walter Francis White, historical books on Chicago and New York City. Play For A Kingdom received the Casey Award[2] and The Third Coast won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction.[3]

Early life and education

Dyja grew up in Belmont Cragin, Chicago and attended Gordon Technical High School. He moved to New York City to attend Columbia University, graduating in 1984.[1][4]

Writing

Dyja's novel The Moon In Our Hands is based on the life of Walter Francis White.[5]

His history of New York City, New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess, and Transformation, covers the terms of five New York City mayors: Ed Koch (1978–1989), David Dinkins (1990–1993), Rudy Giuliani (1994–2001), Michael Bloomberg (2002–2013) and Bill de Blasio (2013–present).[6]

Publications

Novels by Dyja

  • Play For A Kingdom: a Novel. Mariner, 1998. ISBN 978-0156006293.[7]
  • Meet John Trow. Viking, 2002. ISBN 978-0670030996.[8][9]
  • The Moon In Our Hands: a Novel. Da Capo, 2005. ISBN 978-0786715053.

Non-fiction books by Dyja

Books with contributions by Dyja

Books edited by Dyja

  • Heart: Stories of Learning to Love Again. Illumina. Marlowe, 2001. ISBN 978-1569246429.
  • Life-Changing Stories of Coming of Age. Illumina. Marlowe, 2001. ISBN 978-1569245767.
  • Awake: Stories of Life-Changing Epiphanies. Illumina. Marlowe, 2001. ISBN 978-1569245835.
  • Life-Changing Stories of Forgiving and Being Forgiven. Illumina. Marlowe, 2001. ISBN 978-1569245750.

Booked edited with others

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b Levitt, Aimee (17 April 2013). "Thomas Dyja talks about The Third Coast and Chicago's glory years". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  2. ^ a b "CASEY Award: Best Baseball Book - Spitball Magazine". www.spitballmag.com. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  3. ^ Taylor, Elizabeth (3 November 2013). "Thomas Dyja's 'The Third Coast' awarded nonfiction Heartland Prize". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  4. ^ "The City That Never Sleeps — or Stays the Same". Columbia College Today. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  5. ^ "The Leonard Lopate Show: The Moon in Our Hands". WQXR. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  6. ^ Katz, Brent. "How Does New York City Keep Reinventing Itself? (Bonus)". Freakonomics Radio. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  7. ^ "Play for a Kingdom, by Thomas Dyja (Warner Books, £6.99 in UK)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  8. ^ Mazmanian, Adam (14 July 2002). "BOOKS IN BRIEF: FICTION". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  9. ^ "Hot or What: Thomas Dyja". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  10. ^ "'Walter White: The Dilemma of Black Identity in America'". Wall Street Journal. 18 October 2008. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  11. ^ Schneiderman, Davis (1 April 2014). "Won't You Please Come to Chicago?: A Conversation With Thomas Dyja on The Third Coast". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  12. ^ Turow, Scott (16 May 2013). "A Time When Things Started in Chicago". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  13. ^ Savage, Bill (21 April 2013). "Review: 'The Third Coast' by Thomas Dyja". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  14. ^ Baker, Kevin (16 March 2021). "How New York City Pulled Itself Out of the Lower Depths". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  15. ^ "Four Decades of Downs and Ups in New York City". The New York Times. 19 March 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  16. ^ "Edward Albee wins Tribune's top award for writing". Los Angeles Times. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 2021-03-23.