Adam Gopnik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adam Gopnik
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Gopnik in 2014
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| Born | August 24, 1956 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Education | McGill University (BA) |
| Period | 1986–present |
| Parents | Myrna Gopnik (mother) |
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Adam Gopnik (born August 24, 1956) is an American writer and essayist. He grew up in Montreal, Canada. He is most famous for being a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine. He has written many different types of articles for them since 1986. These include true stories, made-up stories, personal memories, and reviews.
Adam Gopnik has written nine books. Some of his well-known books are Paris to the Moon and The King in the Window. In 2020, one of his essays was named the most-assigned non-fiction piece in English classes.
Contents
Adam Gopnik's Early Life and School
Adam Gopnik was born in Philadelphia, USA. He grew up in Montreal, Canada. His family lived in a unique building called Habitat 67.
Both of his parents were professors at McGill University. His father, Irwin, taught English literature. His mother, Myrna, taught linguistics, which is the study of language.
Gopnik went to Dawson College. Then he studied at McGill University. He earned a degree in art history there. He also wrote for the student newspaper, The McGill Daily. Later, he did more studies at the New York University Institute of Fine Arts.
He also helped put together an art show. It was called High/Low at New York's Museum of Modern Art. He also wrote about how art and big ideas, like religion, are connected.
Adam Gopnik's Writing Career
Writing for The New Yorker Magazine
In 1986, Adam Gopnik started working with The New Yorker magazine. His first article showed his wide range of interests. It connected baseball, childhood, and Renaissance art. He has written for four different editors at the magazine.
Gopnik has written many things for The New Yorker. These include fiction stories, funny pieces, book reviews, and profiles of people. He also writes reports from around the world. After his first article, he became the magazine's art critic. He held this job from 1987 to 1995.
In 1995, The New Yorker sent him to Paris, France. He wrote "Paris Journals" about life in the city. These essays were later put into a book called Paris to the Moon. This book became a bestseller.
After five years in Paris, Gopnik moved back to New York City. He continued to write about life there. He still writes for The New Yorker today. In recent years, he has written about important topics that affect society and communities.
Adam Gopnik's Books
Besides Paris to the Moon, Gopnik wrote Through the Children's Gate in 2006. This book shares his thoughts on life in New York. It also talks about the funny parts of being a parent. Much of this material first appeared in The New Yorker.
In 2005, he wrote a children's novel called The King in the Window. It's about an American boy named Oliver living in Paris. Oliver is mistaken for a magical king. He gets caught in an old battle between Window Wraiths and the Master of Mirrors.
Another book, Angels and Ages, came out in 2009. It was about Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. In 2010, he published another children's fantasy novel. It was called The Steps Across the Water. This book follows a young girl named Rose in a magical city called U Nork.
In 2011, Gopnik gave the 50th Massey Lectures in Canada. He talked about ideas from his book Winter: Five Windows on the Season. His book The Table Comes First (2011) is all about food, cooking, and restaurants.
In 2019, Gopnik wrote A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism. This non-fiction book explores ideas about freedom and society. His most recent book, The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery, was published in 2023.
Adam Gopnik and Musical Theatre
Adam Gopnik started working on musicals in 2015. He writes the song lyrics and the story (called the libretto). He worked with composer David Shire on a musical comedy called Table. It was later renamed The Most Beautiful Room in New York.
He also wrote the story for an oratorio (a large musical work) called Sentences. It was performed in London in 2015. He has worked on other musical projects too, writing songs for shows.
Adam Gopnik's Family Life
Adam Gopnik lives in New York City. He lives with his wife, Martha Rebecca Parker. They have two children, Luke and Olivia. Martha's mother is the Canadian filmmaker Gudrun Parker.
Adam Gopnik has five siblings. His brother, Blake Gopnik, is an art critic. His sister, Alison Gopnik, is a psychologist and professor.
Awards and Public Appearances
Adam Gopnik has appeared on the talk show Charlie Rose. He has won three National Magazine Awards for his essays and reviews. He also received a George Polk Award for his magazine reporting.
His writing about the culture of the United States is featured in the Encyclopædia Britannica. Gopnik helps judge the New York International Children's Film Festival.
In 2015, he wrote and presented Lighting Up New York. This was a cultural journey through New York's recent history for Britain's BBC Four. He also often contributes to the BBC Radio 4 show A Point of View.
He taught at the annual Iceland Writers Retreat in 2015. In 2016, Gopnik started a free lecture series. It was called The History of the World in 100 Performances.
During the pandemic, Adam was a regular guest on the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice Power Hour. He is now a regular visitor to this LGBTQIA+ Safe-Space & community activist hub in Princeton, NJ.
Gopnik appears as himself in the 2022 movie Tár. In the film, he interviews the main character, Lydia Tár. This interview takes place at The New Yorker Festival.
