Damon Young (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Damon Young
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| Born | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, editor |
| Language | English |
| Education | Canisius College |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Literary movement | Black |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Notable works | What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker |
| Children | 2 |
Damon Young (born December 30, 1978) is an American writer and editor. He is known for co-founding the website Very Smart Brothas. Young also wrote a popular book called What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker. He has written for many well-known publications.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Damon Young was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents are Vivienne and Wilbur Young. He grew up mostly in a part of Pittsburgh called East Liberty.
When he was a teenager, Young lived in Penn Hills. He was a talented basketball player for Penn Hills High School. He even earned a scholarship to play basketball at Canisius College. In 2002, he graduated from college with a degree in English.
Writing Career
Starting Very Smart Brothas
In 2008, Damon Young helped start a website called Very Smart Brothas (VSB). He created it with his friend D. Marcellus Wright, who writes under the name Panama Jackson. The website shared essays about pop culture, politics, and funny stories. These articles were written for an African-American audience.
A company called Gizmodo Media Group bought VSB in 2016. Now, VSB is part of another website called The Root.
Writing for Major Publications
Damon Young is also a writer for several big magazines and newspapers. He writes columns for GQ magazine. He also contributes opinion pieces to The New York Times. Since January 2022, Young has been a weekly writer for The Washington Post.
His First Book: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker
In November 2016, Damon Young signed a deal to publish two books with HarperCollins. His first book, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays, came out in March 2019. This book is a collection of personal stories. It talks about important topics like race, gender, and what it means to be Black.
The book received many good reviews. Publishers Weekly said that Young's humor makes the essays fun to read. They also said his honest style makes them memorable. A writer for the Post-Gazette called the book a deep look into Young's life. It also praised how the book discusses how Black people deal with racism. The book won the 2020 Thurber Prize for American Humor.
In 2017, Ebony magazine included Damon Young on its Power 100 list. He was recognized in the "Luminaries" category.
Personal Life
Damon Young is married. He has two children, a daughter and a son. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Works
- Your Degrees Won’t Keep You Warm At Night Lexington, KY: Very Smart Brothas Media, 2011. ISBN: 9781453708767,
- What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker New York, NY: Ecco, 2019. ISBN: 9780062684301,
- That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor New York, NY: Pantheon, 2025. ISBN: 9780593317112
