David Simon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Simon
Simon in 2004
Born	David Judah Simon (1960-02-09) February 9, 1960 (age 65) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	Author journalist screenwriter producer
Education	Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Alma mater	University of Maryland, College Park (BA)
Subject	Crime fiction, true crime
Years active	1982–present
Notable works	The Wire Treme The Deuce
Spouse	Kayle Tucker ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 1998)​ Laura Lippman ​ ​ (m. 2006; separated 2020)​
Children	2

David Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American writer, journalist, and TV producer. He is famous for creating TV shows like The Wire (2002–2008).

He worked as a journalist for The Baltimore Sun newspaper for twelve years. Later, he wrote a book called Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (1991). This book became the basis for the TV show Homicide: Life on the Street.

Simon also co-wrote another book, The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (1997). This book was later turned into an HBO mini-series.

He is the main creator and producer of many popular HBO shows. These include The Wire, Generation Kill, Treme, Show Me a Hero, The Deuce, The Plot Against America, and We Own This City.

David Simon's Early Life and School

Simon was born in Washington, D.C. His mother, Dorothy, was a homemaker. His father, Bernard, was a journalist and later worked in public relations.

David grew up in a Jewish family. His family came from countries like Russia, Belarus, Hungary, and Slovakia. He has a brother, Gary, and a sister, Linda.

When Simon was in high school, his father was one of many people held hostage in Washington, D.C. during an event in 1977. Luckily, his father and the others were all released safely.

Simon went to Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland. He wrote for the school newspaper, The Tattler. In 1983, he graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park. There, he wrote for the college newspaper, The Diamondback. He also became friends with another writer, David Mills.

David Simon's Career

Journalism Work

After college, Simon became a police reporter for The Baltimore Sun. He worked there from 1982 to 1995. He spent most of his time covering crime stories.

Simon loved journalism and felt it was very important. He was inspired to become a journalist by how The Washington Post covered the Watergate scandal.

After a while, Simon felt unhappy with his job. He decided to take a break to write a book. In 1988, he spent a year with the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Unit. This experience helped him write his first book.

Books Written by David Simon

Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets

Simon's first book was Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (1991). It was based on his time with the Baltimore Police Department's homicide detectives in 1988.

At first, the detectives were not sure about him. But Simon stayed with them and became like "part of the furniture." He even helped with an arrest once! He helped a detective search one of the suspects.

The book won an Edgar Award in 1992 for Best Fact Crime book. The Associated Press called it a "true-crime classic." Simon said that researching this book changed his writing style. He learned to be more patient and focus on the people he was writing about.

Simon explained that Homicide was not like traditional journalism. He said it was "immersed in the respective cultures that they cover." This means he deeply explored the lives of the people he wrote about.

David Simon's Television Work

Homicide: Life on the Street

The book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets was turned into a TV series. The show was called Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999). Barry Levinson, a film director from Baltimore, helped make it.

Simon worked on the show as a writer and producer. He wrote an episode called "Bop Gun" with his college friend David Mills. This episode featured actor Robin Williams and was nominated for an Emmy Award. Simon and Mills won an award for their writing on this episode.

In 1995, Simon left his job at The Baltimore Sun to work full-time on Homicide: Life on the Street. He wrote several other episodes for the show.

Simon thought the show was a "remarkable drama." However, he felt it did not fully show what he experienced with real detectives. He said that TV shows often simplify real life.

The Corner

In 1997, Simon co-wrote another book with Ed Burns. It was called The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood. This book was a true story about a community in West Baltimore.

The Corner was named a Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times. After finishing the book, Simon felt even more changed by his experiences. He left his job at The Sun to work on TV shows.

Soon after Homicide ended, Simon and David Mills turned The Corner into a six-hour TV miniseries for HBO.

The Wire

Simon created, produced, and was the main writer for the HBO drama series The Wire. It ran for five seasons. Many characters and events in The Wire came from his first book, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.

Simon worked with Ed Burns to create the show. They wanted to make a police drama based on Burns' experiences. Burns had worked on long police investigations using special equipment. He often felt frustrated by the police department's rules. Simon felt the same way about his time as a reporter.

The Wire became a show about how big organizations and people interact. It explored different parts of the city. The second season looked at the city's ports. The third season explored politics and change. The fourth season focused on education, based on Burns' time as a teacher. The fifth season looked at the media.

Simon worked with producers Robert F. Colesberry and Nina K. Noble on The Wire. He also brought in famous crime writers to help. One of them was George Pelecanos. Simon and Pelecanos wrote an episode together that was nominated for an Emmy Award. Another crime novelist, Dennis Lehane, also wrote for the series.

Simon felt working with HBO was better than working with other TV networks. He said HBO allowed him more creative freedom.

Generation Kill

Simon also produced and wrote Generation Kill for HBO with Ed Burns. This miniseries was based on a non-fiction book. It showed the first 40 days of the 2003 invasion of Iraq through the eyes of soldiers and a reporter.

Treme

Simon worked with Eric Overmyer on Treme. This show was about musicians in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Overmyer lived in New Orleans, which helped them tell the city's stories.

The show focused on a working-class neighborhood. It explored music, political problems, and the struggle to rebuild the city. Many actors from The Wire also appeared in Treme. The series ran for four seasons on HBO.

Show Me a Hero

In 2014, HBO approved Simon's next project, Show Me a Hero. This was a six-hour miniseries co-written with William F. Zorzi. It was based on a non-fiction book by Lisa Belkin.

The story is about Nick Wasicsko, a young mayor. He faces problems when a court orders low-income housing to be built in white neighborhoods. The series premiered in 2015.

The Deuce

The Deuce is a drama TV series that started in 2017. It was set in Times Square, New York. Simon created and wrote the series with George Pelecanos. It showed life in the city from 1971 to 1985. The show aired on HBO.

The Plot Against America

This miniseries is based on a novel by Philip Roth. The Plot Against America tells an alternate history story. It shows a Jewish family in New Jersey as Charles Lindbergh becomes president. He is a famous pilot who turns the nation toward fascism. The series debuted in 2020 on HBO.

We Own This City

We Own This City is a miniseries based on a non-fiction book by a Baltimore Sun reporter. It tells the story of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force. It shows the corruption within the police force. The six-part series premiered on HBO in 2022.

Future Projects by David Simon

David Simon has several projects in the works:

• Parting the Waters: A project about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Avenue: A book with William F. Zorzi Jr..
• The Good Friday Plot: A miniseries about Abraham Lincoln.
• Capitol Hill: A show about politics and money in Washington D.C.
• Legacy of Ashes: A show about the Central Intelligence Agency.
• The Pogues: A musical project for the theater.
• A Dry Run: The Lincolns in Spain: A historical miniseries about American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War.

David Simon's Writing Style

Simon is known for his realistic dialogue and how he writes like a journalist. He believes that being real and true to life is most important. He writes for his subjects, not just a general audience. He often uses real stories and people in his writing. He calls this "stealing life."

Simon once said he started writing to get back at two senior editors at The Baltimore Sun. He felt they had "destroyed" the newspaper. He even named a bad character in The Wire after one of them. Later, he said he was joking a bit and that good stories are about bigger ideas, not just revenge.

David Simon's Thoughts on Journalism

Simon has said that journalism today might not be as powerful as it once was. He feels that people are less shocked by news stories. He thinks that daily journalism is not very effective at making big changes.

In 2009, he spoke to the Senate about the future of journalism. He called "citizen journalist" a strange term. He also said, "I don't think anything can be done to save high-end journalism."

David Simon's Political Views

Simon calls himself a social democrat. This means he generally supports capitalism but thinks it needs rules. He believes that capitalism should not ignore the weakest people in society. He thinks that "raw, unencumbered capitalism" can cause "needless pain."

In 2013, he compared the global surveillance disclosures by Edward Snowden to a police effort in Baltimore. The police recorded numbers dialed from pay phones to catch criminals. Simon felt the media attention on Snowden was a "faux scandal."

In 2013, he gave a speech in Australia. He said America has become a "horror show" because of too much capitalism. He believes that society needs to think about "socialism and the socialist impulse" again. He thinks it should be combined with capitalism, like it was in the past.

During the 2016 presidential election, Simon praised Bernie Sanders. He said Sanders helped make the word "socialist" normal again in America.

In 2022, David Simon thanked Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny had used a quote from The Wire in a court speech. Simon wished him good luck.

David Simon's Personal Life

In 1991, Simon married graphic artist Kayle Tucker. They had a son. They later divorced.

In 2006, Simon married best-selling novelist Laura Lippman. She was also a reporter for The Sun. They have a daughter, born in 2010. Lippman and Simon separated in 2020 but still raise their daughter together.

Simon's nephew, Jason Simon, is a guitarist for the band Dead Meadow. The band was even mentioned in an episode of The Wire.

In 2012, Simon gave the graduation speech at Georgetown University and at his old high school.

In 2019, Simon joined other writers in a stand against talent agents. He spoke out about how major talent agencies work.

David Simon's Works

Non-fiction books

• Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (1991)
• The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (1997) (with Ed Burns)

Filmography

Producer

Writer

See also

In Spanish: David Simon para niños