James Hannaham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Hannaham
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| Born | 1968 (age 57–58) The Bronx, U.S. |
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| Genre | Novel, short story |
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| Spouse | Brendan Moroney |
James Hannaham (born in 1968) is an American writer, performer, and visual artist. He is known for his award-winning novel Delicious Foods, which was published in 2015. This book tells a serious story about people forced to work against their will.
For Delicious Foods, Hannaham won the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Publishers Weekly magazine named it one of the top ten books of 2015. The New York Times described it as a powerful story about people being trapped and taken advantage of.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Hannaham was born in The Bronx, a part of New York City. He grew up in the nearby city of Yonkers, New York. His mother worked as an investigative journalist for the radio. During his childhood, there was a major court case to end segregation (the separation of people based on race) in the Yonkers schools. His mother reported on this important event.
For college, Hannaham studied art at the famous Yale University. After graduating, he went back to school to study creative writing at the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas.
Career in Writing and Art
Hannaham's career began in 1992. He started working in the art department for a newspaper called The Village Voice and also wrote articles for it. He is also a professor who teaches writing at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
Novels and Recognition
Hannaham's first novel, God Says No, was published in 2009. It was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, which is a special honor for writers. His most recent novel, Didn't Nobody Give a ... What Happened to Carlotta, came out in 2022.
Besides his novels, Hannaham has written short stories for magazines like One Story, Fence, and BOMB. He also writes reviews of plays and art for a publication called 4Columns.
Performance and Visual Art
Hannaham is not just a writer; he is also a performer and an artist. He was one of the founders of a performance group in New York City called Elevator Repair Service. He worked with the group from 1992 to 2002.
His artwork often uses words and text to make fun of the complicated language sometimes used to describe art. In 2014, he had an art show called "Card Tricks." The show was made up of only the small description cards you see next to art in a gallery. However, the artworks they described were not real.
In 2020, one of his art pieces won "Best in Show" at a national art show called Biblio Spectaculum, which focused on art made from books and text.
Personal Life
Hannaham's cousin is Kara Walker, a very famous artist. She created the illustration for the cover of his novel Delicious Foods. Hannaham is gay. He is married to Brendan Moroney, and they live in Brooklyn.
